Bite Of The Day: Lunch At Myrtle And Gold
Almost three weeks into the launch of their lunch menu, Myrtle + Gold is doing brisk business with their lively yet comforting menu of Sriracha Honey Chicken Wings, BLTA and Grilled Cheese sandwiches, Single and Double Stack Burgers, Steak Frites, and more.
Dubbed “elevated comfort food,” the menu pulls some of the highlights from the restaurant’s slightly more expansive dinner menu in order to create an equally appetizing mid-day meal with the same large portion sizes — more than enough to satisfy quick lunch breaks and casual “I’m-hungry” meals alike.
“We see the spot as unique in a neighborhood that has a lot of fast food, but no comfortable eat-in, sit-down places besides the pizza place,” explained co-owner Theo Maniatis. “Our concept is borne out of the space and the neighborhood. We pride ourselves on good coffee, food, and atmosphere, inside and in the back patio and side-seating.”
Our favorites are the Double Stack Burger with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, and cheese ($12; $10 for a single patty; $1-2 for cheese or bacon) and the Kale and Quinoa Bowl with roasted mushrooms, peas, and fava beans ($10).
The burger, cooked to order at a minimum of medium, is incredibly juicy and filling, and somehow managed to snag a spot on our list of personal favorite burgers in the neighborhood, based purely on how quickly it disappeared and how satisfied our stomachs were afterwards. Our only wish is that it came with a portion of the Hand Cut Fries ($3 with purchase of a sandwich; $6 a la carte).
The Kale and Quinoa didn’t come in a bowl, but may as well have: it was a mountain of lightly tangy bright reddish-purple-beige quinoa and several varies of meaty roasted mushrooms, tender fava beans, and freshly cooked peas. The brightness shouts spring and doesn’t need any additional spices, although M+G offers salt and black pepper on the side.
We also recommend the mountain of Sriracha Honey Chicken Wings ($12) — large, tender wings in a pleasantly light and sweet sauce that isn’t too strong, and that goes well with the crunch of the scallion slices and coolness of the buttermilk dressing — and the giant side of Crispy Brussel Sprouts with pickled onion and feta ($8) — as brussel sprout fiends, we consider the char-to-tender-green ratio pretty spot on, with the tart onions and feta providing a nice counterpoint.
The Sauteed Mushrooms sound enticing, as well, if only because we’re now curious how M+G handles it, as they did the roasted version so well in the Kale and Quinoa bowl.
The atmosphere is also relaxed that you don’t have to worry about being rushed through your meal, and waitstaff is so friendly and attentive as to almost make you lose track of time.
Myrtle + Gold is the first restaurant for co-owners Maniatis and Lloyd Sherman, and the second for co-owners Eric Horowitz and Paul Cacici, who run The Double Windsor in Windsor Terrace.
VERDICT: Great food, service, and atmosphere. The M+G Burger is a must, although we wish it came with fries. Come for happy hour specials and the back patio. Free wifi also makes this a good spot for catching up on personal projects over a beer or cocktail after your day-job.
MYRTLE + GOLD
343 Gold Street
718-858-8178
Open daily from 7am-2am
Kitchen closes at 11pm
Happy Hour on weekdays from 4-7pm
