There’s no problem a little sangria can’t solve, and sangria is Calle Ocho’s answer to all of life’s challenges. The subway’s running late? Some homeless guy stole your last cigarette? DSW is closed? The moment you walk into Calle Ocho and name your (first) sangria selection, all of your issues melt away.

I’m not sure where Calle Ocho — Eighth Street — is, considering the restaurant calls the Upper West Side (and, specifically, The Excelsior Hotel) its home. Provenance aside, Calle Ocho is where to go for brunch — plain and simple.

One of the things I like best about Calle Ocho is its surreptitious bottomless brunch. That’s right — you order an entree and get all the sangria you want. Calle Ocho makes you read between the lines just a tad to know that you can order glass after glass (after glass), and won’t wind up with an $84+ bar bill tacked to the end of your tab.

So what about this infamous sangria?

Calle Ocho Sangria

It’s bold, it’s fruity, it’s delicious — and, not to put too fine a point on it, it’s free. The Latin restaurant serves up eight varieties, four each of red and white. MDP and I tried three of the eight: Tropical, Spanish Harlem, and Fresas.

Let’s start with Fresas and work backwards. Designed with raspberry vodka as its base, the Fresas sangria is almost too fruity and sweet for my taste. MDP termed it “just like what red sangria tastes like,” which is true. I chose Fresas as my second glass, and ended up with a headache about an hour later. Coincidence? I think not.

MDP opted for the Spanish Harlem variety, which packs a punch with dark rum and cinnamon as the forward flavors. I enjoyed this one immensely, and so did MDP.

My first glass was of the Tropical white, and I was very pleased with this selection. It has three fruits — orange, mango, and pineapple — with a light rum mixer. Occasionally, I got a bit of mango in the straw, but it was an overall delightful drinking experience.

Amazing Bread Basket

On the way to Calle Ocho, I considered asking for a bread basket — thinking, of course, there would be a fee involved with receiving a robust, multifaceted bread basket such as what Calle Ocho offers. I was wrong — it’s completely complimentary.

The highlight of the bread basket was definitely the pandebono, which are little round rolls made with Yuca flour at Calle Ocho. Pandebono can be made with other flours, and usually have cheese as an ingredient. No typical butter should be served with such delicious little breads, so Calle Ocho provides a strawberry whipped butter, seemingly made with real strawberries. It’s slightly sweet and more than satisfying.

The Actual Food

On the brunch menu, you’ll find a list of beautiful dishes, such as eggs benedict and omelettes, all inflected with a Latin flair. If you’re with a friend, however, I implore you to order the gallitos.

The menu indicates it serves two, and, at first, I was skeptical. Is it really going to be enough for me and MDP? We ordered the plantains, as well, as back up, if the gallitos proved to be a too-small portion for our appetites.

Well, the gallitos platter was enormous. A giant serving dish held mini dishes filled with scrambled eggs, chorizo, home fries, condiments, and mini tortillas to wrap everything up in. It was amazing.

If you know me at all, you know I love to build tiny breakfast sandwiches at every chance I get. I stole a forkful of the chorizo and spooned some eggs onto my tortilla, with a bit of guacamole, sour cream, and salsa inside. I proceeded to methodically spoon-and-fold such taco-like creations for about 30 minutes, silently building and eating, building and eating, until all ingredients were gone.

I was in heaven.

The sweet and green plantains were very good, as well. I particularly enjoyed the green plantains, which were in patty form and not sweet at all. They were delicious.

If you end up opting for a different dish, I recommend avoiding the home fries as a side. For $8, you’re not getting much more than an expensive version of your local diner’s breakfast potato fare. They were flavorless, and an unimpressive part of the overall incredible gallitos dish.

I can’t say enough good things about Calle Ocho. The ambiance is pleasant and inviting, although the dining room’s acoustics do not make for extremely intimate conversation.

Do make a reservation, but don’t expect to get one for this upcoming weekend. I made a reservation in mid-February and got a table for two …. for yesterday, March 12.

I’d like to try their dinner menu, too, but I suspect it’s the brunch that is the big draw at this fine restaurant. Happy brunching.

Calle Ocho
45 W. 81st Street (between Columbus Avenue and Central Park West), in The Excelsior Hotel
Upper West Side, New York
Take the 1 to 79th Street and either take the 79th Street crosstown bus or walk a few avenues over to Columbus. Head up to 81st Street. I recommend this route over the closer subway stop (B/C Museum of Natural History) because the B does not run on the weekend, and, if you know anything about New York, you know the C is more elusive than Moby Dick.