Leland Eating and Drinking House
American restaurant · Prospect Heights ·
Thoughtfully sourced plates, wines, spirits, and brunch with homemade goods
Thoughtfully sourced plates, wines, spirits, and brunch with homemade goods
"Community really feels real here, thanks to monthly butchering classes that showcase a whole-animal program, the annual Dog-O-Ween with pup cups and homemade treats, mahjong nights, and an easy-going atmosphere that makes me want to come back for more. Brunch and dinner both deliver, with smoked pollock fritters — fluffy, fried balls of white fish and potato on a bed of horseradish tzatziki — as a must-order to start. At brunch, the tortang talong stands out, the eggplant omelet acting as a canvas for a peppery salad of arugula, cherry tomato, lemon, and pecorino. Dinner specials rotate, but in the colder months the mushroom toast is worth a trip on its own, coated in shiitakes, oyster mushrooms, and a marsala cream so good it changed how I think about the sauce. The vermouth list is extensive; start with vermouth service ($11 to $17)—your choice of fortified wine served with a twist, an olive, and sparkling water for a DIY vermouth and soda (I’m partial to Tximista’s crisp bianco). For the latest specials, I keep an eye on their Instagram stories." - Mary Anne Porto
"If you’re with a big group of people who love seafood and sourdough, bring them to Leland Eating & Drinking House. This Mediterranean spot on a quiet corner serves everything from a whole fried fish and trout rillettes to smoked pollock fritters and charred lemon mussels, in addition to some non-aquatic options like eggplant fries and a half chicken with salsa verde. If you want to try their mind-blowing sourdough cinnamon buns, stop by for brunch." - bryan kim, hannah albertine, nikko duren, willa moore
"Leland Eating & Drinking House in Prospect Heights is a pretty low-key spot on a pretty quiet corner, so it’s great for a last-minute brunch when you wake up on a Sunday and realize you absolutely need some pork shank hash. The only non-negotiable order is the sourdough cinnamon bun, but other worthy offerings include a porchetta sandwich and honey toast brulee." - bryan kim, willa moore, molly fitzpatrick, will hartman, sonal shah
"Owners Randi Lee and Jeanette Zinno took over the storefront in February 2020, wound up doing the demo themselves after their contractor got stuck, and when they finally opened in December 2020 the space looked nothing like planned. Lee recalls, "Instead of lunch, we had vinyl hour, a place where you could come and put your laptop up, maybe have a cocktail and some snacks. Back then we just had snacks and fresh bread. It was unusually warm — like 65 degrees — and we just put tables outside. We didn’t even know what we could do." The pair stayed nimble thereafter: Zinno learned to bartend, they built dining cabins on the sidewalk outfitted with donated heaters, and most importantly they leaned on relationships with local farmers—"The thing that made us survive is that our local farmers were there, more than happy to just give us as much food as we could handle," says Lee—which yielded an ever-changing menu. The venue also programs events like butchery classes, vermouth tastings, and special holiday menus in response to diner interest." - Jaya Saxena
"Most of Prospect Heights’ best restaurants are dotted along Vanderbilt, at one of the twisty-turny Flatbush intersections, or concentrated near Grand Army on Washington. But there are a few sleeper hits on quieter corners (see Nin Hao, Gertrude's), and Leland Eating & Drinking House on Dean and Underhill is among of the best of them. Though it might look and feel like a textbook neighborhood restaurant, what’s on the plate is anything but ordinary. photo credit: Kate Previte photo credit: Kate Previte photo credit: Kate Previte Pause Unmute The further you stray from what’s familiar, the more interesting Leland gets. While there’s the obligatory sourdough bread at dinner and mezze platter at brunch, the best dishes are those that draw from a variety of Asian and Mediterranean flavors, like duck frites with hoisin and béarnaise, or poached eggs with laffa and jalapeño labne. Those dishes have been pulling in the crowds since Leland opened in 2020. The dining room and bar are full nearly every night of the week, with overflow spilling into the heated front patio. It’s a great standby for second or third dates at the bar, lively tables of threes and fours, and neighborhood toddlers having a meal out of the house with their parents. You get the feeling they're going to be lifelong regulars. Food Rundown Yu Choy Start here. A simple plate of leafy greens gets way more interesting with a black sesame tahini and calabrian chilli vinaigrette. photo credit: Kate Previte Chicken Jook Porridge A big hearty bowl of porridge comes with some nice spice, thanks to a drizzle of chili oil on top. This and the yu choy are the highlights of the small plates section. photo credit: Kate Previte Charred Lemon Skillet Mussels Completely fine, but not totally necessary. This isn’t a bad option if your order is light on bread, since it comes with a few slices of sourdough for sopping up the juices. photo credit: Kate Previte Duck Frites The hoisin makes this dish a close cousin of peking duck, but with a noticeably cinnamon béarnaise that’s just as good on the bird as it is on the fries. photo credit: Kate Previte Whole Fried Fish There’s a fantastic vinaigrette in the fennel salad this fish comes with, but it gets a little buried under all that skin and bone. Move a few things around on your plate so you can get a bit of it in each bite. photo credit: Kate Previte Laffa If you’re here for brunch, skip the breakfast sandwich—this is your order. You’ll scratch the same itch for carbs by way of a warm blanket of laffa on top of some poached eggs and jalapeño labne. It’s definitely one of the most interesting brunch options in the neighborhood. photo credit: Kate Previte" - Tiffany Yannetta
