In typical Map & Menu fashion, we went all out on our Sunday brunch before our trip back to Maine. Also, in typical Map & Menu fashion, Meredith already had the perfect place in mind to do just that – Tipsy Parson in Chelsea.

We left a little early for brunch, and had the taxi driver drop us a few block north of the restaurant for an early walk on the High Line. We’d made the visit to what I think is one of America’s coolest parks, an awesomely converted stretch of raised railroad tracks above the streets, on a previous trip, but without the midday crowds, it felt like we had the entire High Line to ourselves, and after a leisurely stroll, we were ready to get our brunch on.

A good sign of a great restaurant in New York is a line forming outside before the doors open. Just like Freemans the morning before, people were more than willing to wait oustide in the cold for Tipsy Parson. Inside, the decor is classic, mixed with an almost hipster funkiness. The walls are covered in a book-shelved wallpaper, and it’s hard to ignore the large wooden bar that stretched the length of the main room. The back dining room was cozy, with tons of natural light, and our cafe seat by the french doors made Meredith giddy for the photographic possibilities.

Self-described as serving “belly-filling goodness”, shortchanges the meal we had – Meredith and I left that morning in a state a bliss that even we rarely achieve for brunch. With a menu that’s ripe with the right choices, our eyes ignored our bellies, and we ordered what seemed like a little bit of everything. We started with the sticky bun and coffee cake, Meredith followed with the sweet biscuit and cheesy grits (that could almost be described as cheese with grits), and I ordered the waffles, but also couldn’t resist the maple-glazed bacon. Trust me when I say that the meal was every bit as delicious as the photos make it look – we’ll definitely be returning to Tipsy Parson on a future trip to New York.