A Reason to Get Up in the Morning

Posted by Kathleen

on June 24, 2009

I once said in an earlier post that there were only two reasons why I would ever get up early on a weekend: to fix an urgent color correction problem and to wait in line at the DMV. That wasn’t an entirely true statement, as there is one additional reason I would ever wake up early, and that is for the pancakes from Clinton Street Bakery Company.

Ask any of my friends and they will tell you I dearly value my weekend sleep-in time. I’m not kidding, I consider anything before 12:30 pm on a weekend to be “early.” But, every once in a while, I will drag myself up earlier than 10 am, to wait among the throngs of people for early morning brunch.

Although Clinton Street Baking Company opens at 10 am, it’s commonplace to see crowds of people waiting outside, itching for the restaurant to open. Come too late after 10 am, and you will have to wait at least an hour for someone to vacate this 32 seat eatery, no doubt thanks to the many delish items on their menu, including a sink-your-teeth-into juicy cheeseburger, and a truly yummy heuvos rancheros.

But don’t be distracted, the real draw here are the pancakes, and you won’t be able to find a table in the whole joint that doesn’t have a short stack of them (or their remaining crumbs.) How can pancakes be that good, you ask? Clinton Street Bakery pancakes are just about the softest and most delectable pancakes I’ve ever had the joy of eating, tender, yielding, and spongy enough to cut with a spoon and positively melt in your mouth.

They’re available in either wild Maine blueberry or banana walnut, and come with a heart stopping side of warm, maple butter that you want to drench each pancake bite in. The maple butter makes syrup entirely unnecessary, as Clinton Street Bakery‘s version provides the perfect blend of savory and sweet, mixing the tastes of creamy butter and sweet syrup.

It’s no surprise then that these pancakes trumped Bobby Flay’s in an episode of Throwdown with Bobby Flay and that the restaurant has won numerous accolades including Best Brunch. Clinton Street Baking Company is located at 4 Clinton Street, between Stanton and Houston St.

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