Primo 135
A LocalBozo.com Restaurant Review
135 Seventh Avenue South near West 10th Street, West Village
212-620-6196
Getting There: 1 to Christopher Street-Sheridan Sq.; A,B,C,D,E,F,M,W to West 4th Street-Washington Sq.
http://www.primo135.com

(Primo 135 will be cooking at LocalBozo.com’s BrunchBash on Saturday, May 9th)

The daytime atmosphere at West Village Venetian-style restaurant Primo 135 is vastly different to the intimate and dimly lit setting around dinnertime. Daylight shines through the restaurant’s open curtains, peering in upon a charming little brasserie, eerily reminiscent of a Parisian bistro with its clean white interior, windowside banquettes and eye catching chandeliers that hang overhead, just intricately enough that you are sure to notice them. Though the restaurant is open all week for dinner service, their recently launched 135 Weekend Champagne Brunch has us drawn to the neighborhood- and with good reason. Priced at just $25, the experience is a step up from the boozy brunch party-style atmosphere that has given the entire genre a bad name in recent years. And after a long weekend night on the town, sometimes that’s exactly what you need the following afternoon.

Primo 135 boasts an open air patio located right on Seventh Avenue and though the eight tables are setup for service, the cold temperatures dictate that they’ll need to remain empty at least for a few more weeks. But a step inside to the quaint and approachable space is warm and inviting, adorned with black and white decor around the exposed brick walls that surround the room. A diminutive L-shaped marble bar is available for more casual dining- or to kick back a few drinks- but to enjoy the restaurant’s full experience, you’ll want to wait for one of the available tables.

The dinner menu here is definitively Venetian, but for brunch the offerings are mostly more traditional. Dishes like “Eggs Benedict” and an array of “Frittatas” pace much of the menu, though there are options like “Penne Alla Vodka” and “Mozarella Di Buffalo” that certainly give a nod to the place’s Italian leanings. Pleasantly, each brunch service starts with a complementary bowl of yogurt, topped decadently with fresh berries, granola and a drizzle of sticky and delicious honey. Paired with a variety of brunch cocktails like mimosas, sangria and different flavors of Bellinis, it’s these little distinctions that help the restaurant stand out from so many places that serve up the ‘same-old’ formula for brunch service.

With “Pear Bellinis” in hand, we dig in first to a delectable “Salmon Benedict,” deliciously smoked and served atop a slightly toasted English muffin. A touch of the fork caused the delicately poached eggs to bleed all over the thin slices of Canadian salmon with yellow yolk now covering both the muffin itself and the dual sides of greens and hearty roasted potatoes standing by in accompaniment.   In similar fashion, the “Maple Bacon Cheeseburger” was also decorated with an egg, served sunny side up allowing the yolk to richly lacquer much of the meaty sandwich that lay in front of us. Two sweet house-cured bacon strips proved to be a perfect complement to the melted gooey pepper-jack cheese that covered the thick patty of piping hot seasoned beef between halves of a fluffy egg brioche loaf. Though the bun was a bit oversized, the burger itself unleashed a confluence of mouthwatering flavors and textures with each savory bite from the crispy cuts of lettuce and tomato to the runny egg, salty bacon, oozing cheese and warm patty of beef.

As one of New York City’s most unheralded brunches, Primo 135 serves up tasty fare considered ‘traditional with a twist’ amid a relaxed and likable setting. Once fully operational as temperatures improve, their outdoor patio will make for one of Manhattan’s most sought after spots given the restaurant’s desirable location. And at just $25, the place provides a virtually unbeatable brunch value considering the quality of the cuisine being served, the level of friendly service and the pleasurable experience derived from a routine ninety minute visit to this old-world West Village eatery.

Rundown of the Meal

Brunch Menu
$25, includes yogurt, brunch cocktails, coffee, tea or soft drink

Salmon Benedict
Maple Bacon Cheeseburger*

* Meal Highlight