Brunch: it’s a thing; it’s been a thing. But as I grow older and my time grows longer in the city, my weekend brunch needs have lessened and I’ve gone back to the basics, ultimately raising the question: is simpler truly better at the end of the day? 2ND CITY makes it seem so with their small but bright West Village location featuring a cleverly-named menu with lots of complex flavors including an off-the-menu dessert item with Ube ice cream (more about that later).

But first: the burrito. Rumored to be one of the better breakfast burritos in NYC, the “Plan B-Rito” boasts longaniza sausage, egg, cheese, ham hash, bacon, and salsa (main pic; only available on weekends).

There are many other yummy features at 2nd City besides the beloved burrito, like these “Nice Buns” with pork belly, sweet and tangy pickles, scallions, and hoisin-BBQ:

Another sammy option, the “Hot Fili Chick”, with 2 mini crispy chicken breast sandwiches with katsu calamanasi dredge, mayo, and potato roll:

And of course, for dessert the “Tap that Ube” special off-the-menu item featuring pandan cake and ube ice cream: