Upland is one of those restaurants that has been big on the scene since it opened a few years ago, and for good reason. I went there once for dinner over a year ago and remember it as one of the best meals I had in a while, so I was excited to go back the other day to experience their brunch.
Right away I loved the vibes of Upland. At noon on a (snowy) Saturday the restaurant was full of groups of friends, families & couples. I was instantly greeted by a kind host, checked my coat, and grabbed an iced coffee from the bar while waiting for Sydney. The restaurant itself is rather large and open with a beautiful golden/copper “chic meets rustic” theme.
After some suggestions from the server we agreed pretty quickly on what we wanted. First up was the Estrella, which I previously had there for dinner. It’s not exactly the “brunch-iest” of dishes, but it was so delicious I couldn’t pass it up. It’s one of my favorite pasta dishes in the city, in fact.
Estrella: chicken liver, sherry, rosemary + sage
Next up was the Eggs In Hell, which was a pretty simple egg dish. I enjoyed it, but it was probably my least favorite of the meal. The spicy flavors of the sauce were delicious, but the bread was a tad too crunchy for me.
Eggs In Hell tomato, oregano, fresno chili + grilled bread
This is where things went to the next level. Dare I say – this is my new favorite burger in the city?! I could’ve easily eaten the entire thing. I love a good messy, classic burger. Except for the addition of the avocado, there was nothing fancy going on here. Just a perfectly juicy, cheesy, American burger.
Oh, and the fries were great too!
Upland Cheeseburger grass fed beef, american cheese, peppadew peppers + avocado
We also got a side of the mushrooms, which I believe were a smaller version of the Whole Crispy Mushrooms from their dinner menu. I remember these mushrooms being one of my favorites – which is saying a lot for a side – but they’re incredible!
…and because we were feeling extra naughty (it’s the holidays, right? ;)) we got the appetizer doughnuts…for dessert. All of the flavors were delicious, but our favorite was the almond.
Doughnuts vanilla bean sea salt, almond + gianduja (chocolate hazelnut)
As expected, brunch at Upland did not disappoint. I would go as far as saying it’s one of my top 5 favorite restaurants right now, and I couldn’t recommend it more!
Upland: 345 Park Avenue South, NYC 10010
Great for: brunch, dinner, groups, date spot
