Let's do brunch: Cafe Gitane

One of my favorite things about New York is brunch. Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day, and the luxury of having it in the afternoon after you've gotten over your hangover makes it even better! One of my favorite brunch spots is Cafe Gitane in NoLita. Even just standing outside waiting for a table is a total NY experience. The NoLita hipsters hanging around outside make for pretty good people watching. Oh, and on the weekends there are stalls around the corner from Cafe Gitane on Prince Street, where artisans and their wares line one side of the sidewalk. You can find some unique handcrafted jewelry there.

But back to the food! The food is the main reason I keep coming back to Cafe Gitane (well the affordable prices too). My ultimate favorite is the baked pasta with roasted tomatoes, gorgonzola, bread crumbs and prosciutto ($11.50). It's the perfect greasy antedote to a hangover. Biting into pasta that's encrusted with baked cheese and crunchy prosciutto is nothing short of heavenly. Last Sunday, I decided to switch it up and picked prosciutto and brie with honey mustard on seven grain bread ($9.50). It was a poor choice, not because it didn't taste good, but because seriously even I can slap a mound of prosciutto and brie on a piece of bread. I sought comfort in my very refreshing fresh watermelon juice, but soon found myself coveting Mika's organic roasted chicken with chipotle mayonnaise, fresh parmesan and roasted tomatoes on toasted baguette ($10.50), which was just perfect. Everyone else though seemed to be coveting Johan's organic chicken satay with peanut sauce, and an avocado and carrot salad ($12.25), which was surprisingly quite good. Who would've thought a little French Meditteranean cafe could make brilliant satay?

Can't wait for my next Cafe Gitane brunch ...

Where: 242 Mott St., New York 10012. Tel. 212.334.9552