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Sarabeth’s is known for its charming comfort food and absurdly long waits for weekend brunch. Originally a pastry shop on the Upper West Side, Sarabeth’s has expanded into something of an empire, but the focus still remains on baked goods.
The country kitchen décor tries its best to make you feel at home – but it can be difficult to settle into a comfort zone after being surrounded by the Upper East Side’s most entitled when they’re hungover and suffering from low blood sugar. But that’s not Sarabeth’s fault. The cutesy childhood-fable theme woven into the brunch menu is.
Hot porridge is available in four varieties: Baby Bear ($7), Mama Bear ($7.50), Papa Bear ($8), or Big Bad Wolf ($8), with a graduated offering of accompaniments. The egg dishes come with a choice of muffin, croissant, scone, or toast with preserves – we highly recommend choosing a sweet pastry, as it may be the highlight of your meal.
The Green and White Omelette ($12.50) is a well-balanced savory dish with scallions and cream cheese blended into the eggs. A perfect breakfast flavor profile, but we have never seen this style of omelette anywhere but here. Another hearty option is the Country Breakfast ($15), scrambled eggs with warm cheddar grits custard, bacon strips, and roasted red pepper sauce.
The sweet breakfast options (all $14.50) offer much more than your standard French Toast and pancakes with syrup – the Cheese Blintzes with sour cream and apple butter are delicious, as are the Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with fresh berries.
If you’re here to brunch with a group, we recommend ordering the basket of Sarabeth’s Muffins and Legendary Preserves – they’re worthy of the title, and will keep you in good spirits even if you’re annoyed by everything else. And while you’ll be grateful that you can order a $5 Pickled House Bloody Mary while you wait, don’t miss the fruit juices: The Four Flowers Juice is supremely refreshing and tasty, almost justifying the $6 price tag.
Brunch at Sarabeth’s East
Saturday & Sunday
1295 Madison Avenue
Upper East Side, NY
AND
Sarabeth’s Central Park South
40 Central Park South
Midtown West, NY
AND
Sarabeth’s West
423 Amsterdam Avenue
Upper West Side, NY
