Breakfast. The word alone sets the digestive juices in motion. Not a pretty picture I know, but guess what is, breakfast at Basil NYC. Breakfast is the most essential meal of the day, ask any nutrition-savvy human, not to mention the yummiest. To those that concur, raise up your cup of coffee with me! I am going to admit straight out that I have only been to Basil for breakfast so far. I've heard less than mediocre ravings about the rest of the menu, from small, unsatisfying portions, to pricey meals that don't meet expectations. Some do love the food, but again, the price is discouraging for a college-paying-minimum-wage-maker like myself.
Let's talk early morning treat. Basil is a reward for all your senses; visually pleasing to the eyes is the entire restaurant, the intoxicating aroma of great food being made, the pleasant clink of coffee mugs hitting saucers and the tops of jars overflowing with pastries being lifted, and those repeated bites into a buttery scone. The place is an enchanting world away from the stifle of Crown Heights.
Without fail, I buy a cup of coffee every time. I have not tasted a better brew than Basil's. True, I had to add sugar, something I never do to my daily joe, (I prefer whole milk over 1% and I have a feeling they use 1% so sugar was necessary.) The result was an exquisite cup of coffee that it made it worth it. As far as pastries go, only bread made in a French patisserie beat out the rich buttery, freshly baked goodies of Basil. The perfect cappuccino, with the perfect blueberry scone; can someone please remove me from this place before I melt into a chunk of sweet heaven? From their bakery, I've successfully tried and completed both plain and chocolate croissants, blueberry and chocolate scones, and their loaded and tasty granola bar. One morning of Chanukah, when the crew had off from work, we strolled over to fill ourselves with Basil treats. Starting with coffees and scones, we waited a bit for our breakfasts, which only proved to increase our belief that the food is coming to us freshly created. I had a creamy goat cheese and spinach omelet, Malky ordered the Basil pancakes, and S.S. got a mushroom tomato omelet. The omelets were served with side salads and Basil home fries. The salads are made with colorful lettuces, grape tomatoes and drizzled in homemade olive oil and balsamic vinegar-even their sides don't disappoint! The house fries are a classy and vibrant take on typical breakfast hash browns. The omelets were outstanding, and those pancakes...let's just say if you appreciate an explosive balance of flavor, texture, sweetness, and richness, these pancakes will you win over your taste buds, tummy and heart. I start working at one p.m., so my studies often take place in the morning. I use trips to Basil to bribe myself to study, and I think I'll owe my degree to Basil. The place is relatively calm in the morning, usually scattered with randoms; a mom and her friend after a jog with their infants, two businessmen with newspapers, and a couple of Park Slope artists. The service there is a delight, unlike many obnoxious Jewish services and eateries, that seem to misinterpret the term 'customer service.'The place is vibrating with renewed energy as a fresh day begins.
This one is getting a phenomenal 4/5-Malky was adamant against a complete 5 because they were skimpy on butter with her pancakes and the prices are not recession-friendly. We recommend it for professional outings, or when you just feel like spoiling yourself.
