Lella Alimentari — Restaurant in New York

This little Italian breakfast restaurant was a true gem located close to the graham ave station on the L line. The food was so delicious that we had breakfast here twice on our three day trip to Brooklyn.

On the first day, I ordered the poached eggs with brussel sprouts & chickpeas (also comes with bacon, but I asked them not to include it). The grilled sprouts were magnificent, and the dish was served on top of a kale salad, dressed with a wonderfully flavorful mixture of olive oil and vinegar. The combination was completed with a delectable slice of freshly baked bread.

In addition, the coffee and cappuccino were extremely well prepared and will meet the standards of any coffee lover. I also noticed many of the local clientele conversed with the staff in Italian quite amicably, indicating the restaurant had repeat business from Italian customers. I interpreted this as a positive measure for quality of the coffee and food.

The second day, I ordered the Tostone (multigrain toast, poached egg, ham). The staff recognized me on my second visit, and they were very accommodating of my vegetarian diet by substituting ham with avocado. The combination was delicious, and I wouldn't be surprised if meat eaters agree that the avocado substitution is even better than the ham.

The restaurant itself was well decorated in a welcoming and cozy rustic style. The seating was typical of large, shared tables often found in many cafes. As mentioned earlier, the staff was very welcoming and truly enjoyed serving delicious meals to their customers. I highly recommend this restaurant for anyone who looking for a deliciously filling breakfast, good coffee, and light Italian...

Things on the menu that are unbelievable: cotto piadine salsiccia salad mini bombolini w/nutella all of their coffee sometimes the tostone

These niche Italian treats are exciting to have in Williamsburg, and often they’re great. The folks behind the counter are usually quite friendly, and service is minimal but good.

With that said, Lella charges too much to be as inconsistent as they are. Today I ordered the bresaola salad and was disappointed. It was $17, which is about $21 after tax and tip.

I was given a bowl with cured meat, radicchio, and almost no cheese to balance out the flavor. Because I trust Lella, I didn’t take the bowl back, I just tried to configure ways of arranging the bread, abundant bitter radicchio, meat, and scant cheese that were palatable, but it wasn’t possible without just not eating the radicchio. The average bite was unpleasant. I looked at photos of other people’s salads on Google reviews and saw other bresaola salads with 3-4x the quantity of cheese, which I’m certain would have made the salad edible.

This is part of a larger issue I’ve noticed with proportions throughout their food, although I’ve never had this great an issue with it; their ingredients are always fresh and delicious individually, but often one of the ingredients dominates the flavor.

Now I’m grumpy, still hungry, and won’t be returning...

You've walked off the street in Williamsburg and found yourself in the town store of a small fishing town near Cape Cod, whatever time you've walked in, it's 3:20 in the afternoon and your family friend Mac is gonna take you out for some fishing in a little bit. But before that, you'll have an excellent coffee made by the staff wearing lightly nautical outfits. You'll peruse the dry goods section and pick up a tube of tomato paste to smear onto the fish you hope to catch. Your hypothetical kids will play with the small toys in jars each table is thoughtfully supplied with. After enjoying a delish dish, you'll mindlessly pick through the Legos, while your friends tell you about how stressful it is back in the city, looking for a 8 block red piece to finish the small house you've made without noticing. The careful balance of adult food and childish charm will last until you have to leave, some beanie-wearing hipster won't figure out how to let you pass out the door. And just like that, you are back...