Brick NYC

For the Comedy Shows downstairs:
*great variety of comedians who interacts with the audience frequently.
*Must Try: Shrimp Ajo, and Margherita Pizza.
*2 drinks minimum!

We recently held our son’s baptismal reception here and we could not be more happier. Vip, the sales manager was very helpful and patient with all our questions and concerns.
Our party arrived a little bit early and the venue was kind enough to service us at the bar while we waited. We were given a private space for the party, with a cash bar and a great selection of food for our guests to enjoy.
The staff was wonderful and accommodating. Zach managed everything to a tee. John, the bartender, was great and an overall fun guy. The runner, which I didn’t catch his name, was a huge help as well. They took very good care of us!
The food overall was fantastic and the guests couldn’t get enough.
We had the following:
Appetizers
Market salad Roasted apple *wet walnuts *goat cheese*grilled onion
Caesar salad creamy garlic dressing * polenta croûton
Arancini crispy rice balls *mozzarella *marinara
Entrees
Penne Bolognese* whipped ricotta
Chicken saltimbocca prosciutto *sage *spinach *fontina
Farfalle smoked salmon *capers *dill crema
I would not hesitate to have a private event here and I would definitely recommend Brick to anyone inquiring for a venue.

Awful awful awful service! my biggest regret of the weekend.
I realize you might be thinking this is like… first world problems, but still. this was quite a problem.
I still don’t get why businesses participate in Groupons when they never intend on making you a repeat customer… sounds stupid to me.
Although I was late for my reserved time (my fault), i was greeted by a manager? owner? whoever he was, he looked like he hated his life. In front of me he rolled his eyes in the most obnoxious way at another customer (wasnt very professional of him if you ask me to demonstrate that he is somehow irked).
There were 5 available tables in the main dining room (how do i know? I went to use the restroom and counted). He said that under no circumstances would he allow me to sit there since they are booked. Booked, they were not.
So, I had no choice but to sit with my boyfriend in the coldest spot by the door that always seemed to open. My request for some heat was of course rejected.
Service was super slow. Our bartender was also our waiter. He seemed way too pompous for absolutely no reason and gave off a very negative vibe right away.
It took 30 minutes EACH time for him to get our drink order. 30 mins later our brunch order. 30 mins later if we wanted any condiments or some water. We were sitting right by him, but he was too important for this job and he enjoyed using his «power» to punish us and barely serve us.
Me being allergic to many things, I politely requested if I could substitute an ingredient on the menu. He barked, absolutely not. This was not negotiable. They can only remove ingredients and not add.
Any other restaurant would respond by either accommodating the customer or at least saying, sure we will gladly substitute but there will be a $ 5.00 fee, for example. Which I would gladly accept.
He had a very nasty attitude and i guess it may stem from upper management.
Eating brunch in a small restaurant that has lots of potential but waaay too much negative attitude was a huge turn off. Don’t do your customers any favors. And if you hate your job and life, then go pursue other endeavors.

Went to Brick NYC for dinner hoping to have some good pasta.
To sum up the below:
Bad food, bad male host, confused ambience = Not going back.
In more detail:
When we walked in, we spoke to one of the hosts, a tall man with shaved head. He did not seem to be in a good mood and we felt somewhat unwelcome. But we don’t let a grumpy host affect our overall experience, since we are there for the food mostly. But have been nice to get some friendliness since we are there to spend our money.
Waiter was VERY nice. He made up for the grumpy host. Unfortunately, the food was mediocre. I ordered the pasta bolognese, my husband, a pizza.
Both were not good. My pasta was overcooked, and the bolognese lacked sauce and tasted very bland. My husband’s pizza was not great tasting either. It was very dough heavy and the sauce did not have a good seasoning. Toppings did not tast great either. Also, my husband had originally requested a substitution for one of the toppings, but the chef would not accommodate it. That made us think that the pizzas were probably not made on site after tasting it. How hard can it be to substitute a topping?
We did have an appetizer that was good, the baked clams. They were tasty.
The place also had a lounge area carved out for happy hour. This area for happy hour gave the place a «I want to be all» feel. It made the restaurant part of the venue feel very casual, which is ok, but there is just something odd about the setup. They don’t want to come off as a casual place. The décor is not in tune to what the atmosphere is (not that the décor is great).
Anyway, we won’t be going back there, mostly because the food was not good.
There are too many other choices in the neighborhood, places with good food and a host/​owner that appreciates your business.

