LUNCHING with Little Collins

Courtesy of Little Collins

Despite the somewhat cold industrial interior— Edison bulbs, woods and metals—Little Collins, an Australian style coffee shop, is vibrant and inviting. Perhaps it’s the easy to swallow beverage menu or the flavorful to the point food options made with fresh ingredients. Or the smiles that greet every customer even when the line is practically out the door and everyone is in a rush. It could be that.
 

Little Collins is not your average coffee shop where you grab a cuppa joe and a bite and dash. It’s that and so much more. “We are doing our best to make specialty coffee accessible to everyone. Coffee shops can be intimidating,” says Leon Unglik, an owner. “Our staff is trained to be fastidious about coffee preparation but also to put customer service above all else.”

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The pace is fast, but time can also be relished with deep sips of aromatic coffee and seasonal blends. Smells of coffee and baked goods are hypnotizing while the tinkle of glassware is melodic. Counter seats are immersive as baristas move with purposeful ease and tiny tables along the wall allow for slowed down snacks. Even the rush is soothing.

“We want this to be a place that people want to hang out in,” Unglik says. But, it’s also about the coffee.

The midtown cafe begins with high-quality Counter Culture Coffee and brews with top of the line gear: the Kalita Wave brewing device, Fetco for batch brewing and is the first in New York with Modbar pour-over taps and espresso equipment. Unglik describes the flat white, popular both at Little Collins and in Australia, as a “thinner latte in a cappuccino cup.” The warm drink is velvety, not abrasive for the unaccustomed coffee consumer but Arnon Magal, an owner, also says “coffee geeks and snobs say wow right away.”

The curated menu, dotted with Australian staples, features 'brekkie,' soups, sandwiches and salads with a focus on “flavor profile and execution,“ according to Magal. “We are very much about fresh, seasonal ingredients and interesting yet simple combinations,” Unglik says of the food program created by Magal.

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The food philosophy is evident in the popular avocado smash, which recalls Down Under.  A whole bright green avocado, mashed with salty feta, lays thick on a toasted grainy bread. Red chile flakes and herbs brighten the rich avocado, while earthy pepitas add a meaty savory note. Definitely a hearty start.

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Sweeter, the Sweet Uncle Fred is like a quick brunch, but tastes almost as leisurely. Warmed banana bread is smeared with not quite savory ricotta and topped with strawberries and blueberries, stripes of honey and toasted granola-like almonds.  The fresh berries highlight the rawness of the ricotta, but the crunch of the almonds echo the walnuts of the bread. Simplistic beauty and refreshing unpretentious flavors make for a sweet beginning.

Courtesy of Little Collins

With more to wake you up than just java, Little Collins, boasting origins in Australian coffee culture and featuring plush bites, brings something new to midtown and the growing New York specialty coffee scene.

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Little Collins

667 Lexington Ave

New York, NY 10022

ph 212.308.1969

HudsonRW: Marty O'Brien's

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Next stop, Marty O’Brien’s. Another first, but it definitely will not be my last. Stopping in for Hudson Restaurant Week, was a great idea— a great meal for a great price. The bar eatery offers a hefty menu for the $25 prix-fixe, with appetizers like General Tso’s chicken and crab strudel, and mains like fettuccine and shrimp and braised short ribs among others. There are a ton of options and most definitely something for everyone.

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Even though, walking into the corner spot, you are thrown into a space complete with a long bar, a bunch TV screens and high tables lining the wall, Marty O’Brien’s serves up extremely high-quality food. It looks like a bar at first glance, but further in there is casual dining space and a hearty restaurant menu, with full meals that do not qualify as just bar food. 

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The French onion soup was classic, small and served with French bread and a heavy dose of gruyere cheese. It was salty and warm, sweet with the caramelized onions, typical and delicious. Even the macaroni and cheese was a step beyond rough and ready mac and cheese. The mixture of mascarpone and gruyere cheeses along with the salty smoked bacon gave an adult flare to an easy favorite. Both appetizers had the comfort of bar food, but a quality that made them more special.

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Though petite, the hanger steak entrée was a blend of traditional flavors with an unexpected twist. Blue cheese and steak marry in many a salad, but at Marty O’Brien’s, the slices of meat rested in a pool of thick sweet onion and blue cheese sauce, uniting the flavors in a less straightforward way. Appealing roasted corn on the cob also offered an elevated presentation as well as a smoky sweet taste. The mashed potatoes, though pretty normal, were executed with ease, adding that pillow of comfort.

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A hefty portion of fish dominated the plate for the potato crusted salmon option. It was far heavier and far more satisfying than initially expected. The salmon was filled with lump crabmeat, which added another consistency and a layer of sweet meatiness. The potato crust offered merely texture, a crunch to the soft chew of the salmon and its filling. Yellow rice and sautéed spinach accompanied the fish, just filling the plate, adding color and sustenance. It was the topped salmon that was the star, a unique conglomeration of the familiar.

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Dessert was either a creamy cheesecake or zesty carrot cake. Neither was the consummate dessert, but each had elements of deliciousness. The crust of the cheesecake was like a cookie, soft, but spicy because of cinnamon, which cut the sweetness of the creamy filling. But the moist carrot cake was dense while its cream cheese frosting had a lightness to it that was addictive.

Do not let the long bar and gigantic TV screens fool you; there is something truly delicious in store at Marty O’Brien’s. It is both a home for Hoboken regulars, as well as a spot for a low key but high quality meal. Can’t wait to go again! Thanks #HudsonRW.

And stay tuned for more #HudsonRW on facebook, instagram, twitter, yelp and pintrest! Where will I go next? You just have to wait and see.

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