Eggsploration: New York City

the croaker

Not long ago, my friend Lianne & I visited our good friend Marcie in New York City. In addition to an amazing visit to the MOMA, it seemed like we spent most of our time that chilly weekend eating. Which in my book was a really great way to spend a weekend.

The day after a late night out, we went to The Smith for brunch. Even at 2pm on Sunday the place was packed. Luckily we only had a short wait, and once we settled into a booth I knew I’d love the place.  Not only does each brunch entrée come with a cocktail, but the upscale diner is cozy, comfortable and decorated with racy b&w photos of flappers.

There were at least a dozen awesome-sounding egg dishes on the menu, plus pancakes, sandwiches and salads. I was over-whelmed at what to order, but when Marcie suggested the Croaker, I was instantly sold.

When it arrived at our table, it was piled high with goodness. First, there was a layer of perfectly cooked home fries, then a thick piece of sourdough rye, lightly toasted. Then a generous portion of smoked ham covered in melted gruyere. But the stars of the show? Two sunny side eggs, or rather, sunny up as they call them, on top.

As I devoured my meal, every bite was the perfect mix of potato, bread, ham, cheese and egg. It was hearty and delicious, and definitely something I’d go back for.

oeufs pochés bénédicte

The last day of our visit, we ended up at this quaint bistro in Marcie’s neighborhood. Since it was a holiday, Bistro 61 was offering up their Sunday brunch menu.

As soon as our very nice and very Parisian waiter mentioned eggs benedict (or, Oeufs Pochés Bénédicte) I knew what I was getting. There’s just something about poached eggs and hollandaise sauce that gets me going. Since this was a French bistro, it seemed like a no-brainer that it would be great. And I was right.

The first thing I noticed as it was placed in front of me was how much hollandaise sauce was covering everything, and that it was served with crispy French fries. The poached eggs were perfectly done — firm on the outside and filled with runny yellow goodness on the inside — and they were served over two grilled English muffins. It’s probably one of the best examples of classic eggs benedict that I’ve eaten in a long time. Plus, the fries made sopping up all that runny egg and extra sauce really easy. It was exactly what I needed before the drive home.

Also — During my weekend in New York City, I had my first taste of Crumbs Bake Shop. While cake is something I don’t normally like, cupcakes are one of my favorite treats. I had their special espresso cupcake (among others), and it was one of the best cupcakes I’ve ever eaten. Anyone with a sweet tooth should add a visit to Crumbs to their list of city activities.

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