I was in the neighborhood and stopped to check if anything can be done with expired $ 35 Groupon.
I was greeted when I entered! They were very friendly and accommodating!
The bartender was GREAT !
Ambiance GREAT!
Service GREAT!
Food BAD!
The bartender suggested seafood pizza & I thought that it will go great with Pinot Grigio I ordered as starter! Who can go wrong with pizza right?
Big mistake! I barely finished two slices as I wasn’t that hungry the rest of the pizza I took home. Now both of us are sick! I am not sure how the seafood pizza was prepared but I’m not working today nor is my boyfriend!
I am thankful that they were friendly and accommodating but perhaps something went wrong in the kitchen that day! I love seafood and never had problems before this is a first!
I would suggest the place for wine to hang out with friends but I can’t say that I would recommend the food!

During my youthful basketball playing days of long ago, there was a term reserved for a shot that missed the hoop in a gloriously horrible way: a brick.
Brick NYC missed the mark for me last night in such an unexpected manner that I am still left gob-​smacked wondering what happened.
I’ll get right to it: the $ 18 pizza margherita was bereft of flavor, devoid of taste and made me question if my taste buds were secretly coated in a substance that made them lose their efficacy. Arriving home I quickly rushed to the candy bowl and popped a Reese’s peanut butter easter egg to ensure I can still taste two of my favorite flavors, pb and chocolate. (Yes, I can and no, I don’t usually do this when returning home)
When the pizza arrived and I began chomping away I thought that perhaps I simply had tasted an anomaly that would be rectified by another slice. So it went, slice after slice until there was nothing left except my failed expectations of flavor. Tomato sauce and cheese may as well have been missing since they contributed absolutely no flavor whatsoever.
Whereas our arancini appetizer had flavor, each bite revealing a pleasant sensation, this pizza fell flat.
The pleasant ambiance could not rescue an epic pizza fail.

Came here for brunch. Food was good and service was attentive. (there were only 3 other tables sat when we were there) not very busy. I had the eggs Benedict which was good and my BF had steak and eggs. He was also pleased with his choice.
Place had a nice ambience with live jazz music playing in the background. However, it was a beautiful sunny Sunday and it was very dark inside. It kinda brought down the mood. I wonder if it gets busier later in the day. Parking is terrible due to construction all around. If possible, don’t drive!

Went here for a pizza making and wine tasting class– so much fun! The bartender who does the class is super knowledgable and engaging and just a pleasure to be around. The wines were fantastic and the pizza was fun and delish!
Love the whole vibe of the place too– very casual yet classy. We had a lot of fun with the other people in the class and would def do again!
And Mondays are half price bottles of wine– will be going back soon just for that! Thanks for a great time!

After the subpar experience with the cheese class Vip reached out to me and asked if I would be willing to try their dinner free of charge. Apparently they’ve also made some changes to the class as well, though I haven’t tried it again.
My original statement about the cocktails remains true: they are delicious. Some are poured heavier than others but they are all tasty. Priced for the area definitely, but they’re not skimping.
The menu is a nice smattering of classic Italian options and I’ve been told their pizzas are delicious. My friend and I each had a pasta dish and were pleasantly happy with the large portion sizes. The pasta is cooked well, still al dente and doesn’t dissolve into a mush when you eat it. They were even considerate enough to make their pesto without cream for my friend who is lactose intolerant.
The waitstaff was certainly attentive, but some of that may also be chocked up to how early we ate and how slow it was at the time. By the time we finished our meal around 8:30 it was picking up, and they seem to do a steady delivery service given the number of time their delivery guys trekked back and forth from the kitchen.
The décor is nice and has a pretty good ambiance. Not overly dark or overly lit which makes it nice and intimate.
If weren’t so far from where I live I would certainly consider it again for a large group gathering.

