Sarabeth's III

picture courtesy of sarabeth's.com

The Friday before Easter, Swimster and I were craving some serious breakfast delights. We hadn't been to Norma's in a while and had our stomachs set on eating there. Silly us. With the city as crowded as it was during the Christmas season, and various European accents heard throughout midtown's Rockefeller Center and Times Square, how did I think we'd ever get a table? When we rolled into Norma's, me the working bag lady and Swimster with his schoolboy backpack, and saw the lobby crowded with patient diners, I knew we were doomed. With an "It'll be a half hour wait," we were out the door.

There aren't many breakfast places in the midtown area, that aren't crowded with swarming tourists. I was about to give up and hop on the diner train when it hit me. I blurted out to Swimster, "Sarabeth's!" Why hadn't we thought of it sooner? Swimster and I have eaten at the Sarabeth's on Amsterdam and the Sarabeth's on Madison, but we had yet to try the Central Park South location. It's hard to find "chains" that stand up to each other in the city. A lot of times one location is stronger than another. After eating in two Sarabeth's, it solidified my theory that Sarabeth is doing something right. Their formula for great food is impeccable and works in each restaurant.

I got nervous because Sarabeth's seemed crowded as well. But when Swimster asked for a table for two, the hostess said it would only be a couple of minutes. The interior of Sarabeth's seemed odd to me. It felt like I was in a hair salon, more than a restaurant. There was a rather large waiting area with zebra-printed couches that seemed to spill over into the actual dining area. The floor plan is somewhat awkward and the restaurant is split up into several smaller rooms. Our table was right off of a small glass-enclosed courtyard in the middle of the restaurant. Even from our seats towards the back, we still couldn't see how far Sarabeth's tables actually went.

When I sat down, I sank into the banquette, and I mean really sank. The table's edge was now between my chin and my bustline. It made me feel like I had just drank from the "Drink Me" bottle Alice drank to shrink on her Wonderland adventures. I was a mini person and everything around me seemed giant. I'm going to ask my readers a question. Do I say something to them in an email about how awkward the seating was? I mean, having the table at your chin pretty much guaranteed you wouldn't spill any flying sauces on your clothes, but I really wanted to ask for a booster seat.

Seating aside, our waitress was very friendly and attentive, never letting our water glasses go empty, and always checking to see if we had everything we needed. Swimster chose the red omelette with tomatoes, red peppers, cheddar and a dollop of sour cream with chives; I chose the farmer's omelette with leaks, minced potatoes and ham, and Gruyere. In addition, since the omelettes didn't come with them, we ordered a side of potatoes. These were some of the best breakfast potatoes I've ever had. They were piping hot, even for a good ten minutes after they had been sitting on the table. They were small, quartered potatoes with red and green peppers and onions. They had a subtle crisp on the outside and were soft and mushy on the inside. The omelettes were about three inches high and packed with goodies. They were cooked perfect, no underdone eggs inside but no burnt edges on the outside. All eggs are served with your choice of muffin (corn, bran, banana or pumpkin), scone, English muffin or croissant with preserves. How could we choose between any of these accompaniments, knowing that Sarabeth's forte is her breads? I went with my favorite, the scone, and Swimster tried the croissant. My scone was soft and warm and sprinkled with currants. I caught Swimster's croissant just to make out it came right out of the oven, but that was the last I saw of it.

Sarabeth's is a solid New York City restaurant, and I have yet to be disappointed at any of the locations. I will not give this specific location apples yet, however, because we did really only have two similar items off the menu. I will definitely return with friends and family and hope this has encouraged you to try it out as well.

Mona's note: I just recently bought, for the first time, a jar of Sarabeth's strawberry and raspberry jam. It is incredible: sweet and tangy and I don't know how I can go back to Smucker's. This is actually how Sarabeth got her start. Her and her husband first opened a small store to sell preserves and baked goods. See what happens when you start small and dream big?

Click here to see all their locations.