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ITALIA STAFF PICKS |
WEEKDAY BREAKFASTS by Sarah Lagrotteria Have a little extra time before work one morning? Tired of cold cereal and thin milk? Rub the sleep out of your eyes and head to one of the Babbo staff’s favorite breakfast spots. A morning meal at one of these Village eateries will start your workday off with the perfect buzz. Buon Appetito! Otto enoteca pizzeria 1 Fifth Avenue (at 8th Street) Now in its second month of operation, Babbo’s newest sister restaurant offers an authentic Italian-style breakfast. Resembling an Italian train station, this red-toned pizzeria features a long marble bar where breakfast is taken standing up. In keeping with the fact that Italians take a light breakfast, the Otto menu, as listed by the bartenders, is a simple and delicious affair. Breakfast includes fresh blood orange juice, rich espresso, and crusty ciabatta rolls filled with succulent mortadella. Miniature pots of Grey Poupon and communal jars of grated horseradish and homemade salsa verde enhance the continental feel. Copies of The New York Times, The Post, and favorite food magazines are available for a quick read-through. French Roast 11th Street and 6th Avenue It’s big, it’s bustling, it’s a brasserie that offers the traditional (croissant et café), but aims to please an American-style breakfast hunger. There’s McCann’s Irish oats, or yogurt and fruit for those mornings when lighter is better. Try the hickory smoked bacon, the asparagus brie omelet, or eggs anyway with smoked salmon for when you’re looking for a little extra richness on the tongue. Open 24 hours a day, with a crowd that ebbs and flows, it’s a comfortable place to make your first meal your longest of the day. 144 Second Avenue From Italian to French to Ukraininan, variety is what makes this city great, including when it comes to breakfast. This Village institution originally opened as a soup stand that sold European newspapers to East Village immigrants. Now open 24 hours a day, Veselka specializes in Eastern European dishes, and makes the best blintzes around. Sweetened with raspberry preserves or sweet farmer’s cheese, these plump pockets of soft dough are supremely rich and indulgent. Perfect with a bottomless cup of diner-style joe. With a wall of windows facing the street, Veselka is a sunny spot to grab a quick bite on a cold winter morning. 6th Avenue between 12th and 13th Streets At this tiny West Village out post of the charming Chelsea bakery, the bagels are still fresh, hand-rolled, tasty, and inexpensive. The crust is actually crusty and the inner ring is doughy and dense. This is a bagel as it was meant to be. Opt for the traditional-plain, sesame, or poppy seed- or play around with some more yuppie-fied options, like the stunningly green spinach variety. In warmer weather, look forward to nabbing the one bench out front and make believe that 6th Ave. offers a bucolic breakfast view. |
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