Cake Cafe & Bakery

2440 Chartres Street
New Orleans, LA 70117
(504) 943-0010
Website

New Orleans is known for many different foods, but one of the best known pastries among locals and tourists alike is King cake. Synonymous with Mardi Gras, this cinnamon-spiked Danish is one of many stars at the Cake Cafe.

Although it was not Mardi Gras (I would not be eating King cake), I still wanted to get the NOLA bakery experience, and I was not disappointed. They also crush the casual breakfast realm.

The doughnut you see below may seem like an ordinary glazed breakfast treat, but the layers of pastry were so light, flaky, and delectable, that it was almost unbelievable. Even heavenly.

The biscuits and gravy shown below were no slough, with a spicy Andouille side. The biscuits ruled the roost, light and flaky, like I am unable to make them...

Boudin and eggs were also delicious, with a fresh sausage patty fried crispy over grits, and another biscuit PLUS some yolk. Yes please.

The croissant breakfast sandwich below is another of my go-to's and this did not disappoint. Note: if you go here, order ANYTHING that has a baked good with it.

The central American breakfast subbed the grits above with beans and rice, and added some pico and guac. An interesting take, but nothing too special.

Finally the lowly bagel with cream cheese, a barometer of breakfast in my book. This was a very decent bagel for the South. Believe me, I have had some AWFUL bagels all over the Southeastern US. Was it NY worthy? Or even good Philadelphia bagel worthy? No, it wasn't. Was it a great way to pack in the calories before drinking began again? Absolutely.

The Original Bagel

2914 W Chester Pike
Broomall, PA 19008
(610) 353-9600

In the ever-expanding quest for the best bagels in the Philadelphia area, I was tipped off to The Original Bagel, located in Broomall. It is the type of place you would never think twice about, as it is a minimalist storefront in a nondescript strip mall.

They have bagels here. And along with cookies, and bialys, that is about it. Which is perfect.

The variety is all there, including half and half, jalapeno, french toast, and egg poppy.

They are also no slouch on the cream cheeses. I love the lox, and the garlic herb.

And just when you thought I was not going to talk about whitefish, they also have a DELICIOUS whitefish salad that is loaded with cracked pepper.

An everything bagel with whitefish and a slice of tomato makes for quite the breakfast. Smokey whitefish, a crispy, chewy bagel, and some crisp tomato also known as Jewish Wheaties.

The doughy center of the bagel is just perfect for holding in all of the soft whitefish salad, and the salty, poppy laden exterior gives you something to grip onto.

My personal favorite, however, is just any one of their bagels (untoasted!) with the cream cheese spread of your choice. About $2.50. Plenty of food, and packed with flavor.

I wish bagels weren't so bad for me so that I could wake up to this every day. Until then, I will just eat them once (or twice) a week.

New York Bagels

7555 Haverford Ave.
Philadelphia, PA 19151
(215) 878-8080

Well, let it be known - Philly Phoodie has officially moved out of the city. That's right, welcome to suburban life. This doesn't mean that my search for the best food is winding down, on the contrary, I am casting an even wider net.

Keeping busy with a new house and the move has been arduous (hence the shortage in posts) but all of the long days full of monotonous tasks facilitate an extraordinary need for a filling breakfast. First catch in my official suburban net happened to be an authentic kosher bagelry. New York Bagels is located in a very non-descript strip mall on Haverford Ave just off of City Ave/Rte 1 - you can't miss it though because it's right behind a very obnoxious McDonald's.

When you find it, you'll be so glad that you did. There is a lot to see inside and the overwhelming smell of fresh baked & seasoned bagels will have your mouth watering right off the bat.

On top of the standard bagel case are a few additional offerings (including the above pictured bagel sticks) and one item, in particular, was calling to me.

Just look at the coverage on these everything bagel flats. They're so thin with such a dense coating of salt, garlic, seeds and deliciousness, I couldn't wait to place my order.

When I finally got to the register, I was greeted by the man himself - owner Nick Abdoul. He is very kind, helpful and he definitely knows his bagels. For about 15 years, he's been boiling and baking the best bagels in Philadelphia. Full disclosure, don't even try to go on a Saturday - they're closed to keep Shabbos. This shouldn't come as a surprise, after all it is an Orthodox operation!

