Article by Rachel Joyce and photos via Linger Cafe and Lounge

(Photo: Hash and Eggs)

Brunch is big business in Brooklyn and neighboring boroughs. So big in fact, I have officially deemed brunch the religion of New Yorkers citywide. It’s a time and place where everyone goes to their local house of brunch to wine and dine and muse over their week’s accomplishments and failures. Recently, I was able to brunch at Boerum Hill’s Linger Café & Lounge on Atlantic Avenue. The nosh was finger-licking delicious, but like many houses of worship, be prepared to sit and stay a while at Linger Café.

The Menu
Linger Café and Lounge’s menu has solid staples year-round like the don’t-you-dare-miss Hash & Eggs, but the majority of the dishes change according to the whims of Chef/Owner Jessica Pichardo and each season’s freshest ingredients. Jessica’s Cuban heritage permeates the menu with items like the Turkey Picadilllo Empanadas, Tortilla with Spanish Omelet and Chorizo, and Ropas Vieja. 

The brightness of the Cuban cuisine is a happy surprise and a departure from the personality of Linger Café’s brooding Brooklyn atmosphere.  Since Cuban food is a scarcity in-and-around Brooklyn (Jessica informed me you should head to The Bronx for el Cubano comida), Linger Café should be a must-stop-and-eat when business or pleasure brings you down to Atlantic Avenue. The remainder of the menu is rounded out with modern American fare dishes like my brunch dish of Spiced French Toast with Pumpkin Butter and Walnuts, Kale Quina Salad, and Split Pea Soup with Grilled Cheese. Linger also has the foundations of Brooklyn eatery food items, i.e. loads of coffee drinks, teas, beer and wine, and of course freshly baked colossal cookies, muffins and scones. Too bad Linger doesn’t offer petit fours as a nod to their elegant furnishings arranged in a cave-like setting.

(Photo: Linger’s interior)

The Space
Linger Café lives up to its namesake, once engulfed indoors by the environment. The space is surprisingly quiet and serene for its central location on bustling Atlantic Avenue. The lighting is so low, I could only describe it as subterranean, with the majority of light coming from the front and back windows, which is absorbed immediately by the black walls and exposed bricks. Linger Café’s decor is comprised of modern sensibilities and Victorian opulence with a wired lighting fixture on the ceiling and velvet couches, accompanied by marble coffee tables.  Glancing to the back of the space, I gandered at the garden, which is a main attraction when in use. The outside space is cleared, yet still looks as if the environment is still in its natural state making it very inviting.

Jessica was bubbling over about the monthly Comedy Night, where comics from Comedy Central have performed. Linger Café supports these performers looking to gather a Brooklyn following as well as local Brooklyn artists and musicians. It was then that the concept hit me; Linger Café & Lounge is akin to the famous French salons of the 17th and 18th centuries, where people gathered to enjoy similar tastes in music, art, philosophy, and in this case, food. It was at that moment the confusion subsided and I melted into my corner of the couch to linger for a while.

The Entertainment
The duo I saw had a young and fresh-out-of high school appearance and seemed excited to perform in front of its audience. The keyboard and digital pre-recorded beats may have been a tad bit too loud and interfered with the chill vibe, but it was still enjoyable to hear, especially the female singer’s melodic voice.  Props to Linger for providing a stage for young acts like this one to get their footing.

Food Report

Cha-Cha-Cha Chai Latte
The amount of spice in Linger Cafe’s Chai latte is just right, accompanied by a thick and lovely foam.

The Brunch Balance
If this review was a letter to Linger Café and Lounge it would start just like this, “Dear Linger Cafe, your Hash & Eggs is the heavenly hash I have been searching for in my quest for all things stellar in breakfast foods.”  Hash seems so easy to make yet is deceptively difficult to create as all the food items in the hash need to be hot and fully cooked at the same time for the hash to embody all the proper textures and flavors that make this dish a Holy Grail of brunch satisfaction.  The Linger Cafe Hash & Eggs cornucopia of diced potatoes, chopped corned beef, caramelized onions, a quintessential over-easy egg accessorized with a fresh sprig of the brightness of cilantro is hearty, yet cultivated, flavorful, filling, and did I already say heavenly?

(Photo: Spiced French Toast with Pumpkin Butter and Walnuts)

Why have one brunch dish when you can have two? I am looking for balance, right? That is why I also ordered and devoured the fall seasonal special of Spiced French Toast with Pumpkin Butter and Walnuts. The Pumpkin Butter had the flavor of pumpkin pie filling-which is always yummy.  The toast is a Texas toast dipped in Jessica’s home-made batter consisting of heavy cream, egg, cardamom, ginger, and other spices that are also in the pumpkin butter. The toast itself was crispy and delectable and I did not leave behind one bite, even though I was about to burst at the seams. By the end of my meal, I was pregnant with a spot-on brunch baby and I couldn’t be happier.

Bottom Line
The mellow and mild vibe of Linger Café and Lounge is perfect to stop and stay for a plateful of Jessica’s flavorfully prepared food and your weekly brunch devotion.  And check out the music lineup schedule on line for some idea of who will be entertaining you while you dine.

Linger Cafe and Lounge | 533 Atlantic Avenue, b/w 3rd/4th Avenue | Boerum Hill