Review for cheese making class
What you get: fun time with friends, friendly teachers, tasty cheese
What you do not get: a cheese making class.
What do I mean? As an avid cook, I have been passively interested in making cheese for a little while, and decided before I go buy some rennet I’ll take this class and see if I even like it.
I show up to discover that the cheese is really already made to curd form. What does this mean? It means it’s pretty much already done. The milk/​rennet/​citric acid step (ie: the cheese making part) is complete. You are given a slab of cheese curd to break up, salt, and melt in hot water to create the mozzarella ball. Now, as I said, you will get a good time with friends, but warming up mozzarella cheese curd into a mozzarella ball does not equal «cheese making».
So, all in all, three stars because I enjoyed an evening with my friends and the groupon price we paid wasn’t bad. Full price for the «experience» would be disappointing, and it is my opinion that calling this a cheese making class completely misleading.

My girlfriend bought me Brick NYC’s mozzarella cheese-​making class for Christmas. We’ve taken other classes together on Unilocal in the past and had high expectations based on these experiences. From the moment we arrived, the night exceeded my expectations. The atmosphere of Brick was warm and friendly and the woman at the counter gave us an option for the free antipasto (meat and cheese, vegetarian, gluten-​free). We waited at the bar, which has beautifully hand-​drawn menus, and enjoyed a drink. Then we were taken downstairs to a gorgeous exposed-​brick and hardwood room where the tables were configured around an instruction table.
Clark, Brick’s main chef and the instructor for the course, was friendly and conversational, happy to answer any questions we had during the instruction. Other couples and groups had taken courses before and each seemed enjoy the course as much as we did. We were especially excited for the level of attention Clark gave us as he walked around the tables, showing each of us each step of the cheese-​making process. The wine was poured (a choice of three) and we all sat back and tasted our cheese with the antipasto. Unlike most classes, Clark stayed around after the instruction was done, sharing his experiences as a chef and his background. He offered us recipes for pizza dough – one worlds better than my own – and gave us his email address for questions.
You can tell when an instructor does his job to promote a restaurant. But you can also tell when a chef LOVES what he does for a living. I was absolutely blown away at how gregarious and passionate Clark is about the classes and his talents as a chef. I’ve been recommending the class to everyone I know and will definitely visit Brick NYC again soon. Thank you Clark and Unilocal for an amazing evening!!!
If you’re a fan of culinary courses, friendly ambiances, and most importantly, good food and conversation, Brick and Clark’s mozzarella making class is for you!

Such a wonderful place
Delish brunch and drinks
Great décor and ambiance
I had the steak and eggs, the steak was well cooked.
Excellent service from beginning to end
Just wish the heater was a bit higher it was a bit cold in the dining area.
I will definitely be coming back for dinner.

Came here for Brunch with one of the many pre-​bought coupon deals that is around. I honestly would come back just on our own. It was great and the food hit the spot perfect. It was a pretty big restaurant, that as you walk in past the first bar, quickly opens up, but the tables are pretty packed in, as they are in most NYC restaurants.
I got the Fig and Prosciutto pizza. It was delicious. Almost like there was a salad on the top of it. It had far more figs then I expected and large amount of goat cheese. The balsamic reduction on the top pulled all the flavors together. And it was a surprisingly large portion.
The man got the Stake and Eggs. I was very surprised by the large cut of stake and he was sooo very pleased with how well cooked it was. The potatoes that it was served with was the highlight for me. They were large chucks, cooked perfectly though and seasoned to perfection. Almost melt in your mouth good. *sigh* :-)
Would love to hit this place up again!

Updating my original review. My boyfriend and I gave Brick another shot after being contacted by the manager. I’m glad we did!
We went for lunch this time and each ordered a Bloody Mary which was very tasty. I had the spinach and artichoke pizza. Awesome! I can definitely see why this place is known for their pizzas. Crust was thick and cooked perfectly (just crispy enough without being hard). Plus they’re served on their own little cutting board which makes a nice presentation. My boyfriend had the beet salad with grilled chicken which was a generous portion and he was very happy with it.
Service was very attentive and friendly. We will definitely come back again.

