Ciao For Now

08/29/10

East Village Perfect Brunch

by Athena Chang , Citysearch Contributor

Thanks to an online coupon I got which offers $40 charge for $20, I brought my cousin and my boyfriend to this brunch hot spot in East Village.

It was a gloomy and rainy day. We walked in to this small but welcoming restaurant/bakery and were happy we made it here. After browsing through the menu and sampled some of their delicious baked goods, we were seated after 20 minutes of wait. But God it is worth it.

We ordered the Gypsy Toast, Huevos Verdes, and Italian Job Omelet. They were kind of slow and I am guessing they don't really have a lot of kitchen staff. However, I really enjoy the atmosphere and the food itself just made me forget about the wait!

They use only fresh organic ingredients here but they don't charge premium prices for that, which I find it rare and surprising. My fluffy French Toast uses challah bread so it is very soft and fluffy. My cousin's omelet was amazing too. The egg was cooked just right and there was plenty of green pepper, chicken sausage and cheese inside. Last but not the least, my boyfriend's huevos verdes was unique and delicious. It is served with green salsa, sour cream and guacamole, the Mexican twist of omelet.

It was a great brunch we had and I am so glad I found a great spot just couple blocks away. Who says Organic has to be pricey? You can find amazing organic brunch right at Ciao for Now!

03/01/09

Good food and beverages, but inhospitable to those with laptops

by JcloudW

No outlets or wireless. Was near empty when I went and I won't be back. Guess they don't want to be sociable.

02/05/09

LES FoodieTreasure

by julejo

The Ginger Snaps (perfectly crunchy on the outside yet nice and soft towards the center), Raspberry Bars (fruity and buttery at the same time), very refreshing Strawberry Lemonade and Very Veggie Soup (you feel energized after eating one delicious bowl)are a few musts! Their recession special comes with a main dish, salad and mini dessert for a mere 8 bucks!! I could go on and I will. Their Fresh Mozzarella Sandwiches (grilled to perfection), Beet Salad, Tofu Salad (delicious dressing), Maple Pecan Sticky Buns (gooey goodness), Mini Cupcakes (just enough sweetness and perfectly bite sized) and Not a Frittata (kind of like a hand held omelet/crust less Quiche)are all so delicious I wish there were more than three meals in a day. I'm feel so lucky that I work nearby. Go and try it. You'll be happy you did.

• Pros: friendly staff

02/03/09

Yeah! Ciao for Now is on my block!

by 23michelle

Thank you for opening on Ave A! I can get those great soups in 3 min's instead of 10! I'll still come to 12th St. on the weekend though, because your brunch is awesome, and I miss the employee's. Next time I will have the Huevos. I reccomend the french toast, I had almonds or some kind of unique flavor, I just remember it was tasty.

• Pros: beautiful cafe, great employee's, everything I have tried I've loved.
• Cons: Crowded sometimes

07/23/08

Great sticky buns

by td255

Cute coffee shop with great sticky buns and coffee! I wouldn't hesitate to eat other treats and food here...