a few weekends back i caught up with some of my blogger buds, megan hoole & sami mauskopf, over brunch. i had eaten at the famous jacob’s pickles several times, and due to a tragic fire it shut down (and is slated to reopen next month!) — but in the meantime, i had been dying to try their sister spot, maison pickle. the time came, and let me tell you, it did not disappoint!
the space is not quite as rustic as jacob’s. it’s got beautiful tile work behind the bars, fancy insta-worthy flooring, and bottles upon bottles lining the walls. the hostess seated us in a sun-drenched corner of their main dining hall, which is deceivingly large (with an upstairs balcony of additional seating!). we honestly ate until we were blue in the face!!!! alongside a platter of veggies, we were served the (in)famous chicken & pancakes dish (which is what i get every time i go to jacob’s). the pancakes are dense and biscuit-y, which pairs beautifully with the crispy chicken & bacon bits. the syrup drizzled on top is almost molasses-like, thick and dark with tons of flavor — so a little goes a long way on this dish! i love anything that’s salty & sweet.
we also received french toast with fresh strawberries, which was delicious and airier than the pancakes. the buffalo chicken mac n’ cheese (another dish i’ve had at jacob’s) is a fan favorite as well. a “small” is actually gigantic, and i’m such a huge fan of mac n’ cheese dishes that are created with more ‘traditional’ pasta (as opposed to little elbows, shells, etc). this dish is made with what i believe to be a penne or a ziti type of pasta, and it is so incredibly decadent. megan had the fried pickles which she loved (they seemed to be beer battered which is totally yummy). she also had a bloody mary which looked super pretty (although i steer clear of tomato juice so i can’t really vouch much for that beverage). instead, i opted for the pickled jalapeño margarita which had a really nice kick to it. and in saving the best for last, MY FAVORITE thing on our table was the butter & honey ‘break bread’. this stuff was like crack in a dish. funny story: the table was so jam packed full of goodness that in an attempt to cut my chicken, i tipped my plate right into my lap, and subsequently, into my PURSE. i was scooping buffalo mac out as gracefully as one possibly could…. but i actually muttered the phrase “thank GOD i didn’t lose any break bread… that would’ve been bad!!!” — that’s how good this stuff was!!!
as if we hadn’t had enough, after the meal our sever brought over an enormous piece of 24-layer chocolate cake, which we mustered three bites of and wrapped the rest for our significant others. yes, there was enough cake to cut into three significant portions for wrapping to-go. i’m not sure about theirs, but i can vouch for the fact that my husband was a very happy camper when i came home with that treat!
overall, our experience at maison pickle was absolutely balls to the wall fantastic. we were treated with such care, the food was packed with flavor, and we will without a doubt be going back. dare i say…. i actually think i might like maison pickle a bit better than jacob’s? only for the fact that it seems to be nearly the exact same menu, except with even more options. if you’re on the upper west side of manhattan, you should seriously try this place. heck, you should even go out of your way to find yourself on the upper west side! i’m a brooklyn girl and even i can do it. to die for, epic brunch goals. this was seriously one for the books. follow maison pickle on instagram — and follow me for more posts just like this one!
