V-Spot 156 5th Avenue
(between Douglass Street and Degraw Street)
Park Slope, Brooklyn
718-622-2275
Vegiboys Rating (2.5/4)
V-Spot has all the trappings of a proper Brooklyn dive: an exposed brick wall decorated with local art, slightly shabby furnishings (the “couch” which composed half of our booth was nearing the end of its usable life), and requisite hipster staff. Despite this bohemian grunginess,the interior really is a comfortable, open, and fun space. The location is great too: a short walk to Prospect Park, it’s perfectly situated for a morning meal before some leisurely weekend strolling.
And a morning meal is exactly what we undertook… As non-Brooklynites, we decided to try balancing any Queens borough biases with the presence of illustrious instructor of the dancing arts (and Brooklyn resident), Lauren Alzos (she joined us for brunch and helped in providing some clear-minded critiques).
We were seated, and immediately found that the staff were weirdly quiet. Our server actually operated mostly through nonverbal cues, even in requesting our order.
Despite these behavioral quirks, we did successfully submit our requests. For our drinks, Lauren found the coffee delightful – strong and black with free refills on demand. Brian’s lemonade was a bit weak and a little too sugary. My ginger squeeze (which I enjoyed) actually better captured the depth of flavor and refreshing characteristics he wanted from the lemonade.
I followed the house recommendation of the tofu scramble for my meal. The dish was OK: nicely seasoned though not especially inspired, with sides of equally mundane potatoes and toast. The temperature of the food was unfortunately uneven, varying between warm and cool depending on the forkful. I received a few strips of “bacon” on the side as well, and I will unequivocally state that V-Spot is the one restaurant we’ve encountered which has nailed their tempeh bacon recipe; the tempeh was sliced thin enough to be crisp, and the smoky, savory flavors carried through perfectly.
Brian had the steak brunch, with salty, chewy and overcooked “steak” strips accompanied by a plate that otherwise looked (and tasted) exactly like mine.
Lauren’s breakfast burrito was well-composed, but not especially outstanding; it used the same tofu scramble we all had received, but then brought in a wider variety of ingredients, giving it a creamy filling that just lacked any kick.
At a little under $18 each, V-Spot’s brunch was a cheap, but we simply weren’t impressed by the breakfast dishes we tried. The menu shows a creative spirit in the kitchen, but they need to improve their execution in delivering more consistent and flavorful food (especially with competitors like Sun In Bloom right around the corner).
Restaurant Review: V-Spot
156 5th Avenue
(between Douglass Street and Degraw Street)
Park Slope, Brooklyn
718-622-2275
Vegiboys Rating (2.5/4)
We were seated, and immediately found that the staff were weirdly quiet. Our server actually operated mostly through nonverbal cues, even in requesting our order.
I followed the house recommendation of the tofu scramble for my meal. The dish was OK: nicely seasoned though not especially inspired, with sides of equally mundane potatoes and toast. The temperature of the food was unfortunately uneven, varying between warm and cool depending on the forkful. I received a few strips of “bacon” on the side as well, and I will unequivocally state that V-Spot is the one restaurant we’ve encountered which has nailed their tempeh bacon recipe; the tempeh was sliced thin enough to be crisp, and the smoky, savory flavors carried through perfectly.
Lauren’s breakfast burrito was well-composed, but not especially outstanding; it used the same tofu scramble we all had received, but then brought in a wider variety of ingredients, giving it a creamy filling that just lacked any kick.
At a little under $18 each, V-Spot’s brunch was a cheap, but we simply weren’t impressed by the breakfast dishes we tried. The menu shows a creative spirit in the kitchen, but they need to improve their execution in delivering more consistent and flavorful food (especially with competitors like Sun In Bloom right around the corner).
Food (2/4)
Atmosphere & Service
(2.5/4)
Value (2.5/4)