Seeking Top Three Breakfast Spots in New York City

I am so fed up with places like Citysearch that include spots that serve a once-a-week brunch in their "Best Breakfast" categories for the City. I am looking for three places around the City, though preferably in the Brownstone Brooklyn/Manhattan area, where I can comfortably go ANY day of the week and find fine breakfast fare at a price somewhere short of a meal at Danube. Apparently, Norma's on West 57th is one such place, though I have yet to go; however, I need options in this, possibly the most dynamic city in the world. Please help!!

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Here in the East Village I seem to always find my way to Cafe Mogadore 101 St. Marks or the reliably cheap 7A on, you guessed it the corner of East 7th and Ave A.

Mogador has Halume eggs to die for and the A7 is open 24 hours which is great for reverse jet lag (for those who are traveling). This is where I go all the time, I was poking around Chow Hound for someplace new, I think I'll be walking over to the Pink Tea Cup tomorrow. Thanks for the heads up. xp

I don't have three for you but i can say that norma's is fantastic, but it's not an everyday kind of place unless you've got the wallet to drop $20-25 per person on a daily basis. much more realistically, the pink teacup (42 Grove--down in the west village) is really, really great. their pancakes are NOT to be equaled. and sarabeth's is also very tasty (even if you feel like you're at martha stewart's house) but I'm not sure it's open every day.

shopsin's in the village

Veselka on 2nd Ave in the East Village. Prime breakfast place, anytime day or night and it's CHEAP. Even after they remodelled and became trendy, the pierogies stayed good. Good people-watching too.

Tell us more about Shopsins in the village

very large unique menu, very small (33 seat) unusual place, prices are high but portions are generous.

To the above I would add:

Unique atmosphere; not for everyone. Do not go unless you can tolerate political incorectness, foul language, and owners who have no problem saying "no" to customers.

Yes, it is probably the best weekday breakfast place in Manhattan (it is certainly my favorite; I'm there at least once or twice a week). The chow rewards are great for hounds who can roll with the punches.

P.S. It's also great for small children.

Does Shopsin's serve real maple syrup with its pancakes?

yes, real maple syrup or have your pancakes glazed with maple syrup

I think Kenny's maple glaze is one of the best breakfast inventions of recent years. I especially love it on the french toast - try maple-glazed blueberry french toast with a side of bacon. A nearly perfect dish.

I haven't been to Shopsin's. I certainly will have to go. If we want three breakfast destinations, I would include Veselka's. The buckwheat pancakes are real breakfast comfort food.

I know that Veselka doesn't get a lot of respect on these boards, but I find I need to have breakfast there at least once a month for the raspberry blintzes and the cold or hot borscht (yes, I know borscht for breakfast is pretty weird, but it's really good borscht).

Shopsin's is it. No close second. The food is just the best and so is the ambiance (real left-behind awhile ago New York City).

I missed this thread the first time around and was just taken to Shopsin's by a friend, for lunch -- what a great place to know about! The various sandwiches are all great (well, based on the ones we ordered -- each was as good as we could imagine that particular sandwich being) -- the huge menu is a bit intimidating at first but like Gravity's Rainbow, if you spend a little time on it you begin to see an internal logic... Service is quite friendly and slow. It's on Bedford and 7th Ave, there is no sign except a faded "Groceries" painted above the door.

I am amazed that no one has mentioned how unbelievably expensive Shopsin's is. It's this phony hippy place that offers free penny candy treats (charleston chews and junior mints) but is unbelieveably expensive. You have to serve yourself coffee - which they charge 1.75 cup.
The blueberry pancakes - which I admit were excellent - were $12.95. Thirteen dollars for friggen pancakes!!!!!
I'm sorry , but that's ridiculous!!!! Are the people who submit to the chowhound all millionaires??? Do you guys consider Alain Ducasse to be a diner???

As a normal human being with a normal salary (not in the 7 figures) and without a trust fund, I can't see how ANYONE could recommend this restaurant.

If you are concerned about the cost of the food then you have sadly missed the point of Shopsin's and should consider going somewhere else.

Go! Go NOW! It will be GONE by May. You know the usual. Landlord problems. FYI !

Sorry to hear this possible change of scenery. Is it closing start or end of May?

Pancake rave is surprising and gratefully received. It's an iconoclastic order...not the thing most people recommend there (my fave breakfast there FWIW: cheese grits and pork chops). Indeed, I've never tried their pancakes. But I will!!

Jumping elsewhere in this thread, I'm tickled that we've had almost a dozen postings now about Shopsin's, and nobody's once referred to the obvious thing: the monstrous breadth of their menu (this tiny place makes just about every dish ever conceived...the menu's like a phone book). And that's just SO hip.

Ok, I'll go back to lurking now...

ciao

Hey, what are you talking about Jim?

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