Westchester Breakfast Club

Location: The Patio Restaurant, 1133 Pleasantville Road, Briarcliff, NY

Attendees: Jeff, Pat, Shelley, Sylvia

Overview:

Shelley: Ok, ok, yes, I was the last one to arrive for breakfast at The Patio, despite it being one minute and 30 seconds from my house. What can I say, no alarm + Saturday morning=Tardy Shelley. I plan to make up for it by arriving an hour early for next week’s breakfast. Despite its close proximity to my house, I had not been to The Patio for many years. The interior looked more sophisticated than the last time I saw it, with Picasso prints hanging on the walls. The lighting is a bit low, and the oversized windows at the front of the restaurant allow patrons to enjoy the morning sunlight. This combination creates a cozy atmosphere. The service was prompt and the food came out in a resonable amount of time. I ordered two scrambled eggs with homefries, and a short stack of plain pancakes. I enjoyed the food–nothing was greasy or heavy. The eggs were fluffy and well done, the pancakes were reasonably-sized. The homefries were not especially seasoned, but personally I would rather food be underseasoned so that I can season it myself. One of my least favorite things is when a meal comes out with too much salt or pepper. The price was very reaonable. I may just have to pay The Patio some more visits in the future.

Jeffrey: This past weekend at The Patio in Briarcliff, I ordered the walnut waffle with fresh fruit. The waffle had a nice crusty outside and a soft goodness on the inside. The walnuts added a bit of a crunch and a little more flavor. The waffle was topped off by fresh berries and bananas, which provided sweetness. I had a side of homefries, which were also very good. All in all it was a good experience.

Sylvia: I actually enjoyed the Patio a lot. I can see it as a great place to meet up with friends for a leisurely weekend meal. The food was simple and reasonably priced, and very good. I had a short stack of the blueberry banana pancakes with a side of scrambled eggs, homefries and toast. I love blueberry pancakes and I love banana pancakes, so when I saw they had pancakes with both blueberries AND bananas, I had to get them. They were pretty good. The pancakes themselves were large, so I was glad I got a short stack (two pancakes), and a little flatter than I would have liked. But there were definitely blueberries and bananas in them, and that made me happy. The rest of the meal was good too. I agree with Shelley that the homefries were underseasoned, but I prefer that. I had a tea with my meal, and the only choice was the regular Lipton tea. Overall, the food was good, and to a certain extent a little more guilt free since nothing was overly greasy and heavy. Even with all that food I didn’t feel weighed down like I did last week after City Limits.

Pat:
What I had: Bacon and Cheese Omelette, Coffee
What it cost: 7.00 for the omelette
Worth it?: Definitely
The rating: 3.5/5
The details: This Omelette was smaller, but significantly more moist than that of Jardin du Roi. The cheese was more evenly distributed, and there was bacon in every bite. The hashbrowns were not my favorite, and the toast seemed stale. However, the food was generally cheaper than the local diner prices, and not inferior in any substantial way. The service was adequate.
The recommendation: Not bad, but don’t go out of your way.

Meeting number 2!

Place: City Limits Diner, 200 Central Avenue, White Plains, NY

Attendees: Andrew, Jeff, Pat Shelley, Sylvia and Yuee

Our thoughts:

Shelley: I had a cheddar omelette with home fries and a piece of lemon poppy pound cake. The omelette was delicious, nice and fluffy, and not too cheesy. The cheddar was nicely melted, encased in the middle of the fluffy omelette. It was melted just enough, but not to the point of being gooey or runny. The home fries were formed into a small rectangle. They were a perfect combination of soft and crunchy, and were nicely seasoned. The lemon poppy pound cake, baked on the premises, was moist but not overly greasy or buttery. The citrus flavor was subtle, not too overpowering, and provided a nice flavor complement to the rest of my meal. The atmosphere was good–lots of families, but no screaming kids 🙂 The service was prompt and attentive.

Sylvia: I had the City Breakfast Sandwich. It was pretty good. Although two types of salsa (roja and verde) were a little too much for a breakfast sandwich. The rest of the sandwich consisted of scrambled eggs, sausage and a slice of Monteray Jack cheese on what seemed like a brioche bun. It was very good, and very filling.

Pat:
What I had: Pancakes
What it cost: 7.95, 10 including tax and tip
Worth it?: Hell yes
The Rating: 4/5
The details: Slightly more expensive than what one might expect to pay at a diner, City Limits’ buttermilk pancakes more than make up for this price discrepancy with wonderful fluffy texture, rich batter, and YES! REAL MAPLE SYRUP! What a blessing! The pancakes absorb the syrup beautifully, and the final product is a taste sensation. Where these pancakes were lacking was around the edges; they lacked the crispiness you hope for in a perfect pancake. Aside from that mild complaint, these are excellent pancakes, well worth your wallet and palate. The service was adequate.
The recommendation: Try’em!

The beginning….it all started when we decided to get together for some breakfasting one Saturday morning. The place chosen, Le Jardin Du Roi.

Place: Le Jardin Du Roi, 95 King Street, Chappaqua, NY

Attendees: Jeff, Pat, Sylvia

Sylvia: This is a cute little french bistro in Chappaqua. The food is good, albeit a bit on the pricier side (it is Chappaqua after all). I had initially ordered the Omelette aux Epinards (spinach and goat cheese omelette) with a croissant and a small cafe au lait. What I was served was the Omelette au Saumon Chevre (smoked salmon, onion and goat cheese omelette) instead. No complaining since they only charged me what I had originally ordered. The Omelette au Saumon Chevre was pretty good. The smoked salmon and goat cheese combo was not over powering for an omelette, but it’s presence was definitely there. The croissant was deliciously buttery and flakey. A step above the usual croissants one would find, but not the best I’ve had. They also had almond or chocolate croissants available. The service was fast, although due to the mix up, I’m not sure I’d call it attentive. The atmosphere was cozy and enjoyable. A nice place to go on a special kind of day.

Pat:
What I had: Bacon and Cheese Omelette, Coffee
What it cost: 9.00 for the omelette, 12-13 including tax and tip
Worth it?: Eh
The Rating: 2.5/5
The details: The omelette was huge, but the eggs were a little dry and the cheese unevenly distributed, leading to a few more of those “only egg” bites that I dread in an omelette. I really enjoy the potatoes, though I missed the toast I have grown accustomed to with my omelette orders. The bread served before the meal was a lackluster substitute. The coffee was nothing special. At about a dollar more than a diner omelette, it wasn’t horribly overpriced, but it wasn’t any better than standard diner fare. The service was lacking.
The Recommendation: Not a bad morning option, but nothing to distinguish it from your local diner (at least not for breakfast).