July 01, 2015 New York USA Americas

Friend of a Farmer: Slow and Not Worth the Wait

RATING:55/100

Welcoming: 1/5

Food Temperature: 6/10

Ambiance / Music: 7.5/10

Menu Choice: 7/5

Food Taste: 15/30

Architecture / Interior: 8/10

Food presentation: 8/10

Service: 1/10

Value for money: 2/10

Like an old lady's house, the sort of thing you see in the movies with its wood walls and flooring, open windows overlooking the street below, wind flowing around the trees while guests enjoyed their breakfast, this place is busy and loud, but the ambiance is beautiful.

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Wait in line, take the stairs leading to the dining area. Baskets of fresh and colorful fruits, vintage cottage style furniture, light wood, fabrics and dark colors make it all look like Winnie the Pooh's house. Stone tables and vintage wallpapers, welcome to the Friend of a Farmer.

They say they have a very good breakfast, one of the best in New York, so we booked a table at 09:30. While seated, I spotted zucchini cakes displayed in the wall behind me and was excited and intrigued to try them, maybe another time.

The menu:

  • Eye openers
  • Eggs
  • Egg whites
  • From the griddle
  • Sides
  • Hot beverages
  • Fresh juices
  • Artisan crafted whole wheat tea pouches
  • Farmer's garden in a glass
  • Cold beverages 

Breakfast started with one of their smoothies. The Tropics Body Cleanser, pineapple, kiwi, orange, lime, flaxseed and coconut water. A smoothie served in a jar as a cup, decorated with flaxseed and filled with a concentrated yellow juice that was balanced in flavor, delicious, indeed. My friend had the press coffee which I hear was not as good as they expected it to be.

45 minutes of waiting and we still were not served... Lunch was approaching.

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One hour passed and the eggs Benedict arrived.

  • The eggs Benedict, eggs Florentine and salmon eggs Benedict were unfortunately all over cooked. The eggs were not flowing and too solid. 
  • The eggs Benedict: Two poached eggs each in an English muffin with hollandaise sauce on top. An over cooked egg on top of a delicious slice of ham and a good, thin and lightly chewy English muffin. The plate is served with potatoes on the side.

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  • Eggs Benedict with salmon: A cold, salty salmon, and of good, quality but it didn't fit this plate in my opinion, on two English muffins, overlooked eggs, exactly like the eggs Benedict, on a plate served with ketchup and spicy sauce.
  • The eggs Florentine also had those overlooked eggs but also some tasty buttered spinach on a good English muffin. The Hollandaise comes in a cup on the side ready to pour and eat. Ketchup and spicy sauce accompany this dish.
  • Pancakes: Apple pancakes rock! Three thick and fluffy pancakes, lightly sweet with chunks of apple, tender and melting. Caramelized apples in a fluffy dough, just add the syrup and enjoy. I'll come back for these.

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  • Waffles: A round waffle like the one I had at Sarabeth's but ten times chewer. Too chewy and kind of tasteless. The fruits which cover it add the taste of this plate. Not recommended.

friends-farmer-cafe-breakfast-new-york492015-07-01-05-12-01

Bizarre, not tasty, bad service, slow and surely not worth a visit.




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