New York’s Best Breakfast Sandwiches
We’ve all been lectured — ad nauseam — that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. And it’s true. But considering that at least five days a week, our mornings involve one too many taps of the snooze button and then dashing out of the house in various states of undress, it’s also the toughest meal to set aside time for. That’s where early-rising restaurants like The Smile in Noho and Whirlybird in Williamsburg come in. Because honestly, waiting a few minutes on line for ham and gruyere-topped English muffins or egg and chorizo-stuffed tacos takes no more effort than popping in a toaster waffle, and are a heck of a lot more satisfying and tasty. Here are a few of our other favorite breakfast sandwiches in New York right now…
Dominique Ansel Bakery
There’s more to this elegant and ridiculously popular Soho patisserie than Cronuts, Magic Soufflés and Frozen S’mores, you know. They also make adorable, bite-sized breakfast sandwiches; a creamy pillow of steamed egg shot through with chive and shallot, topped with a paper-thin slice of gruyere, and nestled inside of a shiny, dome-capped brioche bun. Pretty straightforward when compared to the science experiment-y pastries, but in this case, at least, the whole is so much greater than the sum of its parts.
Read MoreThe Smile
Tucked below street level on a ritzy stretch of NoHo, this funky café does a brisk morning service to artistes on the go. Pair a cup of Plowshares coffee with a classy update on the Egg McMuffin; a toasted crumpet sandwiching buttery scrambled egg, nutty Gruyere, salty ham, and a cap of caramelized onions, cooked down to a melting, aromatic sweetness. Extra points for the wholesome side of bitter, lightly dressed greens.
Read MoreMaialino
Italian for “little pig” (owner Danny Meyer’s childhood nickname), this elegant Roman trattoria specializes in pork; either found in an extensive selection of charcuterie, milk-braised and tossed with pappardelle, or delivered nose-to-tail as part of a special offal menu. And you’ll even discover porchetta (succulent, boneless pork roast) served at breakfast, tucked into a outsized ciabatta roll and topped with a runny-yolked fried egg. Perfect hangover food.
Read MoreMomofuku Milk Bar
Christina Tosi gets a lot of attention for the Cereal Milk Shakes and Crack Pie she serves at Momofuku Milk Bar, but the savory side of the menu is every bit as appealling. Especially in the morning, when Veggie (shitake mushroom and miso onion) or Roasted Pork-filled Steamed Buns can be ordered, topped with a runny poached egg. It makes for one uniquely delicious — but still compact and entirely portable — Chinese-style breakfast sandwich.
Read MoreTaboonette
Who says you need to stick with Americanized fare in the morning, like bacon, toast and scrambled eggs? Spice up your regular routine by stopping at Taboonette, a casual West Village restaurant devoted to Middle Eastern pita pockets. We particularly love the “Sabeech,” filled with eggplant, pickled mango, hard boiled egg and tahini, the “Shakshuka,” containing sunny side egg and herbed tomato ragout, and the “Israeli Breakfast,” made with tzatziki, chopped salad, and zaatar-dusted egg.
Read MoreCourt Street Grocers
This Carroll Gardens store is equally known for its quirky groceries and creative, gut-busting sandwiches. And while you might want to wait to pick up that bottle of Regan’s Orange Bitters or jar of mayo-based Durkee Sauce until after work, it’s still a destination stop in the morning. Try the ciabatta piled high with eggs, smoked sausage, cheddar, and arugula, or a delightfully junky “Pork Roll,” made with Taylor Pork Roll, scrambled eggs and American cheese on white bread.
Read MoreShelsky’s Smoked Fish
Bagels and lox is a consummate New York classic, but Shelsky’s adds a bit of hip, Brooklyn flair to the Lower East Side staple. Yes, you can order the “Member of the Tribe” if you’re looking for a simple schmear, but sandwiches like “The Great Gatsby” — pastrami-cured salmon, horseradish cream cheese, honey mustard and red onion on a bialy — are a lot more fun. There’s also the seriously overstuffed “Peter Shelsky,” named after the owners favorite childhood combo – Gaspe Nova, Sable, Pickled Herring with Cream Sauce and Onion, and Scallion Cream Cheese served on Bagel. Warning: you’ll probably want to pick up some breath mints afterwards.
Read MoreWhirlybird
Substantial breakfast burritos have been around for a while, but we’re kind of loving the new wave of (considerably lighter) breakfast tacos. They’re actually the raison d’etre at Whirlybird in Williamsburg, whose humorously brief menu offers exactly two kinds, plus a variety of Oslo coffee drinks. There’s the “No. 1,” ordered either vegetarian or with chorizo, the griddled corn tortilla folded around scrambled egg, Oaxacan cheese, hot salsa and crumbled jalapeño potato chips, and the “Waldorf,” which essentially, translates to that same corn tortilla topped with twice as much of everything. Go for the No. 1 if you don’t relish scrubbing salsa off your shirt while riding the subway.
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