During one of the very bad snowstorms this winter,I had the privilege of having brunch at GP’s (11 am-3pm on Sundays) with some fabulous local bloggers. A day with the Jersey City Ladies Who Blog…
While GP’s offers brunch cocktails for $7, we were lucky to be privy to a day that the Bitter Bitches —a sexy duo of fantastic mixologists from Brooklyn who know how to make some serious drinks—were behind the bar. Their cocktail menu of the day featured cinnamon, maple, and pomegranate infusions.
The girls and I went all out with our order, hoping our hunger would allow us to try as much of the menu as possible.
GP’s BLT Panino (pancetta, arugula, tomato, lemon-garlic aioli) was the first thing I tried and it was beyond. All of the elements worked well together, and the flavor combination was a welcome surprise for all of the taste-buds at the table. The sophisticated twist on the classic was clean and not overly food-snobbish.
The Wild Boar Hash & Eggs, Toast was a special and a knockout that should totally become part of the regular menu. I can’t even describe it except to say that it was briny and melted in my mouth meaty goodness. I always take the worst photos! Believe me, there is some hash under those eggs. Here is @dontsithome’s photo of the day for the visual effect.
The Cinnamon Brioche French Toast was adored by my dining companions who are foodies, so while I wasn’t in a “sweet mood,” I can say with confidence that this is a winning dish.
We also ordered the meatballs from the dinner menu. I’m very critical of meatballs, always preferring my own, but I really enjoyed these.
The ambiance of GP’s is intimate, and the natural lighting as well as the incandescent make it feel as welcoming as it is.
I’ll always remember my day of cozy comfort foods and laughs—a true winter Sunday Funday. And I can’t help but love a place with my initials as its name.
I’ve already decided that my next (and warm-weather) meal at GP’s will be the Tuscan kale, endive, apples, gorgonzola, pears, and cranberry salad (champagne vinaigrette!) followed by scallops or zuppa di clams. Yum.
The Jersey City Chili Cook-Off is this Saturday, May 3rd at Grove Street Plaza from 12-5pm. Restaurants and independents will compete, residents will eat and vote ($5), and a local-celeb panel will judge.
Full disclosure: I write for the Jersey City Independent (not the linked article, but others, and its publisher, Catherine Hecht, is one of the judges. Come visit me at the JCI table Saturday!