There's a "serve yourself" coffee station, so don't be shy - pour your cup as soon as you walk in.

Being the whitefish salad lover that I am, I couldn't not order it here.

Even with those amazing bagel thins on my mind, I had to try the classic everything.

Crusty outside, chewy inside, these bagels don't need toasting. Not even for a second. They are perfect.

The whitefish got a little sloppy, as to be expected, but the flavor was right on. Creamy texture with that punch of smoky fish in every bite. My only critical comment here is that I would have liked some other accoutrements like tomato, red onion and/or cucumber to add some crisp, vegetable variety.

Next up was that gorgeous everything flat with a smear of house-made veggie cream cheese.

Amazing. Thin, but not so thin as to lose that perfectly chewy inside. So flavorful. The vegetable cream cheese had larger than usual chunks of red pepper and cucumber that added just the right amount of crisp freshness that I was looking for.

We got 4 bagel thins to go and ate them over the next 2 days. Day 2 was probably pushing it, they were a little rough on the jaw by then, but my god, these things are good. Don't even think about getting your bagels anywhere else.

Milkcrate Cafe

400 E Girard Ave
Philadelphia, PA 19125
(267) 909-8348
Website

Brunch is just so overrated. All I ever really want is a quick and cheap breakfast, in sandwich form. Enter my favorite neighborhood coffee spot, Milkcrate Cafe. I've been eating here regularly since their opening in 2009 and the quality is consistent every time.

Everything on their menu is cleverly named, they put a spin on each item with food & band mash-ups like the "A Tribe Called Quesadilla" and the "Ike & Tina Tuna." In addition to being a full service breakfast & lunch cafe, it also doubles as a record shop. You can head downstairs and peruse the collection of new & used vinyl at your leisure.

But me, I'm only ever there for the food. They serve La Colombe coffee and their bakery items come from Le Bus - they also do a customer card system, buy 10 drinks, get one free - so be sure to sign up for that.

My two absolute favorite menu items are the "Bagella Fitzgerald" and the "Notorious E.G.G." seen above, respectively.

The Bagella is fresh and delicious every time, piled high with cream cheese, avocado, tomato, cucumbers and S&P. I don't know how the ingredients don't slip and slide right out the side, but everything's made with such care, the stack almost always stays put. Talk about a refreshing (and [mostly] healthy) breakfast.

Of course, with anything healthy, I must balance it out with some over-indulgence. Bring on the Notorious.

First, you choose your sandwich vessel: bagel, wrap, bread or English muffin. I skip right along to the croissant for an extra $1.50 - it's completely worth it. Next you add your cheese: American. Then add tomato ($.50). Then add bacon ($1.00). They'll provide the 2 eggs cooked omelette-style. Ask, also, for a dash of hot sauce & ketchup plus S&P.

Eggy, cheesy, bacon-y, buttery perfection. I do believe the croissant is the only way to go here. It ends up costing you around $6, but it will be some of the best breakfast bucks you've ever spent on a croissandwich.

The staff are friendly and the coffee is always good. Stop in and see for yourself.

Custom Bagels

15 South Olive St.
Media PA, 19063
(610) 891-6761
Website

Bagels are a point of contention in the Philadelphia area. There are lovers, haters, and a load of non-believers. I am no bagel purist, but I do enjoy a good boiled-n-baked breakfast bread.

Custom Bagels is located out in Media, and on a recent trip out that way, I decided that they were worth a shot.

The inside is set up like just about every generic bagel shop I have been in. I mean, its a bagel shop, after all.

I heard they baked their own bread too, and seeing a Boars Head logo, I felt a hoagie was in order with my standard whitefish bagel.

The Italian grinder was okay. I wouldn't get it again, but it was fine in a pinch. The bread was pretty good, but it's hard to compete with the seeded rolls most delis use.

The whitefish salad itself was okay, not mind blowing, but it served its purpose. The bagel itself, however, was delicious. Chewy, yeasty, and well coated with "everything" seasoning, I should have grabbed a half dozen for the road.

Asking for anything more than a delicious bagel and cream cheese from a bagel shop is a bit drastic. For that reason, I appoint a 3 cheesesteak ranking, and urge you to get some breakfast with a hole in it during your next sojourn to the 'burbs.