We came here for the Sunday afternoon brunch and live jazz. For some reason, I had to make a reservation like 2 months in advance even though there was plenty of seating on the day we arrived. Next, time I think we’ll just go and not bother making a reservation.
The ambiance is great with wooden floors, little tiny tables, high ceilings with draping fabric, and brick walls. There are tiny candles and flower vases at each table, and the live jazz (two men playing relaxing not-​too-​loud guitars) was a wonderful touch.
On to the food… I made the mistake of NOT ordering the pizza here. Geez, for $ 14 – 18 for a pizza, the pizzas are HUGE and looked amazing! I stupidly ordered one of the sandwiches (the espresso BBQ pork sandwich) which was hugely portioned but not at all tasty. I kept seeing people get their pizzas and wanted to exchange my meal!
If you go here, go for the pizza!

I came here for the pizza making class last night… we walked in and the place is empty we stood by the door a good while before someone came and asked us why we are there… We mentioned the pizza making class and since we were early they told us to have to seat anywhere… we opted for the bar and ordered Aracini (rice balls) and beer til the class starts… the apps came but my beer never came so we had to ask for it again…
When it was time to finally start the class it seemed like we were the only ones there so he wanted to wait a few min… we started about 20 min late but 4 other people showed up
The class started of with prosecco and a simple pizza for us to taste… then after some information and instructions came our dough which was already made for us we just have to sauce it n put the topping on and our second glass of wine which was a light white wine… the stuff for the pizza was sauce, tomato, onion, pepper, bacon, pepperoni, cheese, spinach… it wasn’t very organized my partner and I had to wait awhile for certain toppings to make it our way n most of the toppings kept running out. after all was done our pizza came out n our third cup of wine a full body red… as we were enjoying our pizza I signaled the instructor n he came out with a cake for my partners bday and we all wished him
Overall a fun experience, a lil slow and unorganized but fun. I wouldn’t go back without a groupon :)

At Brick NYC you will be treated like royalty. A lovely addition to any day, with their charm, elegance and service-​centered attitude.
Walking in to this elongated restaurant, you will first pass the bar area and move on to the dining area. Elegant and romantic lighting make this the first date spot you’ve been looking for! Also a must-​do for romantic celebrations (ie first anniversary, etc).
Miss Sarit and I were served by Patrick, who I could describe with many words (not a single one of them being derogatory, no idea where that came from in the other review). He is positive and an expert at interacting with customers. He did not walk away from a single person that night who were not absolutely beaming with joy and laughter.
On to the food: I ordered the Summer Shrimp pasta, which had delicious butter and garlic shrimp atop a bed of seasoned pasta noodles that complimented the shrimp completely. Miss Sarit ordered the Gnocci (a first for her!) and L-​O-​V-​E-​D it! I tried it and could not make up my mind between my plate and hers. Everything was absolutely fantastic. For desert we had the flour-​less gluten-​free chocolate cake and wound up fighting over who would finish it (she let me win.)
As for the drinks I had an Old Fashioned Brick-​style, which is better than I have ever had it. Seriously. The BEST Old Fashioned I have ever had and I have gone to events centered around Old Fashioned’s. Expect it to be topped with a cherry soaked in Jack Daniels for days on end until the cherry and Jack meet halfway to create a beautifully complex, dark and sweet cherry which only adds to the complexity of flavors in the Old Fashioned.
I will absolutely be back. You can count on that.

Came here for brunch. Amazing location. Not too far from the World Trade Center Path train. Great jazz playing while you eat. The manager greeted me upon my arrival and I was seated promptly. Great brunch, the only downfall was we probably waited 15 minutes for our drinks which I’d say was a long time. Especially since the drinks we ordered were beers on tap, juices an mimosas. Looks like it would be a great place for dinner and they have a bar. Very accommodating. Food was very good & they were able to properly accommodate my party of 6.
FYI– If you plan on going with a party of over 4, I’d make a reservation in advance.
I plan on returning for brunch and possibly dinner.

