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There's not a wrinkled plum in sight at this American bistro, but chef Gabrielle Hamilton's childhood nickname indicates the sort of unpretentious home cooking at which she excels, a grab bag of eccentric, multicultural influences that is, at heart, American. Prune's phenomenal weekend brunch alone is worth the trip just to read her truly inspired menu. After you've chosen from eleven variations on the Bloody Mary theme (the "Chicago Matchbox" contains homemade lemon vodka, a skewerful of pickled vegetables and caperberries, and comes with a beer chaser) or "Prune juice," a fresh-squeezed blend of Meyer lemon, orange, lime, and grapefruit, you've got an embarrassment of beyond-eggs-Benedict dishes to contend with: a marvelously peppery spaghetti carbonara, a killer Monte Cristo with a side of fried eggs and red-currant jelly and grilled lamb sausages with Malpeque oysters. — Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld

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Prune does not take reservations for weekend brunch or Sunday evenings.

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Best of New York Awards

• Best Lunch (2007)
• Robin Raisfeld: Best Mid-Priced Burger (2007)
• Best Brunch With Parents (2004)
• Best Brunch (2002)

Featured In

• The City's Best New Burgers (7/30/07)
• NYC Restaurant Picks for Lamb Lovers (1/22/07)
• 101 Best New York Restaurants for 2006 (1/9/06)

Recipes at Prune

• Sorrel Soup (2006)