Fat & Fluffy at Sarabeth’s

Fat & Fluffy at Sarabeth’s

There are very few things that we take as seriously as Breakfast.  Lunch comes and goes and we try to make dinner an “event” but we are hardcore breakfast folks.   We are diner aficionado’s, omelette experts, and breakfast sausage connoisseurs.  The Eat Up New York breakfast crew had been in discussions about a trip to Sarabeth’s, on Park Avenue, for several weeks.  Some complained it was too far, others said it was too crowded, but I was convinced it would be just right.  So on a rainy Saturday morning at 8am off we went to check out the famous Sarabeth’s.

The Park Avenue location is the former Prime House steakhouse spot at 27th Street.  Having been to Prime House many times, and enjoyed the post steak handmade donuts with injections of chocolate, I was a little leery about the new occupant of the massive space.  The bones of the restaurant are still the same as there is not much you can do with the heavy stone interior structure without a jack hammer.  Sarabeth’s definitely lightened the place up and opened it up where they could.  It has the feeling of a vacation restaurant – Enormous, bright, cruise ship friendly.  Also, at $20 per omelette you should imagine yourself on vacation otherwise you might cry in your coffee.

The waitstaff happened to be pretty awesome for a breakfast crew.  They were awake, engaged, and attentive at 8am on a Saturday morning.  We were pretty psyched about the menu options which included: Lemon & Ricotta Pancakes, Coconut Waffles, Scrambled Eggs stuffed Popover, Short Rib Hash, Jalapeño Cheddar Omelette.  One of the Eat Up New York crew was ready to hug the waiter when he cofirmed the existence of soy milk for the coffee.  The Soy milk was just a mirage but we didn’t let that ruin our expectations.

The bar was set, for the most amazing breakfast sausage I have even eaten, on a trip to San Francisco at a place called Dottie’s True Blue.  Since my trip to California I have been on the hunt for a New York equivalent to the magic of breakfast sausage.  Well, I found it at Sarabeth’s.  Chicken and Apple Sausage was so delicious that we were contemplating ordering another one for the table and perhaps a third to go!  If you need a reason to go then it should be solely for the Chicken and Apple Sausage!  It was so awesome and the whole crowd gave it two thumbs up – Someone almost lost a thumb when he reached for the last piece of sausage which I masterfully swiped without incident.  Tragedy averted!

Sarabeth’s Chicken & Apple Sausage

The Omelette was fine.  I went with the Manchego cheese instead of the Gruyere or the White Cheddar.  It was totally fine and fluffy but nothing to stop you in your tracks especially for $18.  The smell of the French Toast was intoxicating.  I nearly pushed one of our peeps out of her chair just to take over her plate of “Fat & Fluffy” French Toast.  Thank goodness she saw the crazy in my eyes and cut me a piece of her delicious French Toast.  It was awesome – Just like mom used to make.  Fresh bread and it was definitely “Fat & Fluffy” which is just how we felt by the end of breakfast.  Sarabeth’s Buttermilk pancakes were pretty good too – better than the Omelette.  The Three Pepper home fries were unnecessary but we wanted to try it for you…the reader.  The things we do for our fans!  The home fries were fine but I would order five orders of the Chicken & Apple Sausage before I would even bother with the home fries – we did eat them though.  We also tried one of their Corn Muffins which was surprisingly awful.  Maybe awful is too harsh but it wasn’t our favorite and didn’t have any spunk.  It was very flat.

Sarabeth’s Three Pepper Potatoes

Buttermilk Pancakes – Can you see the Sausage back there!

So have I told you about the Chicken & Apple Sausage yet?  Be aware that that the Freshly Squeezed orange juice is $8 per glass.  You may want to bring your own flask or stick to something else because it wasn’t $8 per glass OJ worthy.  All in all we had a ball at Sarabeth’s.  My next trip to Sarabeth’s will be based on the Fat & Fluffy French toast and, of course, three orders of the Sausage.  Eat Up New York

Sarabeth’s fantastic Fat & Fluffy French Toast