Lunch at Five Leaves

 I remember hearing about Five Leaves when it first opened. Heath Ledger was involved somehow (and happened to live down the block from me at the time), but it was in Greenpoint and I didn't pay much attention. It was a neighborhood I barely visited. Fast forward a few years and I've been there three times in the past week. Nico's new favorite place to play is in Greenpoint and Five Leaves is a block away. On Monday, I finally went there with him, my friend Karlyn, and her son Fox.

Worried about disturbing people, we decided to sit outside. Even though it was cold, the sun was shining, and we were all bundled up.

Had we timed our order better, Karlyn and I wouldn't have had to inhale our lunches (merquez scrambled eggs with spiced chickpeas, avocado and sourdough for me and a burger with a pineapple ring and fried egg for her), but our boys demanded fries the minute we sat down and they'd devoured a big bowl of them long before our food arrived. Nico requested dollops of Dijon mustard, ketchup and mayonnaise for his.

Once the rest of the food came, Fox was passed out in his stroller and Karlyn had to give Nico her iPhone to keep him entertained. It wasn't long before he started begging to go home and our food was cold.

Sitting outside wasn't the smartest idea, but wreaking havoc inside wouldn't have been any better. There was one good thing about our decision. Kiefer Sutherland happened to be outside which we didn't notice until after we'd settled in. I swear—that he was out there and that we didn't see him until after we sat down. In fact, he and I bumped into each other. I was coming out after asking for some menus and he was on his way in to use the bathroom (or so our server said). Karlyn considered asking him for a photo, but before we knew it he and the woman he was sitting with were whisked away in a cab. It's funny how something as silly as seeing a celebrity can make my day. It seemed to make Karlyn's too, and probably made our husbands wonder how we can ever complain about having hard days when we're having leisurely lunches next to famous people.

While we were getting ready to leave, two guys sitting next to us said we'd inspired them to sit outside. We all agreed that it wasn't ideal, but as one of them said, it was an experience we'd always remember. They'd seemed genuinely entertained by our little boys and their comical banter, and probably didn't even notice Kiefer, which is saying something, don't you think?

Some day, I'd like to go back to Five Leaves, with Daniel and a big group of friends. Inside looked warm, cozy, and a very fun place to be. And the menu? Don't even get me started. I'd be happy with just about anything on there, and they serve breakfast all day.

Five Leaves
18 Bedford Avenue
Greenpoint, Brooklyn
718-333-5345