To create the perfect brunch menu, you have to eat a lot of brunch. It's a task Robert Mahon of Manhattan's Broadstone Bar and Kitchen selflessly took on when the restaurant launched its brunch service. "I'm a brunch lover myself, so it wasn't hard," Mahon laughed. Just because he brought an idea back to Broadstone's head chef Gustavo Mendes, doesn't mean it immediately made it on the menu, though.
Every item you see on the menu has to pass a few rounds of tests. "We'll do a tasting with my other partners here, then one with the team," he explained. "If they like it, we'll go for it." So thank your server next time you visit: They're the ones who are responsible for the insane array of breakfast sandwiches you can order. The grub is greasy and cheesy in a way that you crave after a late night. It's what Broadstone is betting on, actually. One of their signature dishes is called the Hangover Sandwich, which is as revitalizing as it sounds — a chewy ciabatta roll stuffed with a fried egg, smoked bacon, and jack cheese. Lots and lots of jack cheese.
On any given Saturday or Sunday, you'll see a lot of those on everyone's table, along with the restaurant's newest addition: a burger sandwiched between extra-fluffy pancakes rather than traditional buns. But not much can compete with Broadstone's star bite. "The Chicken and Waffle Sandwich is the most popular, hands down," Mahon said. If you're wondering what came first — the chicken or the waffle — the answer is waffle. "But since we've added chicken, we're selling so many more," he added.
Don't worry if you can't pick a favorite. Broadstone is the kind of place you go and order it all. "Most people share their brunch dishes," Mahon insisted, "if they're nice people."
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