To round out my week-long birthday celebrations (yeah, I'm that girl!), AS wanted to take me out to brunch. Even though it as her idea, she of course left it up to me to pick a place. The forecast had said terrible rain, so I didn't want to trek too far, but also was not in the mood for yet another Murray Hill brunch.
Then, I remembered reading about Bar Breton's opening on NYMag's Grub Street. Bar Breton caught my eye for a few reasons, mainly because I am obsessed with crepes and galettes as you may remember from these posts, and even my Midtown Lunch'er profile. Based on the photos I had seen, the restaurant also looked like it had a really cute, quaint atmosphere.
Since the day turned out to be gorgeous, all of the front windows of the restaurant were open, letting a ton of light into the whole place. Everywhere you looked, there were so many decorative details...from bar stools looking like buttons to a really cool sculpture hanging at the front to some dishes being served on large stone slabs.
I knew without even looking what I wanted to order...but didn't mind perusing the menu to see what else they had available for brunch. I wanted a galette with eggs and cheese, just needed to find the right one! Now a quick culinary lesson - galettes are crepes that come from Brittany, France (Breton is French for Brittany) made from buckwheat flour, so they are the base of savory dishes, versus crepes that are used as dessert.
AS and I both decided to order the Mont St. Michel, which was a galette with 2 sunny-side up eggs, gruyere cheese, & black forest ham. We asked for it with no ham, which the waiter said was no problem since each galette is made to order. Not sure if they did it as a substitution or if it just wasn't mentioned on the menu, but finely chopped mushrooms came in the galette as well. It was served in the typical style with the edges folded over and mixed greens on top.
That first bite with the perfect combo of flavorful galette, slightly runny egg, and rich gruyere was absolute heaven for me. AS really liked it too, but I'm pretty sure she was laughing at my over-the-top reaction to the dish! I can't explain it other than it's like a comfort food for me since I ate this so many times during my semester studying in Paris. C'est magnifique!!
For dessert we decided to split a crepe with Nutella. This was one of the coolest presentations of a crepe (or any dessert for that matter) I've ever seen! I could have easily eaten all 6 pieces, but was glad we didn't go overboard.
I am eager to go back to Bar Breton to try their other entrees, and see how it stacks up against other bistros and cafes I've been to around the city. And in Paris, for that matter. The place wasn't too packed during a weekend brunch, which was a nice change from a lot brunch spots. The waiters were very friendly and the service was very prompt.
One last thing - I usually don't mention dietary-related items on Miss Menu, but thought it may be helpful to point out that galettes are gluten-free...for any of you who may have a gluten-free diet.
Bar Breton
254 Fifth Avenue
b/t 28th & 29th Streets
website
Menu Pages listing
Then, I remembered reading about Bar Breton's opening on NYMag's Grub Street. Bar Breton caught my eye for a few reasons, mainly because I am obsessed with crepes and galettes as you may remember from these posts, and even my Midtown Lunch'er profile. Based on the photos I had seen, the restaurant also looked like it had a really cute, quaint atmosphere.
Since the day turned out to be gorgeous, all of the front windows of the restaurant were open, letting a ton of light into the whole place. Everywhere you looked, there were so many decorative details...from bar stools looking like buttons to a really cool sculpture hanging at the front to some dishes being served on large stone slabs.
I knew without even looking what I wanted to order...but didn't mind perusing the menu to see what else they had available for brunch. I wanted a galette with eggs and cheese, just needed to find the right one! Now a quick culinary lesson - galettes are crepes that come from Brittany, France (Breton is French for Brittany) made from buckwheat flour, so they are the base of savory dishes, versus crepes that are used as dessert.
AS and I both decided to order the Mont St. Michel, which was a galette with 2 sunny-side up eggs, gruyere cheese, & black forest ham. We asked for it with no ham, which the waiter said was no problem since each galette is made to order. Not sure if they did it as a substitution or if it just wasn't mentioned on the menu, but finely chopped mushrooms came in the galette as well. It was served in the typical style with the edges folded over and mixed greens on top.
That first bite with the perfect combo of flavorful galette, slightly runny egg, and rich gruyere was absolute heaven for me. AS really liked it too, but I'm pretty sure she was laughing at my over-the-top reaction to the dish! I can't explain it other than it's like a comfort food for me since I ate this so many times during my semester studying in Paris. C'est magnifique!!
For dessert we decided to split a crepe with Nutella. This was one of the coolest presentations of a crepe (or any dessert for that matter) I've ever seen! I could have easily eaten all 6 pieces, but was glad we didn't go overboard.
I am eager to go back to Bar Breton to try their other entrees, and see how it stacks up against other bistros and cafes I've been to around the city. And in Paris, for that matter. The place wasn't too packed during a weekend brunch, which was a nice change from a lot brunch spots. The waiters were very friendly and the service was very prompt.
One last thing - I usually don't mention dietary-related items on Miss Menu, but thought it may be helpful to point out that galettes are gluten-free...for any of you who may have a gluten-free diet.
Bar Breton
254 Fifth Avenue
b/t 28th & 29th Streets
website
Menu Pages listing
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