With my birthday being in the middle of the week this year… it only made sense to go out for brunch to make up for the long school week. This gave me the perfect excuse to finally check out New York Bagel Cafe! I’ve seen their egg bennies all over social media and I can vouch that they are definitely as good as they look.
My quick recap on the experience… Very cozy interior, friendly service and expensive menu.. but deliciously good. The irony.
When you first walk in, it almost feels like you’re in someone’s house? If I had to describe it somehow. The space is fairly small and they offer a patio as well. The decor features antique style knick knacks and books being placed all around the cafe. It’s definitely a different vibe than the usual diner brunch setting.
Upon arriving, we were immediately seated and given menus. First impression of the menu was regarding price… there didn’t seem to be many plates that were under $20!! I did check the menu online prior to my visit but it appears that what’s online hasn’t been updated to their current prices. I honestly wouldn’t see myself coming here too often because there are plenty of places that you can get delicious breakfast/brunch for half the price. After much debate though, my friend and I decided to order variations of the Egg’s Benedict.
My friend got the NYBC Egg’s Benedict ($24) which came with your choice of turkey, ham, roast beef or spinach. Each Egg’s Benedict also comes with a choice of plain, whole wheat, multigrain or cheese bagel. She chose turkey on top of a whole wheat bagel. Each dish also comes with a side of roasted potatoes and an assortment of fruit. My friend liked her dish and even had enough to bring home afterwards. Her only complaint was that the hollandaise sauce was heavy. I saw the NYBC Egg’s Benedict as a classic choice where you can’t really go wrong with any of the options. It was simple but delicious.
For myself, I got the Secondo ($26) which came with prosciutto and grilled apples. It was a step out of my comfort zone but I normally like prosciutto so decided to give it a whirl. To my surprise, it was actually really good! The savouriness of the prosciutto was complementary to the sweetness of the apples. It wasn’t overly sweet or salty by any means. On top of that, the egg and hollandaise sauce were extremely creamy and worked well with the rest of the meal. The hollandaise sauce is made in house and is really delicious but it felt overwhelming near the end of the meal.
The potatoes were very well seasoned but I do like when my potatoes aren’t crunchy all around so that would be my only complaint there. My favourite potatoes that I’ve had so far were at Under the High Wheel. The fruit on the dish was also unique featuring stuff like pomegranate, guava and an assortment of berries. It was unfortunate that most of the fruit was sour so I didn’t pick at it too much. Notably, the portion sizes are huge here and you’ll likely leave with some leftovers.
All in all, the prices here are quite steep but the friendly service, portion sizes and flavours make up for it. I’d recommend New York Bagel Cafe to anyone who is willing to pay a higher price for some good brunch or wanting to try something different (foie gras eggs benny, anyone?). Unless you plan to share a dish, the bill for breakfast could get pretty high. It’s not likely a spot that I’d return to regularly but I wouldn’t mind coming back later down the road since they do have a large variety of their signature dishes.
New York Bagel Cafe
8430 Gateway Blvd, Edmonton
Eat with Sharon 