Westchester Breakfast Club

The Westchester Breakfast Club arrived with empty stomachs this week at Bella’s in Tarrytown. Some would argue that breakfast had no taste, held no meaning, in the absence of Westchester Breakfast Club member Shelley. Tears were shed and wailing could be heard throughout Tarrytown because the group wasn’t graced with her presence. Somehow they managed to get through breakfast and write these reviews. Somehow.

5 South Broadway
Tarrytown, NY 10591 (Map It!)

Attendees: Sylvia, Pat, Reid, Jeffrey

Sylvia

We arrived at Bellas at 10am, which was a good thing because shortly after, all the tables were full and a line started to form. It did not appear that names were taken down, and tables were assigned on a first come, first served basis, provided the available table fit your party. That being said, don’t show up with more than 6 people, because there is nowhere for everyone to sit together. There are no actual tables and chairs available, as everything consists of various sized booths. When Jeffrey and I arrived, we were able to snag one of the last longer booths that can fit six full-sized adults tightly, or four with some room to spare. The service was warm and friendly. The menu mostly consisted of the usual breakfast fare: Eggs, omelettes, and pancakes etc. I got the feta cheese and spinach omelette, which came with Bellas toast, and a cup of coffee.

The omelette was a good size with a good egg-to-stuff ratio. The spinach was of the frozen spinach variety, but they were pretty generous with the portion in the omelette. The feta cheese was not as prevalant, and I would have liked a bit more. The potatoes were really tasty, albeit a bit underseasoned. The Bellas toast was not your typical diner toast. This was a thick slab of white bread, which is toasted and buttered. The bread was nicely toasted and buttered on the top and so soft and moist in the middle. It was very good toast.

The Czar says: A good place to go if you want a non-fussy breakfast and some warm service. If you go, go on the earlier side as seating is limited and the food takes a little longer than normal to prepare. In the past when I have gotten a breakfast sandwich to go from Bella’s, the wait is usually pretty long regardless of how busy they are. So, now I know to call beforehand. Otherwise, this is a great place if you don’t want any fancy food or anything fussy. Try Bellas Toast!

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Pat

What I Had: Pancakes, bacon, coffee

What It Cost: $8.00 plus tax and tip

Worth It? Yes; definitely if you’re not picky about your syrup

The Rating: 3.5/5

The Details: Bella’s feels straight out of the 70’s. It’s got a small coffee shop feel – one I happen to enjoy, and the waitresses for the most part were older women who looked and spoke straight out of central casting for New York waitress (and probably have been around the diner since the 70’s). I’ve had a hankering for pancakes for a while, so I thought I’d take the plunge (with a side of bacon of course). The food took a little too long to get to the table, so once it arrived I was ravenous.

The pancakes were fluffy and a lovely golden brown but small and thin. Compared to the other pancakes I’ve ordered and seen (Flying Pig, City Bakery, City Limits, Wobble) these were definitely undersized. Also, much to my chagrin, they came not with actual maple syrup, but with Kraft syrup in single serve packaging. I understand maple syrup is expensive, but keep it on hand. Offer it, even for an extra fee. It’s unfathomable to force your customers to settle for prepackaged, artificial syrup when it’s so easy to keep some on hand in the back. Needless to say, despite a lightness and fluffiness in the pancakes, I didn’t enjoy them nearly as much as I would have liked to.

The bacon, on the other hand, was savory, crisp, and of obviously above average quality. The bites of hash browns I stole from Sylvia were quite wonderful, and the egg dishes sure looked delicious. The coffee was diner quality coffee, but they did not have sweetener (sweet n low, equal, splenda) on the table; only an old style glass sugar container. The service was attentive, with pretty frequent offers to refill our beverages. Get there on the early side; we had no trouble getting a table at 10, but by 10:30 there were folks and families waiting for a table.

The Bottom Line: Give it a try, but stick to the eggs.

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Reid

The Case: Bella’s Restaurant v. The Westchester Breakfast Club (shorthanded)

The Jurisdiction: Broadway near Main Street in Tarrytown

The Venue: A somewhat tired luncheonette

The Facts: I started my meal somewhat annoyed by the fact that there is another place called “Bella’s” on Broadway, which was not a restaurant, but a clothing boutique. That caused me five minutes of indecision.

I decided to get something relatively light for breakfast, so I ordered a bacon and egg sandwich, with half a grapefruit on the side. The grapefruit came first, and was, well, a grapefruit. The only annoyance was the absence of non-caloric sweetener on the table, which I needed for both my grapefruit and the hot tea I had ordered. Fortunately we were near the server’s station, so I just reached over and grabbed some.

The egg sandwich came with everyone else’s meal, and was, as requested, well done. The bacon was crispy as well. The only problem was that the eggs had a somewhat odd taste, almost like they had used too much lubricant (butter, pam, etc.) on the grill. (I didn’t bring this up at breakfast, as the use of the term “lubricant” would have caused an extremely inappropriate conversation to ensue)

Vanessa Williams did not come by.

The Verdict: Meh. If you find yourself walking around Main Street early in the day, and don’t feel like moving your car, it’s not a terrible choice for breakfast. But I would rather hop in my car and go to the El Dorado Diner a few minutes down Route 9, or any of the other similar breakfast options littering the area.

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Jeffrey

Bella’s Restaurant has been a part of my life for some time now. I started eating there when I started working in Tarrytown. It’s a fine diner for a quick and easy breakfast or a nice relaxing meal. It’s small and almost always busy, which goes to show how nice of an establishment it is.

I’m not saying Bella’s is the best place I’ve ever been to. It’s definitely not. But it has a consistent selection of fulfilling food. Normally, I would just order a breakfast sandwich from the counter, and it would come freshly made from the kitchen. The service was always with a smile.

This particular morning, I ordered the Bella’s special. It was an omelet with various things in it, served with home fries and Bella’s toast. I don’t know what exactly Bella’s toast is. What I can say is that it’s thicker than normal toast and it seemed fluffy. It was good. As for the omelet, it was filling. It wasn’t especially good, but it wasn’t bad. It’s just above par from other diners. The home fries were delicious. Now, I am not a good judge on home fries, mainly because I love potatoes in almost all forms. It’s very difficult to screw up potatoes in my book.

Is Bella’s a place worth visiting? Yes. Is it worth getting all excited over? Not so much. I believe we selected this place because we were rushed into choosing and we were short a vital member of our group. All in all, I liked Bella’s and I will visit many more times in the future.

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Sorry, no slide show today. We only took the pictures you see on the post.