NYC brunch is back baby! Well to be fair, it has been back for the entire summer. And I have been making up for lost time, yet not sharing! So here we go. Starting with the first new neighborhood find- Banc Cafe.
This spot stood out to us because of the all brick building and interesting décor. Turns out Banc is a bit of a literal name as there was a 1920’s bank at the site before. “The décor is inspired by nineteenth century Parisian establishments. Terra Cotta textured walls, brass metal archways, dimly lit chandelier’s, copper table tops & curved leather banquette seating create a unique and intimate setting.” Lovely, dahling. And with outdoor dining here to stay, plenty of room in a city that is known for not having enough space.
As tempting as the Chocolate Chip Belgian Waffles sounded, I went with the Nova Benedict. As “basic” of a meal as it may be, it rarely fails to satisfy. Smoked salmon, poached eggs, whole-wheat muffin, and hollandaise served with a fresh side salad and home fries. A little bit of protein, carbs, starch and fiber all in one plate! NYC is the best place to get smoked salmon served on some type of break (hello Lox bagels) and these benedicts are an excellent example of that. The smoking of the salmon provides a silky texture with a hardwood, earthy tinge. Add the cloudy texture of the poached eggs and the acidity and brightness of the hollandaise sauce and you have the perfect bite. I think even the pickiest eater would agree, this is a good benedict. There are multiple variations on the Banc brunch menu and I highly recommend trying them if you are one of those eaters. Next for me will be the signature Banc Benedict, featuring a cheddar black pepper biscuit. Yes, please.
Being that brunch is a combination of breakfast and lunch, one dish just wasn’t enough. So with an egg dish covering breakfast, a salad to cover lunch was the best choice. See above the Grilled Pear Salad. Including spinach, baby kale, butternut squash, pumpkin seeds, watermelon radish, topped with a sherry honey vinaigrette.
An end of summer, beginning of fall vegetable dream. Grilled pear is the star of this salad and pairs well with any protein to be added. It’s an excellent compliment to the butternut squash which is finally in season and perfectly ripe. I was glad to not see goat cheese or arugula, the usual for grilled pear, used here. The sherry vinaigrette deserves a mention as well! Unlike balsamic, sherry vinaigrettes are not too strong or sweet, nor too acidic, and therefore do not overpower the other ingredients in the salad. This is one of the only salad dressings that I enjoy and therefore, this simple salad and all of its ingredients had to be mentioned.
Banc Café is good. It has a solid menu, with a nice ambiance. The location is central to the lower half of Manhattan and the wait is always surprisingly short. It is nothing to run home and tell your mother about but it is somewhere you can surely find something to enjoy on the menu, have a good drink, and people watch all at the same time.
