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72 S Broadway Nyack, NY 10960 (Map) (845) 358-9511
Don’t worry, the WBC realizes that Nyack isn’t in Westchester. But we thought that after 2 + years of breakfasting, it was time to pay a visit to our neighbors across the river. A charming little place called, well, Strawberry Place drew our hungry stomachs over the Tappan Zee. Plus there was a street fair! How’d the morning shape up? Time to find out, hungry readers.
Attendees: :jump_to_Jeff:, :jump_to_Sylvia:, :jump_to_Reid:
:a_Jeff:
The WBC ventures out to Rockland for breakfast. Why you ask? Well, it’s been a weird week and nobody else made any suggestions. A coworker of mine mentioned Strawberry Place in Nyack and it also happened to be the Nyack Street Fair, so it was a win-win. Thank you Evelyn!
Yes readers, Nyack is in Rockland. Yes, the ‘W’ in WBC stands for Westchester. But, we should expand. My thinking is that since the Journal News Small Bites blog has picked us up, we should be able to cover more of the lower Hudson Valley, which includes Nyack. Also, when Evelyn showed me the menu online, I was overwhelmed and commanded, “We’re doing this.” So, save your negative comments for yourselves and just enjoy the ride.
Nyack isn’t all that far. It’s the first exit off the bridge. It’s actually where my CrossFit gym is for now, so I kinda knew where we were going. We turned up one street looking for parking. I figured since I saw a bunch of people walking around, the fair couldn’t be too far. We got lucky and found a really small spot. Sylvia said that I probably wouldn’t fit, but hey, my car is awesome. My Honda Fit can fit into even the smallest of spots! How do you think it got its name?
After finding an AWESOME spot, we walked over to Strawberry place. It’s a small resturant with maybe a dozen tables inside and a handful outside. It’s one of those small town resturants that has its own personality. I love these kinds of places. The specials menu is up on the giant Dry-Erase board. Honestly, it looks like it’s been up there for a good long time. The specials are also on laminated pages infront of us, and yes, it’s still overwhleming even in person. So many choices and only one stomach! I have to setlle on somthing, so I decided on the Lazy Hazy Challah French Toast. Peanut butter and banana stuffed in challah french toast topped with chocolate chips. It’s heavy duty. Honestly, the whole thing was good. The only slightly negative thing I have about the meal was that sweetness of the chocolate chips over-powered any hope of allowing the maple syrup flavor to shine. It’s a shame because Strawberry Place did offer real maple syrup on the tables. Maybe next time I’ll order it without the chocolate chips. I can really see this breakfast being an awesome post-race/workout meal. Does Nyack offer a triathlon? And is the finish line at Strawberry Place? That would make me happy.
Oh, before I forget. I also ordered some good ole homefries. I’m a sucker for potatoes. They were delicious. So, would I reccomend this place? I think so. I think what made it more worth it was the fact that there was a fair that day. We got to walk up and down and see all the knick-knacks.
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:a_Sylvia:
I think, before this visit, I have only been to Nyack once before, and I cannot remember why. It was that long ago. Nyack was always a mystery to me. In my head, it was this small town tucked under the series of overpasses and on/off ramps of the thruway, where only those in the know knew how to get in and out of it. Hence, why I probably never went.
Too bad, because, thanks to a sweaty post-breakfast walk through the well-timed village fair that was occurring on the day of our breakfast adventure, I can see how cute this town actually is.
We decided to breakfast at the Strawberry Place, a small breakfast & lunch spot located on the border between the storefronts and the vintage Victorian houses. By the time we made it there around 11:30, the place was packed with a lengthy waitlist. But the turn-around is quick, and by 20 minutes we were seated and going through summer specials menu.
The regular menu consists of the usual breakfast and lunch fare, but the real fun is in the specials menu. All variations of French toast, waffles, pancakes, crepes, and some omelet dishes piled with either a lot of sugary items or a lot of fruit. Since I had just completed a 15 mile training run prior to coming here, I was beyond hungry and looking for something full of carbs and fun. However, my sensible self talked me into getting the American Flag French Toast (cinnamon raisin French toast topped with bananas, blueberries and strawberries). I requested my whipped cream to come on the side.
When our meals came, I dug in. The fruit on top was fresh and delicious. The maple syrup came in a squeeze bottle next to the ketchup. The French toast was a touch of a disappointment, but I was too hungry to care. There was something oddly savory in some of the bites. I suspect that the toast was on the griddle next to something savory, and it must have soaked up some of those oils and flavors. It happens, and generally I don’t care (adds flavor…especially if it was bacon), but this time I could not pinpoint what it was, and that bothered me (but not enough to stop eating). The slices of French toast were also a bit small and thin. I think this would have been a perfect dish on a normal day (if I hadn’t run a long loop that morning) since it was carb-light(er) and fruit-heavy. However, since I did run, I could have gone with something more substantial, like a stack of pancakes or stuffed challah French toast.
I did sneak some bites of Jeffrey’s French toast, and besides the overabundance of chocolate chips, it was really good, and perhaps what I should have gotten instead. His side of home fries was also really good (perhaps it was that hungry speaking).
The czar says: If I lived on that side of the bridge (or there was no toll to pay), I can see myself going back and trying other dishes. The staff was fast and friendly despite the mad rush that was happening that day. While not really worth a trip over the bridge for breakfast alone, I’d say a good place to stop in if I happen to be on that side of the bridge on my way to something else.
:back_to_Top:
:a_Reid:
The Case: Strawberry Place v. The Westchester Breakfast Club
The Venue: Amongst the Nyack Town Fair
The Facts: Strawberry Place is definitely aiming for a visit from the Food Network. The sheer variety of offerings, including a pancake with rainbow sprinkles melted into the batter, seem designed to elicit a segment on “Extreme Breakfast Joints,” or its extant equivalent.
I had pancakes with peaches and nuts. The fruit and nuts were well-distributed throughout the batter, and the sweetness of the fruit offset the earthiness of the nuts and the cakes themselves. However, my bacon was disappointing at best, as when it finally came, it was just a bunch of too-salty, too-greasy, too-fatty strips of unpleasantness.
The Verdict: I’d come back here, especially if I had kids for whom the novelty would hold alot of weight, but I’m not rushing.
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