All of my (two) previous experiences with Caffé Falai, the food has been delicious but I tend to think their service sucks since it’s been sloth-like. But I have reached a late epiphany with this place. It’s wonderful to eat here for breakfast and/or brunch.
The waitress never rushes you out; the loud, garrulous Italian gentleman, Enrico, greets you and assists you in your coffee and/or pastry order. You can linger here as long as you would like to. Heck, I stayed there for 1 1/2 hours for breakfast and that’s not normal for me. I guess because being a native New Yorker, weekday mornings and afternoons tend to be the mode of “get food now, eat, and go back to school.” It seems to me Caffé Falai’s philosophy is, “Take your time. Unwind and enjoy your stay here with really tasty food.” I concur with this idea. It’s just too bad that I don’t have that kind of time and serene life.
Back to the main focus, the food. Since it’s morning at 8 AM, I don’t want to eat another chocolate croissant (since I ate it before), I chose to seat myself near the windows, where there’s better lighting and ordered a meal here. Since I was left to think what the heck I want to eat (and that debate took a good 5 minutes), I opted for their “Baked Eggs with Tomato, Fontina and Basil” ($9) and a regular cup of coffee ($1.50) to start with. While I was waiting for these items, the bread plate appeared before me.
It’s a plate of lightly toasted, sliced foccacia. This bread is delicious. The slightly crisp, thin crust meets chewy, yeasty crumb. The olive oil flavor is also in there…just a slight. The dipping oil is fine; it just makes the bread tastier due to the added (good) fat.
After noshing on the foccacia for a couple of minutes, I just got a bit impatient waiting and just started to snap a few photos of their pastry case and bread rack. So here it is:
Look at all that lovely bread loaves…
Open faced sandwiches with fresh mozzarella
Too tempting…
Various Croissants and Turnovers
Those took about five minutes to take, and lo and behold, my baked eggs and coffee has arrived.
What surprised me is that they served in a bubbling hot, white enamel cast iron bowl. The waitress warned me that it is hot. Obviously since today is a cold outside, the heat is certainly welcomed.
The whole point of that photo was to show that this darn thing is boiling incessantly.
I have read the recent New York Times article about Caffé Falai, and the author of that article, Mr. Meehan liked the baked eggs dish a lot (as there are other flavor variations of the baked eggs dish). I just realized as I’m typing this, he liked the one I ordered. I didn’t realize that until now… Anyways, this is really delicious eggs. The kitchen probably used at least half a dozen eggs layered with melted, stringy, gooey Fontina cheese, and tomato sauce simmering away, highlighted with little bits of chiffonade basil. It’s really a good way to have your morning to linger in a casual, very European pace. Oh, and the coffee is fine. It’s bold and strong but not mind blowing greatness.
Here’s a couple more of detail photos of the baked eggs for you to enjoy.
Spooned
Yolky
Stringy, melted Fontina cheese
Since I always want dessert or anything sweet. I wanted to try their Italian donuts, which is called the bomboloni. I asked if they have any but my waitress said, “No. The lady who does the delivery, didn’t show up yet.” To my disappointment, I asked for their dessert menu, which is the same one that I looked at for my “light” lunch, and inquired the difference between their mini chocolate fondant and the flourless chocolate cake. Her answer came along the lines of that the chocolate fondant is a small brownie and it’s a bit richer than the flourless cake. Since I love a good fudgey brownie, I ordered the mini chocolate fondant ($4).
Splitting it in half…
To reveal the innards
Well, this little brownie packs a chocolatey punch. It’s rich, decadent, and slightly sweet. The brownie itself is fine but with that added chocolate glaze gave it an extra sugary, chocolatey kick. I like this brownie; not love. But I like Bouchon Bakery’s Chocolate Bouchon more since it’s a sophisticated brownie, per se. Caffé Falai’s brownie is good but the texture throughout this brownie is soft and chewy, rather than thin crisp crust meets soft, fudgey innards (like Bouchon’s).
This was a good, long breakfast. And now I totally understand Caffé Falai.
Looks like good place to have a breakfast.
The melted cheese… O_O
It’s a great place to have breakfast, where you have the luxury of time. It’s not the place where you want to just eat and go.
Yeah, the melted cheese inspired me to take that photo. Hehehee…
That chocolate fondant cupcake is one *sick* puppy. Thanks for making me drool…
As for the baked eggs, it makes me kind of sad that the “incessant” boilage (that’s u.e. speak) cooked the yolk on top just past prime… (at least it looks that way from the photo). I like my yolks to *gush.* Still, it looks fantastic.
BTW, love the coffee-stained run down the side of the Illy espresso cup.
Hahaha…! Thanks for the compliments on the photos and you’re welcome on “making you drool.” :)
The yolk *gushed* (actually more like *ooze*) if you looked on more photos…but it was delicious.
mmmmm, it looks like you’ve found another place to add to your list of breakfast/lunch repertoire! do you have classes both up and downtown? it’s so far downtown from bouchon! The baked egg dish is positvely GLEAMING! gah…crap, now my stomach is starting to growl, I been craving a really hearty ragu for some reason! :)
Haha! No, I have classes uptown on 58th Street. I just have lots of time during that morning, since classes were during the afternoon. So, I just lingered there unintentionally.
I’m thinking that tomato sauce in the baked eggs making you crave that hearty dish. ;)
hey tina, i asked helen and she said she can go on april 1st. see ya then~