In a city so over-saturated with dining options, it’s fun to do something slightly different than your standard dinner-and-drinks. After months of email thread (can we all agree that being on girls’ email threads referencing where to go for dinner would probably be a choice activity for punishing culprits of crimes against humanity in the firey pits of hell? “You guys, I’m on the South Beach Diet this week, so can we go somewhere that only serves vegetables so I won’t be tempted?” “Ugh, but they don’t take rezziesssssss”), a few of my best friends and I made a reservation at City Grit.

 

[The menu at City Grit]

City Grit is a Nolita-based supper club with Southern roots. Chef Sarah Simmons has converted a classroom in a converted school house (so cool) into a “culinary salon,” and once or twice a week, she, as well as both local and visiting chefs, host dinners with themes such as Southern Comfort, Summer Solstice, and Tour of the Five Boroughs. We opted for a menu of Breakfast For Dinner: Tapas and settled in for a fun and gluttonous Thursday night.

Contrary to my previous experience, Breakfast For Dinner is much much more than coming home drunk and making yourself an omlette. Simmons and her staff dazzled, and the casual and interactive supper club environment was so much cooler than going out to most restaurants. Taste bud highlights included:

[Tortilla Espanola with lemon aioli]

[Sunrise Salad with homemade granola: so light and sweet]

[Breakfast For Dinner Egg Casserole on a bed of fried kale. Fried kale, you are my bitch lover]

[My favorite dish of the evening: Pimento Cheese Grits with BACON MARMELADE. I want to douse all of my meals with bacon maremelade, it was that good]

[Dessert, and my friends’ favorite dish of the evening: French Toast Bread Pudding]

[We enjoyed our Breakfast For Dinner with mimosas, of course]

City Grit was an awesome experience for a fun dinner with friends, and would be an excellent place to take a date–I’d personally guarantee First Base on the coolness factor alone (unless you’re a ginger…then I can’t make any promises). Upcoming meals include Summer Solstice on June 21st, a Shrimp Boil in their outdoor garden on June 17th, and even a few cooking classes in between.

Check it. 

[Disclosure: City Grit did not compensate me or provide a comped meal for this review. But if they’d like to, that would be fine by me.]