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“Breakfast at The Cafe at Country”

Occasion:	Cuisine:	Area:	Cost:	Rating:
Brunch	New American	Murray Hill	Moderate	Great

 

Breakfast is that meal of the day I rarely eat. Which is a good thing considering the amount of food I consume at other mealtimes. I know, I know I should still have some sort of cereal, or fruit and yogurt, or vegan smoothie energy shake thing, but I can’t deal with that. I can barely adjust to being awake most mornings, let alone dealing with the issue of digestion. So it is coffee, from a French Press, with beans from Small World Coffee Roasters; I love their Grumpy Monkey Blend. (www.smallworldcoffee.com). But this week, I am a changed woman. I am all about breakfast.

The reason for my change of heart is not because some wonderful new man has entered my life who springs from bed every morning to make me homemade breakfasts of fluffy omelets, crispy bacon, home fries, and assorted breakfast pastries. No. Here in what is known as the real world, the reason I am in love with breakfast is the Café at Country, part one of chef Geoffrey Zakarian’s newly opened Country, located at the newly refurbished Carlton Hotel.

I’ll be straight with you here. Zakarian’s breakfast menu will have you bouncing out of bed at first light, and running on over there in your wrinkled PJs, with crusty eyes, and dragon breath. I suggest washing up and brushing those teeth first, and perhaps running a comb through your matted hair though cause you might feel a bit out of place in your sheep-covered flannels at The Carlton. This place is glamorous and elegant, and not appropriate for casual sleepwear. Sumptuously designed by David Rockwell, the Café is a smooth, elegant chocolate-toned room with cozy tables for two and luscious banquettes for more. It is fancy, in a civilized old world New York sort of way. The original floors from 1902 are made of tiny little golden tiles, and the ceilings are high, with crown moldings etched in complementary gold hues. The bar, an original that was salvaged from an old saloon in Hoboken where old Blue Eyes (yes, Frank Sinatra) used to hang out, has an illicitly romantic feel to it, even in daytime. It is a sexy and snuggly room. It felt so warm and cozy in there that I expected to walk outside and find the streets hushed with freshly fallen untouched snow.

But back to the breakfast, where you probably won’t be drinking at the bar (but stay long enough and you will)&mdash ... [more, click below]

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Posted: October 23, 2005

Other restaurants in Murray Hill :
+ Breakfast at The Cafe at Country   + A Voce   + Country (Upstairs)   + Darna   + Penelope   

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