Brunch

Weekends in the Financial District could be pretty desolate. Sure, there are tourist and some downtown residents; but the area is pretty much dead compared to Monday-Friday 9-5. With my family coming in for Sunday brunch, I was nervous that we wouldn't be able to find a decent spot. I wanted to steer clear of the seaport as its a huge tourist trap. We walked along Front Street checking out some menus. After a quick tour of the area, we decided on Stella Manhattan Bistro.

Stella seemed to offer the best variety for brunch. Its hard to please all four of us, but Stella seemed like our best bet. The restaurant was pretty empty, but it wasn't because of the food or the service because we had a great meal. Stella Manhattan Bistro offered a casual atmosphere with good food and friendly service. Nothing that I ate was WOW, but we weren't expecting that.




The hardest part about brunch is deciding whether to get breakfast or lunch. After grappling with the menu for awhile, I decided on the French-Dip Sandwich (braised beef, caramelized onions, and gruyere on a baguette) which also came with a side salad. My mother also opted to get lunch with the Grilled Fish Sandwich. Although I forget what fish was in the sandwich, I want to say Fluke. The sandwich reminded me of a Banh Mi, a traditional Vietnamese sandwich. Her fish sandwich was made with pickled vegetables, cilantro, jalapenos, and a spicy mayo. I really enjoyed both sandwiches. Lunch was a good choice!










Breakfast was also a good choice! Kim got the the homemade waffles which came with 2 eggs, bacon, and maple syrup. The waffles were made crispy and delicious--even my mother would approve. Kim got her eggs scrambled and seeing that she didn't have any left--I want to say that they were cooked good. They definitely didn't go cheap on the bacon as her plate had atleast 5 pieces. Usually when bacon comes with a meal, they give you 2 slices...maybe 3! Jen got the Stella Pancakes: pancakes served with maple butter, maple syrup, nutella, and fresh bananas. The pancakes were on point as well. I feel that breakfast sometimes disappoints me because growing up, breakfast was huge at my house. I grew up on waffles and pancakes, so I guess I could be hard to impress. Jen also got a side of Mac n Cheese as its one of her guilty pleasures. The mac n cheese held up pretty good to her standards as it was made with truffle butter and a gruyere crust. I thought it was real good.





Although Stella didn't WOW me, they served up a good brunch. Both breakfast and lunch dishes were delicious. The service was good. I think the lady forgot to bring something out, but she was so friendly that it was overlooked. Raise your mimosa to great family and a well-done brunch.