The Manhattan Times

Where the menu says it’s always time for Sunday brunch

by Adam Garrett-Clark

It is believed that the word brunch originated either from student slang in the late 19th century in England or was coined by a New York reporter around the turn of the century while chronicling his unusual mid-day eating habits.

A selection of heavier, more elaborate breakfast-based meals designed for a long lazy morning, brunch is served by most restaurants on a Saturday or Sunday in a separate menu.

The common reason why most restaurants restrict brunch to the weekends is to avoid taxing the kitchen staff with too wide a variety of ordering options. By limiting the menu, owners can better prepare their inventory.

But restaurateur Alex Torres has recently decided to throw that concept out of the window in his efforts to draw more business through experimentation.

In the last three weeks La Estufa on Broadway and W. 214 Street has begun offering brunch all day, everyday. If a customer wants a brioche French toast or an omelet at three in the afternoon on a Tuesday they should be able to order it, Torres said. “A lot of people want to eat eggs on the weekdays,” he explained.

Torres said his brunch menu, formally offered only on the weekends but now available until 4p.m. on weekdays, became so popular that customers began asking why they couldn’t order the dishes all the time.

In keeping with his health conscious and choice ingredient theme, the menu includes Belgium waffles made with whole wheat flour and the popular sweet potato pancakes served with walnuts and “real maple syrup,” Torres is sure to point out.

The eggs Florentine – a steamed spinach alternative to eggs benedict – is served with a goopy goat cheese sauce. Torres’ favorite is the chicken crepe served with tomato sauce and roasted potatoes. He can’t stop eating it, he said, ordering the same dish straight for the last three days.

So far the restaurant’s small kitchen, Torres said, hasn’t had a problem turning out dishes for the expanded menu. 

A newcomer to the restaurant business, Torres worked as a day trader and private fitness instructor before opening the restaurant three years ago. Involved in every aspect of the operation, Torres is not averse to trying new ideas.

A few months back he began experimenting with organic hot dogs served in a whole-wheat bun along with matching certified organic ketchup and relish. The idea fell through, literally, when he couldn’t find the right bun to hold his organic processed meats that wouldn’t break. 

An organic Philly cheese steak is in the testing phases, along with a few other ideas Torres said he didn’t want to yet make public.

La Estufa’s menu was developed in large part from things Torres picked up as a devoted restaurant eater. As an avid body builder constantly in search of healthy, hearty meals, he became a regular of downtown restaurants.

“You couldn’t get that stuff up here,” he said. He eventually opened the restaurant in north Inwood so that he wouldn’t have to say that anymore.

And with the new daily brunch menu, you don’t have to say, ‘I can’t wait until the weekend for brunch,’ either.

La Estufa, 5035 Broadway at W. 214th Street, 212-567-6640