I broke many of the rules I tend to hold about brunch to dine at Peels (A Southern American regional cuisine based restaurant and bakery that rotates its bakery items on a daily basis) one Sunday morning. There were no reservations, it is incredibly trendy and I had to wake up before 10 am.
The things we do for biscuits. Shockingly, there was only a 10 minute wait for this popular spot at 11 am. Okay, so far i didn’t HATE it…
And the bright and airy space with a trendy but casual vibe made me not hate it some more…
And this pecan sticky bun made me REALLY not hate the Peels.
Fresh brioche dough intermingled with buttery and sticky caramel, fatty toasted pecans and just the barest hint of cinnamon. This really isn’t a cinnamon roll – it is a savory, eggy bread that is soaked in an incredibly rich and sugary sauce that is closer to toffee than caramel since there is virtually no burnt edge to it. The pecans are abundant and the flavors are balanced and satisfying. Totally delicious and a must-get.
The sausage isn’t the stuff out of a Jimmy Dean package – this is housemade, free form pork sausage. Spicy with red pepper flakes, a bit sweet with brown sugar and somehow juicy and delicate yet meaty and substantial all at the same time…These were some really kick ass sausages. I mean that…that is a food critic term, right there.
The Peels Biscuit and Gravy that my dining companion ordered was another winner. Fluffy, light, floury biscuits under perfectly poached eggs and creamy sausage flecked with that amazing homemade sausage. The only thing that could improve this would be a side dish of dill cucumber salad…because that’s just what I imagine Southern people eating. They need SOME veggies if they eat sausage that is as amazing as the sausage at Peels!
Brunch ended with an extremely well made latte-the perfect combination of sweet and bitter, creamy and spartan, with just enough foam to be luxurious but not overly heavy.
I broke the rules for Peels and it broke the rules for me! No reservations, but (virtually) no wait. Trendy but not snobby. Southern food that was decadent and authentic but, dare I say…light? Yes, pork and sticky buns can be light, don’t you sass me.
The service may have been a bit slow, but it was incredibly leisurely to sit and chat over a brunch where we weren’t being driven out to get other people into the chairs. That is a MAJOR issue at hot restaurants in NYC and I am pleased to say that Peels treated us with real Southern hospitality.
And that’s why they say that rules are meant to be broken.
I can't wait to go back there!!