Great Brunch Spot!
Sorry Magnus, but since we covered the other two restaurants on the corner of Downing and Bed- ford, we would be remiss not to cover Blue Ribbon Bakery, as well. We were looking for a new brunch place to go to. Zagat, while rating Blue Ribbon Bakery very high, made the comment: “If you can get a seat”.
Well, we bit the bullet on an early Saturday afternoon, and ventured to the West Village expecting a long wait since it was very crowded when we arrived. We were pleasantly surprised when the host told us it would only by a 25 minute wait. Even better, we were sitting at a great table 15 minutes later. Hardly enough time to finish our Bloody Mary and Mimosa.
With a working onsite bakery in the basement, the aroma of freshly baking breads and other deli- cious treats at Blue Ribbon smelled amazing. For brunch, we chose to mix and match items from the extensive menu. We started with the soup of the day, a phenomenal mushroom and ginger broth with tofu and spinach. The broth was the key, as it was light and not too spicy, which allowed the taste of the other fresh ingredients to shine through. Next, was the anchovy and roasted tomato crostini. This was also very good. We can’t wait to try the other crostinis they have on the menu. We finished up with a couple of the poached egg dishes on the brunch menu. There were six altogether. We tried the poached eggs with spinach, mushroom and bacon (sans the bacon) served with a rich red wine and hollandaise sauce. We also tried the signature Blue Benedict – Serrano ham, Jarlsberg cheese, and tomatoes on toasted challah bread with hollandaise. All the dishes were hearty and perfectly prepared.
There must be something magical about the corner of Downing and Bedford when it comes to ser- vice. Once again, the service was attentive and friendly without being overbearing.
Like their sister restaurants, Blue Ribbon and Blue Ribbon Sushi on Sullivan Street, Blue Ribbon Bakery was a great spot and we have added it to our list of yummy brunch places. Even though you might have to wait a little while for a table, trust us, it’s worth it.
Comments
Leave a comment