Brunch at the Ainslie

A few months ago, our team was lucky enough to visit the newly opened Ainslie, a wine bar and beer garden serving Italian fare in the heart of Williamsburg. Last week, our team was once again invited back -- this time to try the newly crafted brunch menu from Chefs John DeLucie and Erasmo ‘Mino’ Lassandro.

The thing about Brunch in Brooklyn is that there’s a lot of it: weekend brunch, weekday brunch, party brunch, boozy brunch...even bottomless pizza brunch. The options are endless, so every place likes to run their own gimmick. Not that it’s a bad thing -- I’ve definitely had a day or two where all I needed was to eat french toast while being serenaded by shirtless waiters. Still, it’s refreshing to visit a place where brunch can be a simple, cozy affair. For a beer garden, the Ainslie is surprisingly wholesome -- manager Joe’s hope is to make the restaurant into a go-to community space for the neighborhood. He’s even planning to host a children’s meet and greet with Santa come Christmas time -- which, lest I forget to mention, the Ainslie definitely has space for, able to accommodate up to 340 people. Santa could definitely bring all of his elves. 

But wholesomeness isn’t the only thing the Ainslie serves up. Their brunch menu, available from 12-4pm on Saturday and Sunday, puts an Italian spin on traditional American fare, with a Pancetta & Pecorino Omelette, a Bongiorno Pizza, and Pancakes topped with Gelato. But their traditional food is nothing to scoff at either -- I devoured my Eggs Benedict, and according to my dining partner, the Steak and Eggs are to die for.

So if you’re looking for someplace a little more genuine to enjoy a meal at the Ainslie is your best bet. Check them out @ainsliebkny or at https://ainsliebk.com/.