📍Motel Morris, New York City

One of my weekend morning must-dos is brunch. Sometimes it's about catching up with friends and other times it's for the soul. This was one of those times for the soul. I was walking around in Chelsea looking for a place to go. The first few places I tried either had a line or wouldn't be able to seat me for a long time. Motel Morris had bar seat availability so I took a seat.

They have a beautiful bar that sits right in the middle of the space. The corners of the bar extend out almost like a table making parts of the bar an almost intimate space. The bar is flanked by tables and booths on three sides. Part of the kitchen is open and exposed behind the bar. They did a good job of creating a small restaurant feel in what is a large space for a NYC restaurant.

I visited Motel Morris a couple of times years ago when they opened. I remember having their burger back then so I was excited to come back to it. I started with a Kolsch beer. Many associate champagne or sparkling wine as a brunch-appropriate drink. A Kolsch is typically easy to drink and crisp like a dry sparkling wine, though obviously with a bit of straw-like malt flavor. It can be a fun alternative.