New York Bagel Cafe

Hubbs and I were lamenting the lack of fantastic breakfast places in the city; sure, there was the always-crowded Barb & Ernie's, and there was the university-scened High Level Diner, but where could we go to get a great choose-your-own-filling omelet and properly made hash browns?

Thanks to Lex Culinaria, I decided to check out the New York Bagel Cafe, located at Gateway and 83rd. It really was a hole-in-the-wall in terms of its location and size, but it was a pretty hopping place on Saturday morning when Hubbs and I arrived. We were lined up for about 25 minutes before we were seated at one of their few tables; I think they had something like a dozen tables? Not many, at any rate, and less than the requisite number needed to accommodate the ever-growing line-up at their door. I hadn't lined up like that for breakfast since my wait for a table at Paul's Omelettry in Vancouver a few months ago, and even that line-up wasn't so lengthy in terms of wait time.

The cafe decor was quite earthy, with lots of orange and brown and rustic gold and copper accents. It was cozy, and quaint, and definitely had that "hang out and have some coffee and get caught up" sort of feeling.

Hubbs ordered a cappuccino and I a hot chocolate when our very busy server came around to our table. She definitely tried her best to be prompt, but it appeared she was only one of two servers in the place, and she was the barista for her tables as well. This made her infinitely more busy than most servers, so we extended an extra measure of patience when we had to wait for our bill, our food, our coffee.

Hubbs ordered his specialty omelet filled with bacon, smoked salmon, and camembert, while I had the "boring" brekkie of bacon, eggs, bagel, and hash browns. When our meals came, I was pleasantly surprised to see a side of fresh assorted fruits on my plate: small wedge each of dragonfruit, honeydew, watermelon, pineapple, orange, and a cluster of grapes and half a strawberry, Definitely the healthiest and prettiest "garnish" I had seen on my breakfast plate in a LONG time.

The eggs were enormous, and as a result Hubbs' omelet was gigantic. I was filled to the brim on my meal and had to give away some of my bacon and fruit to Hubbs. I refused to part with my hash browns, however, for they were perfectly crispy, lightly salted, and seasoned very very well. I ate every last piece.

Our final bill total was a bit pricier than some other breakfast places, but even so, we felt the experience to be totally worth it. With the light drizzle of rain outside and the bustling Strathcona market nearby, we felt as though we were no longer in our cold desolate city but rather, in a more Vancouver-esque sort of place. It was a beautiful breakfast and an even more beautiful escape. :)

Rating: 9.5 / 10