Better get your bottomless brunch on before this Manhattan attorney gets his way.
Lawyer and longtime East Village resident Robert Halpern has filed a suit against the State Liquor Authority over a loophole to a law that prohibits the sale of unlimited alcoholic drinks over a set period of time for a fixed price.
Weekend brunch packages with unlimited mimosas or Bloody Marys are legal, according to the law, because the service of alcohol is “incident to the event,” i.e., your plate of eggs and bacon.
Halpern — whose neighborhood has seen exponential growth in active liquor licenses over the past few years, he writes in court papers filed Wednesday in Manhattan Supreme Court — argues that “bottomless brunches lead to more drinking in the [East Village], which leads to more noise, more crowds, and more uncivil behavior.”
If the litigious prohibitionist sounds like a grinch, take note: His suit names 15 bottomless brunch deals that could bear the brunt of the court’s scrutiny.
Make your Sunday reservations at the restaurants below while you can, in case Halpern wins his case:
The Blind Pig serves bottomless mimosas or Bloody Marys with your brunch entree over the course of two hours. You’ll have your choice of brunch classics like eggs Benedict and a three-egg omelet, or more lunch-leaning fare, like a lamb burger or Meditteranean chopped salad. $30; 233 E. 14th St., 212- 209-1573, https://blindpignyc.com/
Café Mocha, a cozy corner spot, will hook you up with bottomless brunch mimosas any day of the week, for $10 with a purchase of an omelet, an eggs Benedict or a breakfast sandwich like the garden pesto croissant. 116 Second Ave., 212 253-1046, www.cafemochanyc.com
The Copper Still, a whiskey bar and restaurant, offers an unlimited mimosa and Bloody Mary option ($15 extra) for its weekend brunches, which run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Food items include fried chicken and waffles, avocado toast and a burger with blue cheese. 151 Second Ave., 212-510-8469, thecopperstillnyc.com
Fonda’s East Village location offers a $35 deal that gets you a brunch dish — like an ancho-marinated grilled chicken torta or a Texas-style breakfast burrito — and unlimited refills on house drinks, including the frozen hibiscus margarita, for an hour and a half. 40 Ave. B, 212-677-4096, fondarestaurant.com
Jeepney, a Filipino gastropub, invites diners for a “boozy brunch” that includes an entree and two hours of bottomless mimosas, wine, well drinks, Bloody Marys and draft beer. The menu features dishes like arroz caldo (ginger and garlic-scented rice porridge garnished with a hard-boiled egg and fried tripe) and ube pancakes, with macapuno syrup, calamansi butter and fresh fruit. $29; 201 First Ave., 212-533-4121, jeepneynyc.com
Jules, a French bistro, will set you up with two hours of unlimited mimosas or apple-hard-bite cider for $22 extra with your Maine lobster Benedict, croque monsieur, or apple and French ricotta pancakes. 65 St. Marks Pl., 212-477-5560, www.julesbistro.com
Miss Lily’s, an East Village outpost, has a brunch cocktail prix fixe menu: Order a Jamaican dish like breakfast roti (soft scrambled eggs, cheese, jerk pork sausage), or a callaloo and Gruyère omelet, and you can add on one hour of unlimited bellinis, spicy Bloody Marys or rum punch for $15 extra. 109 Ave. A, 212-812-1482, misslilys.com
Pardon My French, an untraditional French bistro, will serve you unlimited Bloody Marys or mimosas for an hour and half with your brunch entree for a total of $29.95. Entree options include brioche French toast, eggs baked in a Tunisian style, and a strip steak and white cheddar cheese sandwich. 103 Ave. B, 212- 358-9683, pmf.nyc
Poco offers an all-organic brunch on Fridays through Sundays, when your entree (like a lobster mac ’n’ cheese or eggs Benedict with guacamole) comes with bottomless mimosas, Bloody Marys and sangria. For most groups, the deal is $33 per person for one and a half hours of drinks. 33 Ave. B., 212-228-4461, poconyc.com
San Marzano offers bottomless mimosas for $10 extra with your pressed meatball, chicken or portobello panini. 117 Second Ave., 212-777-3600, sanmarzanonyc.com
Sidewalk Café, an East Village landmark, will pour you unlimited Bloody Marys, mimosas, screwdrivers, sangria and house lager with your brunch entree for the price of $27.95. This place has all the brunch classics and a few outliers, like mac ’n’ cheese, an shakshuka. 94 Ave. A, 212-473-7373, sidewalkny.com
Three of Cups, an old-school Italian restaurant, guarantees unlimited Bloody Marys and mimosas for two hours with the purchase of a brunch selection like poached eggs served on soft polenta or a frittata with sautéed shrimp and asparagus. $10 extra; 83 First Ave., 212-388-0059, threeofcupsnyc.com
Timna, a Mediterranean place serving modern Israeli cuisine, does a $35 brunch with unlimited glasses of blanc de blancs, brut rose or pinot noir. Brunch items include shawarma, hummus masabacha (hard-boiled egg, preserved lemon and smoked eggplant) and burrata fattoush (grilled tomato, onion, mozzarella and fried pita). 109 St. Marks Pl., 646-964-5181, timna.nyc
Villa Cemita offers a two-hour bottomless brunch deal for as many mimosas, bellinis and glasses of sangria or beer you can drink with your enchiladas, huevos rancheros or pancakes. It’s $18 extra with purchase of your entree. 50 Ave. A, 646- 964-4528, villacemita.com
Yerba Buena, a pan-Latin eatery, serves unlimited glasses of sangria, piscos with guava juice, mimosas, Bloody Marys, “Brazilian” bellinis (with leblon cachaça and passion fruit) and Michelada Picantinas (Dos Equis beer served with hot sauce and a lime rim) for $12 during brunch service. To eat, your options include a green Chile burger, a cubano sandwich and arepas. 23 Ave. A, 212-529-2919, ybnyc.com
