Cafe Champignon

Commuting for school every day over the past few years led me to spend quite some time in New York City. The commuting allowed me to explore what places the great city has to offer that you do not hear about often. 

Two years ago on a slightly warm day in April after walking from 34th Street to Union Square I came across Cafe Champignon, a small French cafe located in Chelsea, just two blocks away from the 1 train. 

After finally deciding to try the food at the cafe. 

On a chilly morning at 10am with about three other customers inside the cafe sipping on coffee and munching on breakfast, while walking inside the waiter greets me and asks kindly how many people and if there was a preference in seating. Simply replying with one and saying no preference, he guides me to a set of red couches along the wall while placing the menu on the table and placing a fork and knife on the napkin prior to me sitting. 

 

The waiter was really attentive and came up to ask for my order fairly shortly after being seated but was happy to allow more time to make a decision. After carefully looking over the menu, I decided to order a cappuccino and an eggs benedict with salad, him offering a choice of home fries as an alternative.

In about 10 minutes I received my cappuccino and around 20-30 minutes I was given my plate of eggs benedict and salad. Starting with the salad, a mix of field greens with balsamic vinaigrette vinegar as the dressing, it was fairly tasteful with a bit of sweetness and sourness. With very little pressure and cutting into the eggs benedict, the yolk from the poached eggs pour out over the bacon and English muffin. It lets the overall taste stay moist. The English muffin halves are just right with a little crunchiness on the outside but the center is nice and soft.

You can find a version of the menu online here

 

 

200 7th Avenue

New York, NY 10011

 

Two Hands

A small cafe in the middle of Little Italy and Chinatown once started as a simple go up to the register, place your order and then find a seat sit-down restaurant. However, the cafe now offers waitress service where you have to wait to be seated to then order.

After walking thru two sets of doors and then being greeted by a female waitress you finally get seated. The waitress presents you and other guests with a small pamphlet that is the menu for the cafe. Words are printed on white sheets of paper with black ink from smoothies, caffeine drinks to small portioned snacks.

Find a version of the menu below from the cafe's official website:

A huge recommendation for any individual who loves food and finds themselves to have never tried avocado toast, worry no more and do not be afraid to take a risk and try it today. The avocado toast has a thick layer of smashed up avocado with pinches of salt, black pepper and chili flakes with olive oil. In addition there is a lemon wedge on the plate for customers to squeeze over the piece of toast to add more flavoring to better their appetite.

Next, also order yourself a cappuccino. The pairing of the 'avo toast' and a cappuccino will make your taste buds melt.

Squeeze the lemon wedge all over the toast layered with smashed up avocado. The combination of lemon and avocado creates a sensation just inside your mouth. While cutting with a knife and digging into the toast, after swallowing and savoring little piece by little, you taste the juice from the lemon and bits of saltiness with a little of spices for flavoring.

After almost putting the last bite into your mouth, you just do not want it to end. Staring at an empty plate of the avo toast you just devoured and the cappuccino, next after a while the waitress passes on the bill to calculate the total of everything. With the avocado toast being $7 and a cappuccino for $3.50 and in addition we have to include the tip and taxes, the total comes out to be around $13 each person.

164 Mott St

New York, NY

Official Website | Instagram

HOURS OF OPERATION

open everyday at 8am.

kitchen closes at 5pm.

open for coffee, tea and snacks 5-6pm.

cafe closes everyday at 6pm.