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Happy New Year, breakfast eaters. It’s 2012, and that means, according to the Mayan calendar and countless subway-station preachers, the world will be coming to an end in a matter of months. So, we better get eating!
The WBC kicked off the last year of the world with brunch at Harper’s in Dobbs Ferry.
Attendees: :jump_to_Shelley:, :jump_to_Sylvia:, :jump_to_Jeff:
:a_Shelley:
Harper’s is a cozy restaurant on Main Street in Dobbs Ferry. It has a dark interior, and even on a sunny day the windows at the front don’t let a lot of natural light in. n the walls are an eclectic mix of antique paintings and various style mirrors. This style translates to the table, where we each had a different style fork.
A bread basket was promptly brought to us. It contained fresh, warm, flaky bread and a delectable creamy, sweet butter for us to enjoy while we made our meal decisions.
I settled on a parmesan and chive omelette. It sounded good, but when it arrived, its appearance was a little off-putting. Instead of a fluffy, thick omelette was something that was flat and plastic-like. Fortunately it tasted better than it looked with the parmesan and chives well-distributed, and the flavor well-balanced, not overwhelming. There was a small portion of potatoes served with the omelette. Maybe I’m addicted to carbs, but I would have appreciated a somewhat more generous helping of potatoes.
And then there was dessert. I chose the apple fritters, which were 3 donut-shaped, flat, fried pastries. They came served with drizzled caramel sauce and a scoop of cinnamon ice cream. The fritters were greasier than I had hoped, and there was more of the fried outer crust than actual apples. I wish I had gotten the lemon tart instead; the bite I stole from Sylvia’s plate was refreshing, crisp, and delicious.
Harper’s is a nice restaurant, but I wasn’t particularly wowed by their brunch. I would go again, but to try lunch or dinner.
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:a_Sylvia:
I had taken a look at Harper’s menu online prior to our meeting on this beautiful Sunday morning. The one thing that caught my eye was the Chocolate Bread Pudding pancakes. That sounded delicious, but in order to eat them as guilt-free as possible, I had to run before we met. Run I did, but I am sure it only put a small dent in the calorie count of what I actually ended up consuming during this breakfast.
To drink, I had a tea. Seems the only tea available was the Lipton type. Sigh, I guess it will have to do.
As we waited, we were served some warm crusty bread. Normally I do not butter my bread, but when Shelley said it was good and slightly sweet, I had to try it. She was right. It was smooth and slightly sweet and very good against the warm crusty bread.
I ordered the Chocolate Bread Pudding pancakes, and they did not disappoint. They were more like a cross between French toast and a pancake. They had a very nice crunchy exterior, but were shaped like pancakes. Imagine a sweet version of a well made potato pancake made with cubed potatoes. The chocolate eliminated the need for the maple syrup served with the pancakes (was it pure maple syrup? I think so). I also ordered a side of cheddar grits. They were really good. Very cheddar-y, with a nice grit texture and the scallions mixed in was a nice touch.
Of course, being the WBC, we can’t leave without dessert. Since I thought that getting the chocolate bread pudding would be a little overkill, I settled on the Rice Pudding. But alas, they did not have any available, so I had the Lemon Tart instead. It was really good. The lemon custard was cold and refreshing without being overly tart. The meringue topping wasn’t sweet and cut the tartness of the lemon custard very well. The crust was good, and held up well while still allowing a firm fork stab to break into it without pieces flying all over the place.
The czar says: Another cute find in Dobbs Ferry. I do like the menu offerings, and from what I had, the rest show promise. A little more gourmet and fancy, but at digestible prices. Service was prompt, and while we were there, two families with small children were also dining. I approve, and would not be against going back.
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:a_Jeff:
(Editor’s note: We apologize in advance for the exceedingly cranky tone of Jeff’s review.)
Harper’s is a bar. In order to make some money, they serve brunch on Sunday morning. I suppose the meals are good. You’re going to have to read the other reviews for that.
Come to think of it, the meal was good. I had a piece of over-toasted toast with a piece of ham, some cheese, and a fried egg on top of it. There was also a side of home fries. All in all the meal was a tasty meal. What was bad was they decided to call this pile of food a Crouque Madame. Really? It’s just an open faced ham, egg, and cheese. You’re going to give it a French name? And then have the balls to charge 12 dollars for it? The meal was good. It wasn’t 12 dollars good. For what I was served, i’d probably pay 5 dollars MAX for that. 2 for 3 dollars at McDonalds. “Ohhhh….. it’s French! You should be charged as the French would charge.” Well, there’s a reason why they lost 2 world wars. (Editor’s note: Jeff’s grasp of world history is shaky at best.)
Would I go here again for breakfast? Probably not. Just down the road are a plethora of alternative breakfast options. And let’s not forget Black Cat in Irvington, which is just up route 9.
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