Community Food & Juice: The healthy UWS Clinton St. Baking Co. needs to find its groove

November 26, 2007

Community Food & Juice is the healthy, organic Morningside Heights sister of the LES’s Clinton Street Baking Company, home of what the NYC Food Guy considers the best pancakes in New York.

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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