I’m starting to get a little nervous that my neighborhood (Crown Heights/Prospect Heights) and its good fortune of great new restaurants is going to come to an end. Bar Corvo, Barboncino, Mayfield, Gueros, and now Sunshine Co. have brought their a-game to Prospect/Crown Heights and all knock it out of the park!
Sunshine Co. comes to Washington Avenue from the same owners of Vanderbilt Avenue’s popular Milk Bar. They may only serve brunch at the moment, but if their brunch is any indication of what is to come when dinner service and a full bar arrives…. we are in for a big treat. Tom’s has some competition on its hands and it’s staring them right in the face (Sunshine Co. is across the street)!
The décor is bright, clean, minimalist and so very hip. My favorite design touches include the DJ booth (spinning real records!), geometric black and white tile floor, and beautiful wooden bar. Right now the bar is for show (you can eat there) as they sort of issues with their liquor license but the coffee is good (my soy latte was fantastic) and they make great seasonal non-alcoholic beverages like the Apple Crisp that tasted like Thanksgiving (I had to fight my boyfriend for more sips).
*Crumpets with Bacon Marmalade*
The menu is more inventive than your standard brunch with items such as pancakes with ricotta and sage, crumpets with seasonal jam or bacon marmalade, salt cod hash with poached eggs, grilled endive salad, pesto eggs, and chicken fried steak with gravy to name a few. And while the portions may be on the small size, they are certainly filling and the prices are fair.
The secret weapon to this place and one of the reasons I love it, is the music. At the end of the bar near the kitchen lies a bookshelf that holds a built-in turntable and dozens of records. The DJ cranked out great music and looked like he was having an absolute blast. Little touches like this, I could get used to!
I’ve seen and heard criticism about small things such as lack of seasoning, little cod in the hash, and long waits. But Sunshine Co. is brand new! I would suggest giving them a little bit of a break and understand that there will be kinks to work out and they need time to develop certain things. I didn’t share any of the criticism as my food was great, service was attentive and pleasant, and we were in and out of the place in 40 minutes.
*Grilled Endive Salad*
I keep writing that every new restaurant that’s opened up recently (and I’ve profiled) is a great addition to our neighborhood and it’s true. I for one am looking forward to the start of dinner service here. Sunshine Co. is one of the many reasons to never leave our neighborhood. The various small businesses in our neighborhood help make Prospect/Crown Heights a lovely place to live and be.
780 Washington Avenue (at Sterling Place)
The MMMguide... 