==This review is for the Mozzarella Making Class==
I love cheese and was very excited when I saw this Mozzarella Making Class being offered on Groupon. I was already scouting out cheese making classes and this deal came on my radar, I decided to be a cheap ass and try it out although I have long since given up on Groupons and the like. Well the conclusion is you get what you pay for, which was $ 25 per person for the Mozzarella making class. Would I have had a better experience if I sprung for the $ 100 class at Murrays, yes, but again, I was in it for the experience, and didn’t think that it can vary that much. The class offered by Brick NYC was a total disappointment.
Prior to going there, we were wondering how it would be done. Would they usher all of us into the kitchen? Would we really be making mozzarella or is it more of a demonstration? etc. Soon enough, we learned that it was offered in the dark basement of the the restaurant, which wasn’t appropriately lit for teaching. I expected a small class, not a class of 30.
Either way, the instructor Patrick was such an prick that the experience was a total miss. First off, one of our cups was dirty and not filled as high as the other cups (I suppose it was the cup used to scoop up the cheese curds) and then just filled at the end. We asked him to exchange it for another cup, he right out said «NO.» He inspected it and claims that they have all been measured out to 4 oz. What lies! (more on this later). After he said no, we compared the contents of each of our cups for our party of four and later the results. Should I be shocked that the half filled cup came out with the smallest mozzarella ball?
Supposedly, Patrick’s family has been in the dairy farming business for several generations and they sold out in 2008 to Nestle. I didn’t not find his instruction or lack of instruction useful. I might have picked up one or two pieces of information, but nothing I wouldn’t have found if I did a Google search.
With the deal you get a bottle of cheap wine ($ 5 at TJ’s) and some cheap antipasto to share. The antipasto plate was the size of a saucer (no kidding), which included a slice of bread/​crostini, and 3 slices of meat per person. The ones I saw on the menu were $ 16 for lunch and $ 18 for dinner. I’m sure that’s not what they would serve had I ordered Brunch, but they thought it was okay to put this on the table, which also tells me I should I skip this place. Bottle of wine, nothing special, the white was better than the red.
This could have been a good class, it was all in the instructor which led to a bad time. Also, each pair was sent home with «half a pound of cheese curds» to practice what we’ve learned in class. So after «class» we stopped by Whole Foods for some mozzarella cause we didn’t get our fix. On our way out we saw a coffee scale, so we decided to throw our cheese curds on the scale. 6ounces! half pound is 8 ounces, and both our bags were only 6oz. It’s these little deceptions that they try to pull off that will be the downfall of this place.
The instructor saw us leaving, he didn’t say thank your for coming or good bye or anything an appreciative instructor is suppose to say. So save your money, and go spend it at the cheese shop instead. I could have bought at least TEN pounds of mozzarella with the amount of money spent there tonight. NOT WORTH IT!

This review is for the «Pizza Making» class Groupon.
Brick NYC is located on a kind of dark, uninhabited street in FiDi (i.e. very little foot traffic, thus why they are on Groupon). Looks very small from the outside, but it’s a pretty neat little spot inside with a long bar and seating in the back.
So we were seated with a bunch of other Groupon couples at a long table.
The class instructor, who is also the bartender, came over and gave us a rundown of the evening. He knew some basics about the three wines that we were served and he was pretty patient with us.
However, at the end of the night, one of the bottles of wine was still half full, I jokingly insisted that he leave the bottle on the table for us to enjoy, but that didn’t go over too well. Bummer.
The pizza making part was really fun. You’re not actually making your pizza, really just assembling ingredients – think Lunchables. However, they give you tons of options to choose from (pepperoni, meatballs, bacon, peppers, eggplant, mushrooms, spinach, mozzarella). We were able to pile on as much as we wanted. And there was tons of pepperoni to munch on afterwards.
As far as wine, we were each served one glass of white, red and sparkling wine. They were all pretty good and inexpensive. Now, this would have been worth the $ 39 bucks on Groupon, but the restaurant decided to tack on a mandatory $ 20 for tax and tip. I felt like that was a little bit over the top. I like to decide how much I’ll be tipping, thank you very much.
Rus and I had a great time though. It was worth it. I would recommend it, but I’m not sure that I would go back to Brick just to enjoy their regular fare. Call it Groupon Syndrome, whatever!