Penelope: Pass on Breakfast & Go For Lunch

April 7, 2008

I arrived at Penelope close to the 11:45AM end of breakfast hours. Nutella French Toast was my target and I was excited. While waiting hopefully for a chocolate hazelnut masterpiece, I spied some French fries and a Three Cheese Grilled Cheese that both looked delicious. A reason to return, I thought. Or maybe an excuse to have two meals at once?

Would the Nutella French Toast impress? Did NYC Food Guy’s gluttony get the best of him? Read on for the thrilling conclusion and a look at the Veggie Burger and desserts…

I’ll give it to you straight: The Nutella French Toast disappointed.

• It was tasty but that’s fully a credit to the Nutella. It was nothing compared to Community Food & Juice’s Brioche French Toast.

• It was made on crusty French bread, not ideal for French Toast. I need some fluffy brioche, chalah, or even some hearty white bread.

• This dish is officially served on the prix fixe weekend brunch menu. During the week, it costs $1 extra to add Nutella to the standard French Toast.

• Ultimately, $9.50 for three slices of tough, crispy French Toast and a little bit of fruit is not enough to satisfy NYC Food Guy’s stomach or wallet.

So I mulled over my choices.

1. I could leave now, cut my losses, and most likely never return to Penelope.
2. I could step my game up, satisfy the French Fry craving and go for the Three Cheese Grilled Cheese ($7.95) with some added crispy bacon (plus $2.00).

Option number 2 it is.

• White American, Fontina, and Swiss Cheese melted between two well grilled slices of deliciously crisp sourdough and packed tight with a hearty amount of crispy bacon, well worth the step up fee. Delicious.
• The cheese was a little undermelted, probably a result of the busy kitchen and lack of attention paid to cooking time. No points lost. The three cheeses mixed together well, the White American providing the perfect base for the salty Fontina and the sharp, stringy Swiss.
• It was rich with the bacon, thee cheeses, and butter but I did eat Nutella French Toast 15 minutes before so that might have something to do with it.

The fries, made from Sun Valley Idaho potatoes, were excellent. They arrived crisp, skin-on, and piping-hot with a sprinkle of parsley on them. They had a very natural, very fresh flavor. Understandable considering Sun Valley is the only potato grower owned company in Idaho. Pride in the product paid off. These fries were killer.

My lovely date ordered her standard egg white omelet, this time with onions, feta cheese, and tomato. She enjoyed the bread more than anything, a hearty toasted multi-grain she chose over the French fries, an unwarranted decision to make; For $10.75 you should be getting eggs, fries, and toast.

Two lovely young ladies sat at the table next to us, watching me curiously as I photographed my food. I think they thought we were tourists but that was quickly dispelled. They were down with the NYC Food Guy’s mission and one of the women reviewed the Veggie Burger ($9.50) for me.

I have the utmost faith in her opinion because she loves Houston’s Veggie Burger, something my parents, both healthy eaters, also love. That being said, Penelope’s Veggie Burger, though served on a toasted English muffin, tasted like the defrosted variety and did not impress.

I was still considering dessert even after devouring two meals. Unfortunately, nothing really stood out.

The chocolate frosted cupcakes looked delicious but the frosting was Mocha Buttercream. I’m not really a fan of coffee flavored desserts or the $2.50 price tag for a cupcake this small. The Sour Cream Raspberry Coffee Cake looked good but seemed a little too rich after taking down the buttery Grilled Cheese. The cookies looked ordinary, then again, everything does after eating Levain. So I passed on dessert for once in my life. Getting wise in my old age.

So will I be returning?

• Not for breakfast at least. There are too many other intriguing options out there like Ditch Plains banana stuffed French toast. I will give Penelope credit for their lunch however though I wouldn’t wait more than 15 minutes for a table. Go with the Three Cheese Grilled Cheese, it’s a nice step up from the diner standard. Great bread, nice mix of cheeses, and excellent fries.
• The service was pretty poor. If not for the one young lady who was floating around I never would have gotten another cup of coffee or had my order taken. We had to hail her to get the waitress for both jobs. We felt ignored when we first arrived and it was fairly slow, this seemed doubly true as the restaurant filled up at lunch time. A lunchtime rush of customers which affirms Penelope’s status as better for lunch than breakfast.
• Women will like this place, it has a nice homey vibe. The walls are painted off-white and pastel blue. It reminded me of the inside of Magnolia Bake shop.

My disappointment over the French Toast aside, the food was good quality and reasonably priced. $50 including tax and tip for three meals is a good deal. $2 bottomless cups of strong coffee also win points. $3.75 for a small glass of OJ is weak, however. Consider Penelope an off-hour weekday option. Not worth waiting for on the weekend rush.

Penelope

159 Lexington Ave. at 30th St.

New York, NY 10016

Breakfast until 11:45AM

$13 Brunch Prix Fixe until 11:45AM weekends only (includes coffee & juice)

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