Last Saturday, June 30th, guests were invited to partake in the Grey Goose punch brunch feast at newly opened TOY restaurant in the Gansevoort Hotel in the Meatpacking District.

Co-managed by China Grill Management and the Koch brothers (of Day and Night brunch notoriety), I was surprised the layout for the restaurant is not “drunk brunch friendly”, that is, not suitable for dancing on tables or chairs. Apparently, the Day and Night brunch party at Ajna will not follow the Koch brothers to TOY, although with an outside terrace and upstairs dining area overlooking the restaurant, I can see how this pan-Asian hot-spot will purportedly turn into a nightclub at 1am.

Plied with plenty of delicious custom variations of Grey Goose punch, partygoers were treated to sounds spun by DJ Cassidy while taking in the heavily mirrored scenery. While some of the crowd was clearly interested in drinks only (and not the “eating in public types”), they really missed out on some great brunch treats.

The vanilla mascarpone stuffed French toast was some of the best I have had, and the eggs were perfectly poached to accompany their short-rib hash browns topped with béarnaise sauce. We were a bit disappointed by the Chinese chicken salad, but were buoyed by the amazing cheesecake lollipop desserts.

The brunch menu was much better than anticipated, and I am excited to go back for lunch or dinner to try some of their Asian entrees or sample from their oyster bar.

Happy Dining,

Jenicka

TOY Restaurant
Hotel Gansevoort
18 9th Ave.
New York, NY 10014