Gertie is the kind of place that fits just as well in Brooklyn as it would in LA. The sunny open space and poppy colorful branding feels like a slice of California sunshine even in the dead of winter. It’s substantively a Jewish deli (with, shall we say, a generous dose of creative freedom), but stylistically a contemporary daytime diner. It’s the kind of place that feels perfectly neighborhood-y, like you can drop in for a bagel in the morning, hang out in the patio for drinks in the afternoon, have a full sit down brunch or pick up some pastries to go. It just feels right.

Gertie is playful and creative, serving up their own unabashedly un-classical renditions of classic comfort food. The menu is filled with familiar deli favorites, from bagel sandwiches with all the works and more to a (vegetarian) chopped cheese and whitefish melt. But of course because they’re the cool kid version, there are vegan and gluten free modifications too. Their bagels are hand rolled in house, and their pastries have their own fan base. They don’t sleep on the sides either, it’s a pickle forward establishment and they do a full relish tray with all the pickles, chips and dips, which pairs perfectly with their day drinking menu that ranges from nostalgia-inducing boozy sodas to the obligatory selection of natty wines that every trendy Brooklyn spot must have.