Little Giant's Big Brunch

Saturday morning brunch - what better way to relish the travails of your Friday night than over a bloody mary and a pile of eggs. A full belly, a nip with a side of casual conversation and next thing you know, you're back. Ready to rejoin the human race. Ready for Saturday night. An attitude adjustment in an hour and a half.  Magical.

I've found my happy place at Little Giant, an oxymoron meant to play on the big flavors served at this tiny corner storefront in the Lower East Side. The interior is homey, it's shelves covered with an array of kitchen wares, an exposed brick ceiling and a large wraparound bench that is littered with comfy pillows. It is the antithesis of a see and be seen brunch, where a side of anxiety is served with your cup of coffee. The menu is filled with market inspired, seasonal options like a duck confit BLT (bland) or the baked french toast served in a heart stopping brick with caramelized bananas and banana gelato.

I prefer their take on traditional breakfast items, such as lox and eggs served on a biali with a shmear, with pickled onions, capers and a salted tomato. Or their Trucker's Breakfast, a spin on an English breakfast, where scrambled eggs are served with broiled cremini mushrooms, a slab of bacon, and andouille sausage, topped with a tomato gravy on Texas toast. A side of molasses baked beans rounds out the mayhem. Most notable however, is their cheesy egg on a roll. The name suggests nothing spectacular, however they managed to perfect the basics of this traditional hangover cure. Eggs are softly scrambled and cheesy. Bacon is apple-wood smoked and crispy. Their roll is perfection - a fluffy, buttery Parker House roll has forever separated me from my usual Kaiser. Give it your all with a spicy bloody mary and a cup of their Stumptown Coffee - it's time for Saturday night.

- The Heat

Little Giant
85 Orchard Street (at Broome) (map)
212-226-5047