Sarabeth’s Central Park South – New York, NY: The Central Park South is one of the many locations of this highly rated restaurant chain around New York City. Sarabeth’s is a casual trendy eatery (know as one of the many New York City breakfast restaurants) that exudes a warm, relaxed feeling yet retains its elegance without trying too hard. Everything from the neat white linen napkins and sheets covering the linen table cloths to the brightly decorated ambiance is played to perfection. The restaurant is huge and features an array of seating areas. We end up way in the back, surrounded by vibrant walls with striking blue murals painted on the ceilings. The trappings don’t end there; there are candlestick light fixtures and a classy hard wood floor. The other parts of the restaurant appeared more modern and upscale to me. There was a nice courtyard setting, with skylights everywhere to offer the place an airy feel. Sarabeth’s has a classic feel of storybook setting meets a swanky mom and pop eatery on Main Street.

The waiters were friendly and prompt in their service, but then again one can’t really comment on the grade of the service since the restaurant wasn’t even half full. It would be interesting to observe if it would be this good, had the waiters been inundated with multiple tables to cater to.

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We came to Sarabeth's for a late breakfast on the recommendation of the Peninsula Hotel in New York and since it was a freezing day outside, I started with a hot chocolate to warm up a bit. No sooner did I put my lips on it, than my anticipation turned into complete disappointment and I regretted ordering it. A Nestle hot chocolate that I had growing up has more flavor than this disaster.

Sarabeth’s offers a wide variety of breakfast items with cute fairy tale names like Sarabeth’s Hot Porridge Three Bears Style with choices of Baby Bear, Mama Bear, Papa Bear and the Big Bad Wolf. The porridges (priced from $7-$7.75) come with a variety of sprinkles and add-ons like fresh cream, honey, raisins, wheat berries and brown sugar with butter. For a hearty breakfast, opt for eggs and omelets along with some sweeter fare like Lemon and For Ricotta Pancakes with Fresh Berries, Pumpkin Waffle Topped with Sour Cream and Honey and Buttermilk Pancakes with Fresh Strawberries.

We ordered a fresh orange juice to start with, which was nice, but at $6.00, it should have been fresh off the tree! I also opted for a banana nut muffin which turned out to be dry, coarse and tasteless. For a full-bodied breakfast, I couldn’t resist the charm of The Red Omelet-a chunky filling of tomato, red pepper, cheddar and a dollop of sour cream at $13.50. The red sauce that came with it was bracing, however the omelet itself lacked flavor. My friend ordered scrambled eggs and a bagel, both tasted good, but then again how wrong or right can you really go with something as basic as scrambled eggs and a bagel. While it is one of the many New York City breakfast restaurants, I cannot say it is the best breakfast NYC has to offer, nor is it one of the best restaurants in New York.

Their dinner menu lists several comfort food options like salads, sandwiches, pastas, pizzas, a bunch of side dishes, a couple of steaks and a Prix Fixe Menu at $35.00.

Overall the breakfast was less exciting that what we expected. The service was attentive and Sarabeth’s sported a nice casual atmosphere, however the food itself was safe but nothing to get your palate to go wow. There are many other New York City breakfast restaurants I would recommend. A few that come to mind are Friend of a Farmer, Good Enough to Eat, Norma's and Bubbley's to name a few. If you are looking for the best breakfast in NYC, look somewhere other than Sarabeth's.

What I liked: The zesty sauce for my red omelet.

What I didn’t like: The hot chocolate and the banana nut muffin

Rating: Between Bombastic and Not

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