clinton st baking co

new york, ny

website

jenny, a native new yorker, is an encyclopedia of amazing places to eat in nyc. she chose clinton st baking co for dinner, which i had heard of, but have never gone to because while they are famous for their brunch, they are infamous for absurdly long lines. and i hate waiting in lines, especially when i'm hungry. jenny's brilliant idea, however, was to go for dinner when the restaurant is much calmer and easier to get into. clinton st baking co is known for its blueberry pancakes. despite the fact that it was dinnertime, everyone was ordering pancakes and the scent of baked blueberries filled the air.

derek had another brilliant idea - ordering a plate of blueberry pancakes to share as an appetizer so we could still order actual dinner entrees. the menu is full of southern specialties - i ordered the burger which was just okay (onion overkill). derek's fried chicken was pretty good. the pancakes, however? amazing - possibly the best pancakes i've ever had. the blueberries were sweet and delicious. the pancakes somehow had a perfectly crisp exterior with a perfectly light and fluffy interior. rich and buttery, there was no need to add the warm maple butter on the side. i now understand why their brunch lines are ridiculous.