After a successful outing to Pepe’s the night before, on our way out of New Haven over to New York State we decided that a classic American-style diner breakfast was what we really were craving. As an American expatriate living in the UK, Dan has a lot of access to British-style breakfasts (which are great), but he really wanted an American breakfast (in particular, American-style pancakes), and I was craving some sort of Benedict, so we set off for a well-recommended local place: The Pantry.
Located on the east edge of town, just across the highway from Fair Haven, The Pantry is a cozy little breakfast spot in a surprisingly pleasant corner of Mechanic and State Street, with a dog park just across the way, and just a few blocks from our other favorite pizza joint, Modern Apizza. The ambiance in The Pantry is pretty much “neighborhood breakfast joint”: a small bar, a lot of four-top tables, posters all over the walls, and the slight wear patina over everything that tells you The Pantry has been around a while.
I had mentioned that I was craving a Benedict, and was immediately drawn to one of The Pantry’s variations on that them, their Eggs Blackstone: Basically a Benedict with grilled tomato and bacon. I was very pleased with this: the bacon was thick and grilled just to the point of crispiness, so it was living in that nice middle ground between “ham” and “crunch bacon”. The tomatoes were ripe and perfectly crisped on the grill with just a hint of blackness. The Hollandaise sauce was flavorful and slightly tangy. So nicely executed, and the accompanying home fries pretty much perfectly fork-tender inside and crisped outside, reminding of how good perfectly-executed home fries can be.
As far as Dan’s pancakes? I forgot to photograph them, but he rather enjoyed them as well: nice, thick, and well-seared buttermilk pancakes with berries. He was quite happy.
So, if I’m again finding myself looking for a hearty, satisfying, and reasonably-priced meal without a lot of fuss in New Haven? I’m definitely coming back to The Pantry.
Just hit up The Pantry in New Haven and wow, talk about a breakfast to remember! I went for the Eggs Blackstone, and let me tell you, the mix of crispy bacon and grilled tomato with that spot-on Hollandaise was something else. And those home fries? Perfectly crispy outside, soft inside. My buddy Dan couldn’t stop raving about his berry pancakes – thick, fluffy, and just the right amount of berries. This place is a gem! Anyone else been? What’s your go-to dish? I’m already planning my next visit and could use some recommendations!