Community, the UWS healthy/organic sister of Clinton Street Baking Company, serves the same legendary pancakes and French Toast as its sibling, the latter of which I enjoyed a few months back.

My previous enjoyment, however, came with some displeasure. The Grilled Cheese wasn’t melted well and the fries were soggy and weird. Community was a few weeks old at that point, so we chalked it up to finding their groove. Unfortunately, I felt the same way today, months after “finding their groove” lost its lease as a valid excuse.

How can you go wrong with Blueberry Pancakes, a smoothie, and a bacon, cheese omelet? Read on to find out.

Plus, a look at the new juice & smoothie bar.

Last summer I had these Banana Walnut Pancakes (phone pic) at Clinton Street Baking Company. I had been craving these for years after reading about them in NY Magazine. They were served with warm maple butter and lived up to everything I dreamed of. I spied the French Toast during this summer trip and vowed I would get that next time.

Long story short, I ended up eating the French toast, served exactly the same way, at Community, and it was amazing. Some of the best I’ve ever had.

Fast forward to today. My family wants breakfast during pancake month, we’re going to Community. My parents are both healthy people so I figured they’d love it. The only pancakes Community serves, however, are of the blueberry variety, no banana walnut here. The maple butter remains and that stuff is liquid gold.

Why the pancakes disappointed…

1) Small portion. Look at the size of these? They barely fill up half the plate. I was only filled up afterwards as a result of my smoothie and a few bites of my sister’s omelet.

2) Lack of blueberries. Take a look below. I didn’t find a blueberry in my pancakes until nearly halfway through. And even when I got there, the count was low.

Okay, in the end, these were still tasty pancakes, light and airy but just a little ordinary for my expectations.

A word on the maple butter:

Maple Syrup, good. Butter, good. You can’t go wrong. It looks like butterscotch but tastes like an orgy in your mouth. I don’t know how they make it and I don’t need to know. All I know is it’s an essential accompaniment to any breakfast item at Clinton Street Baking Company or Community Food and Juice.

I learned one thing:

Brave the wait down on Clinton Street and get the Banana Walnut Pancakes if you want to experience the true flapjack glory.

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My sister’s applewood double-smoked bacon and cheddar free-range omelet was a sad sight. Have you ever seen an omelet so oddly yellow and plastic outside of your college dining hall? I know I haven’t. It tasted like my college dining hall too. In fact, I might go as far as saying the omelets at Binghamton University’s dining hall, egg beaters and all, are better than the one I tasted at Community Food and Juice.

Why the omelet was so bad…

• Weird Texture. Rubbery and way too firm.
• Ordinary flavor. It tasted like eggs but it didn’t taste anything like the delicious organic eggs my mom cooks with at home.
• Weak bacon. Obviously pre-cooked and probably pre-shredded for a quick toss into the omelet.

My sister did like the hash browns and toast however, so at least they did something right.

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The “Juice” aspect of the restaurant’s name refers to a juice bar off the front entrance which offers take-out smoothies and juices and serves the same stuff in the dining room.

The juice bar was unfinished when I first ate at Community, but I was pretty pumped to try it out after hearing about the Nutter Butter. Quit your giggling and check out the rest of the menu.

I got a free sample of the Nutter Butter and it was pretty bland and actually had pieces of peanut in it. Not what I’m looking for in a smoothie.

I ordered a Great White Way, banana, vanilla frozen yogurt, shredded coconut, and cinnamon.

The smoothie sounded promising but also disappointed…

• The consistency was too thick. This wouldn’t have been an issue if the smoothie was cold.
• It was lukewarm. No presence of the “frozen” yogurt. I like a cold smoothie, somewhat similar to a milkshake. Maybe my expectations were off. It could have used some crushed ice and maybe a little milk to thin it out.
• Awkward flavor. Everything was there, the coconut, the banana, and the cinnamon. They just didn’t meld together into anything that resembled harmony.

While Community needs time to find its groove, the Brioche French Toast with caramelized bananas, roasted pecans & warm maple butter ($12) was dead on.

Take a look at this pure, unadulterated deliciousness:

Cinnamon and sugar on airy, steaming hot, grilled Brioche that’s soft and sumptuous and possesses a subtle tang that bewilders the taste buds. Is the tang from the bananas? No. Is it from the pecans? Of course not. It’s definitely not from the warm, rich maple butter.

The secret is in the French Toast batter:

Eggs, cinnamon, sugar, half and half, and now here’s the crux of it all: Vanilla & Orange flavor.

I know it sounds different if not downright weird, but it’s such a subtle orange flavor that you’re not even sure if you’re tasting it, but you’re mouth is happy it’s there.

The only thing you need to know is that every bite is like an orgy of cinnamon, sugar, banana, crunchy pecan, and warm, maple buttery goodness.

I also ordered a nice big mug of Cafe con Leche (coffee with steamed milk), which was a strong, solid accompaniment to the sweetness of the French Toast.

The Classic Double Grilled Cheese ($8), consisting of fontina and white cheddar on sourdough toast, was the choice of Mark Lewis, chicken club expert.

The sourdough bread was excellent; crunchy and good flavor. But the sandwich suffered because the cheese wasn’t melted as much as it should have been, lending an air of thrown-together-ness to the whole thing. Disappointing, look:

Equally disappointing was the side of French fries ($4). We asked for well done but they were undercooked, old, and just tasted off.

The place was a nice sight on the Upper West Side. Unlike its LES sister restaurant, Community was spacious and open.

One reason to go back is the “Juice” aspect of the restaurant’s. When I ate there, the Juice bar wasn’t open yet but it should be now. They’ll be serving shakes such as the Nutter Butter, which despite its name sounds pretty good: Soy Milk, almond butter, peanut butter, cashew butter, and ice chips. I’ll be heading back for one of those.

All in all, it’s definitely worth going back, just to have the Blueberry pancakes and warm maple butter, served through brunch. Issues still loom especially when you’re messing up grilled cheese and French fries. I love Clinton Street Baking Company and I’ve only been there once, I hope Community irons out the wrinkles and becomes as much of a landmark as its sister.

Community Food and Juice

2893 Broadway, New York, NY 10025
nr. 112th St. (Map)

212-665-2800

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