cherrypatter nyc
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milk bar: good coffee with real breakfast food in brooklyn, shocking
over the past six months or so, at least three new fancy coffee shops, or rather shops focused on high end fancy coffee, have opened up in prospect and crown heights. and while three might have been a bit of overkill (especially since two are “australian” style”), the neighborhood definitely needed an upgrade in the coffee department so this is all good news. while i love glass shop’s vibe and their excellent coffee, i am now a big fan of milk bar mostly because there is real food there to go with our excellent coffee and the warm and modern space is great too (designed by jane kim design).
milk bar is all about eggs and toast. big fat pieces of country white sourdough toast served with soft poached eggs, and you can get those plain, or with cheese or even as more of a full on sandwich with ham and tomato. i am particularly enamored with the fresh avocado spread on hearty multigrain toast with chili flakes. maybe not quite up to my all time favorite avocado and toast from cafe gitane, the avocado doesn’t have quite the zing (i’m thinking maybe it’s missing a little olive oil and lemon) but still a really good option. less exciting, but at least available, milk bar also serves pastries mostly from sullivan street bakery, as well as other basic breakfast items like granola and muesli.
the food is also good for lunch. i had a milk bar special of texas chili with cheddar which was hot, spicy and quite soupy in a good way and filled with nice chunks of beef. other lunch options include a dub pie, a smoked chicken sandwich and even a few salads. for dessert, there’s always australian iced coffee which is chilled espresso over vanilla ice cream topped with milk. and milk bar is focused on quality ingredients not just for its food but for its coffee. using counter culture beans like many of the brooklyn hot spots, the cappuccino was quite good. for that australian touch, or so i’m told, milk bar tops it off with a little cocoa which isn’t quite my thing but i’m sure if i return i can opt out.
each time we’ve visited, milk bar has been packed. the staff are quite friendly but just a wee bit harried. this may be because things are not running as smoothly as they maybe should be so it can take a while to be served. but when the food comes, it is always hot and fresh and tasty so as long as you don’t have a very fidgety 2-year old on your lap you’re in luck. milk bar, 620 vanderbilt avenue between st. marks avenue and bergen street, brooklyn, new york, .
I love the avocado bread at Gitane! I try to make it myself at home and have gotten pretty decent at it. I like to add black pepper and a bit of salt, too.
yum! i think i need that recipe! would love to have that on a more regular basis. these days we don’t get to gitane often enough.
after living in sydney for two years, i miss the aussie-style coffee shops. nice to see that there’s a place nearby for toasties and flat whites!