NYC's Best Breakfast Treats

Doughnut Plant
379 Grand Street
Btwn. Essex and Grand St.
(212) 505-3700
The
“Blackout” doughnut is a tasting experience that I liken to a chocolate-induced state of Nirvana.  Imagine an exceedingly rich chocolate
doughnut oozing with smooth chocolate pudding.  It’s not only in a chocolate crumb-spackled glaze.  It’s devious and messy, but
completely worth the sugar rush.

Russ and Daughters
179 East Houston Street
Btwn. 2nd Ave. and Chrystie Street
(212) 475-4880
This
classic Lower East Side shop has been serving smoked fish and other
Kosher specialties for several decades, nearly perfecting the bagel sandwich
in the process.  Our favorite combination is lox with the caviar cream cheese.  This
lush cream cheese with bursts of black caviar plays
the perfect complement to the lox.

Buon Pane
Union Square Greenmarket, nr. the corner of 15th St.
Every
Monday at the Union Square Greenmarket, this stand offers a multitude
of confections, the best being the focaccia and stuffed breads.  We
like the goat cheese and cranberry round at breakfast time.  Topped
with the crispy, melted cheese, the sweet dough is riddled with juicy
cranberries and exceptionally chewy.  It’s a perfect treat to eat while
taking in the rest of the greenmarket goods.

Balthazar
80 Spring Street (btwn. Broadway and Crosby Street)
(212) 965-1414
If
you have time to spare for a leisurely breakfast, stop in to Balthazar
around 8 AM and order the famous Le Painier, which, for $16, is filled
with an decadent supply of delectable pastries.  Served with butter and
jam, there are nine pieces of delicious baked goods, particularly the almond-topped fruit focaccia and the two pieces of
fluffy chocolate bread.

Norma’s
118 West 57th Street
at Le Parker Meridian Hotel
(212) 708-7460
Norma’s
is famous for its show-stopping breakfast dishes, including the very
berry brioche (pictured above) and caramelized chocolate banana waffle napoleon.  But our favorite find
is the wonderfully moist banana loaf, hidden in the bread basket.  It’s
perfect paired with a complementary shot of the
daily smoothie.

Tai Pan Bakery
37-25 Main Street
Flushing, Queens 11354
(718) 888-1111
If
you’re craving something sweet and gooey, you’d be wise to visit this
popular Flushing bakery for what the bakery calls their “yummy toast.”
Listed in the hot snacks section, this sandwich is made of two pillows
of slightly browned white bread, which envelope a dangerous combination
of smooth peanut butter and sweetened condensed milk.  Wash it down
with a cup of refreshing iced ginseng tea.

Almondine Bakery
85 Water Street
Brooklyn, NY
(718) 797-5026
www.almondinebakery.com
This Waterfront bakery is perhaps most famous for its almond croissant, a
viennoisiere classic, completely covered in sliced almonds and powdered
sugar.  This flaky pastry has a wonderfully moist almond filling.  But
seeing as they often and sadly sell out at lightning speed, the
chocolate croissants are a worthy concilation prize.  Not to mention that
they’re often touted as some of the best croissants in Brooklyn.

Levain Bakery
167 West 74th Street
(212) 874-6080
This
teeny bakeshop might be most celebrated for its cookies,
but that doesn’t mean you should neglect their exquisite, chocolate
sourdough rolls.  Unlike the typical pain au chocolat, these are crusty and, more importantly, filled with an obscene
amount of chocolate filling.  The chocolate brioche is browned and
perfectly crisp, with little chocolate chips poking their way through
the center; its cinnamon counterpart is equally tasty, with a
buttery finish.  

City Bakery
3 West 18th Street
Btwn. 5th and 6th Ave.
(212) 366-1414
This Gramercy
bakery is a fixture on the New York breakfast circuit.  Though the
pretzel croissant may get more play at the register, our hat is off to
the Baker’s Muffin.  It’s a deliciously complicated and curious-looking
pastry, composed of individual
bits of sweet dough.  While the top resembles a thick lattice crust dusted in
powdered sugar, the bottom is reminiscent of bread pudding.
As the two textures marry, the flavor of apples, walnuts,
raisins and spices breaks through from the moist center, making this
muffin an indispensable, morning pick-me-up.  Try dunking
it into a mug of their shockingly thick, hot chocolate.  Sure, you’ll
have to be spend a little more time on the treadmill, but it’s worth it.

Alice’s Tea Cup Chapter 2
156 E. 64th Street at Lexington Ave.
(212) 486-9200
Going to Alice’s Tea Cup is like entering Wonderland itself, and best experienced with one of their gargantuan-sized scones. Our
vote goes to the strawberry chocolate chip variety – a boulder-shaped mound of
crispy dough with a piping hot, soft interior.  The strawberries are
freshly sliced, lending a slight tartness to the
oozing chocolate. Served with cloud of clotted cream and plenty of
jam, it’s best savored with a pot of almond tea.

Bouchon Bakery
10 Columbus Circle
(212) 823-9366
Bouchon has a variety of excellent baked goods, but they truly master
the
art of the Danish. For this time of year, strawberry and pleasantly
tart rhubarb
are blanketed by a veil of cream cheese, making for a buttery,
flaky danish.  But do get there early as they tend to sell out.

Until we eat again,
Restaurant Girl
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