KEVIN BACON RAVES ABOUT FAVS
March 22, 2009 Sunday issue of the NY Post in the Pulse section - Kevin Bacon says about Good Enough to Eat: "It's my neighborhood joint. It's home cooking like Mac and cheese, plus they've got killer desserts - the carrot cake is the best you'll ever have."
The Brunch-Lover's Bible Swears by GETE!
They vote our waffles and omelets top of the list "...Good Enough To Eat, which makes one [a waffle] with bits of bacon inside..." and "...its omelet with sharp white cheddar and slices of Granny Smith apple (known as the Gramercy Park)..."
What Others are Saying...
Bobby Flay - "the best comfort food in New York" "great breakfast in NY"
from Rachel Ray's "Tasty Travels - ""Chefs come here for breakfast..."
Kathy Baruffi, "Ten Great Places to Start Your Day Sunny Side Up," USA Today, January 25, 2008
"cool, relaxing joint" Eddy Chavey, mrbreakfast.com
Cheap and cheerful New Year’s Day Brunches
By Emily Ranager, Special to amNewYork
After the ball drops and the party’s over, it’s likely you’ll awake to 2009 feeling the aftereffects of your revelry, in mind, body and wallet. Skip the white linen tablecloths and enjoy these New Year’s Day brunches, that are cheap, cheerful and sure to cure whatever ails you.
Good Enough to Eat - Since opening in 1981, this Upper West Side eatery has been a favorite among neighborhood locals for its extensive menu and its homey atmosphere.
Try pumpkin French toast made with the restaurant’s homemade pumpkin bread and topped with a cranberry and pear compote ($10.25), or opt for the apple pancake topped with apple-raisin compote, sour cream and cinnamon sugar ($10.25).
Be warned: weekend brunch lines can be more than an hour.
Michelin
Serving breakfast, lunch, dinner, and takeout, Good Enough to Eat is an affordable neighborhood gem in an area quickly pricing such establishments out of reach. The décor is oddly endearing with its kitschy folk art and cows, cows, cows everywhere.
Chef/owner Carrie Levin has been serving the likes of old-fashioned grilled cheese sandwiches and organic roast chicken with mashed potatoes to repeat audiences since opening in 1981. Other creations may include a moist and buttery fish sandwich with tangy watercress and “funky” slaw. Join the masses in bringing the whole family; this children’s menu has been taste –tested by young and picky palates. Out front, the wide sidewalk accommodates outdoor seating fittingly enclosed by a white picket fence.
We are everywhere, Elle Japan writes...
The place for fluffy pancakes and cozy space
Good Enough to Eat owner, Carrie Levin, studied cooking in London and when she came back to New York in 1981, she opened her own restaurant to serve “good old” American traditional food, which she felt was disappearing. Blueberry pancakes have blueberries inside as well and are cooked just right fluffy texture, you want to come back to eat them over and over again. Fruits accompanying pancakes change seasonally from blueberries, bananas to apples.
GERRY FRANK, '08-'09
"...breakfast and brunch: you cannot do better in both categories (and) lunches feature inexpensive and delicious salads, burgers, pizzas and sandwiches...dinner: meatloaf, turkey, pork chops, fish and roast chicken; wonderful pies, cakes and ice cream. This is comfort food at its best.""Breakfast Not Brunch" "...the wait on the weekends is ridiculous, so try to go during the week...pumpkin French toast, a "Wall Street" omelet with honey mustard-glazed ham and Vermont cheddar or "Peter Paul" pancakes filled with Belgian chocolate chips, coconut...I'm getting hungry writing this."
ZAGAT
A slice of “Vermont” on the UWS, this “home-away-from-home” eatery with a “white picket fence” outside offers “stick-to-your-ribs” Americana at “small-town” prices; it’s best known for its “outstanding brunch” and “outrageous waits” – its setting is “too small for its fan base.”
20-15-17-$26NEXT
"When we happen to find ourselves waking up in Central Park, we crawl over to Good Enough to Eat (483 Amersterdam Ave, 212-496-0163). Lonni loves the Beer-Battered Chicken Fingers ($12.50). Chaz craves their Vegetable Mountain ($14.95) served over brown rice with a ginger watercress sauce while Sweet Georgia goes for the Shrimp in a Chipoltle Cream Sauce ($19.50), served over pasta and vegetables. Make sure you ask for some of their delicious hot buns, and indulge in a slice of one of their decadent desserts. They even sell their own brand of underwear with the name of the restaurant printed on each pair, pointing you to the perfect after-dinner snack!"
Frommers NY
For over 25 years the crowds have been lining up on weekends outside Good Enough to Eat to experience chef/owner Carrie Levin's incredible breakfasts. As a result, lunch and dinner have been somewhat overlooked. Too bad, because these meals can be just as great as the breakfasts. The restaurant's cow motif and farmhouse knickknacks imply hearty, home-cooked food, and that's what's done best here. Stick with the classics: meatloaf with gravy and mashed potatoes; turkey dinner with cranberry relish, gravy, and cornbread stuffing; macaroni and cheese; griddled corn bread; and the BBQ sandwich, roast chicken with barbecue sauce and homemade potato chips. And save room for the homemade desserts; though the selection is often overwhelming, I can never resist the coconut cake. This is food you loved as a kid, which is one reason why the kids will love it today. There are only 20 tables here, so expect a wait on weekends during the day or for dinner after six.
Time Out NY
Chef-owner Carrie Levin’s dishes, based on family recipes, are served in grizzly-bear portions. Brunchers crowd the farmhouse-style space for fluffy eggs, fruit-packed apple pancakes and plump buttermilk biscuits with strawberry butter. At dinnertime, the crowd thins out, but the portions don’t. Everything—even the chopped salad tossed with bacon and a pinch of sugar—is aimed at hearty appetites. The meat loaf was somewhat plain, but buttery mashed potatoes made up for it. A whopping slice of two-layer white coconut cake has cream-cheese icing and a blizzard of shredded coconut on top. If home cooking were really this good, we’d still be living there.
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