The best of Brooklyn: the ultimate foodie tour

New York City is just so massive, I have to break it down into its burrows for food options… Here’s my guide to taking on Brooklyn’s best eats.

5 Leaves

Located in Green Point, 5 Leaves is honestly one of my favourite breakfast spots in NYC (trust me, that means a lot). The Moroccan Scrambled Eggs are my favourite dish, but the pancakes are next level. The scrambled eggs are well stacked with ground sausage, herbs and chilli – each bite makes you want to order another and that’s always a good start to a food tour, right!?

Blue Bottle

For the morning caffeine hit, Blue Bottle has been pouring consistent shots of coffee for years. Their range in knowledge of the bean is pretty phenomenal and they have a number of different blends to choose from. This is a great spot in summer to sit outside with mates, or in the winter to cosy up inside reading the paper.

Egg Restaurant

If someone asked for my favourite American breakfast this would be it. What comes out of the kitchen is ridiculously tasty – the duck hash and cheesy egg omelette is always at the top of my list, and was actually a great learning experience for me. As an Aussie chef I was used to omelettes with a little more texture to them, but at Egg and most other American cafés the omelettes are cooked on low heat so you won’t find any caramelisation on its surface. Cut inside and you’re oozing cheese like a fondue.

Mast

Calling all chocoholics. Mast is a must visit. I must warn you, as soon as you enter you get slapped in the face with that bitter chocolate addictive aroma… no exaggeration whatsoever. The team at Mast grind the beans themselves before mixing them with their assorted and intricate flavours. There’s a tasting plate at the counter… I think two is okay, right? You can take a peak into the processes and even take classes, too. There are a vast number of flavours on offer and if you’re me, and love the good old Choc Chip Cookie, there’s one staring you in the face (along with its brother and sister cookies) when you get to the counter.

Bedford Cheese Shop

Cheese… need I say more? This artisanal cheese shop is addictive, so enter at your own risk! The team at Bedford Cheese Shop are very well educated and have the mezzo or anti pasti options for you as well – this is essentially a one-stop place for dinner party planning. Bedford stocks my favourite cheese: a 36-month aged Comte from Lyon. If you’re lucky enough to try some, allow it to dissolve in your mouth and reveal those amazing salt particles.

Sweatshop

An Australian-owned café, Sweatshop is an epic caffeine stop with a reputation for awesome vegan doughnuts. You can get your standard coffees (yes, a flat white is the hero on the menu) but I love their sparkle espresso. It’s a combination of a shot, fresh lime and tonic water. Order a coffee, take advantage of the free Wi-Fi and settle in for an afternoon chill session.

Speedy Romeo

One of my favourite restaurants in general, Speedy Romeo is offering a modern take on Italian-style flavours. What’s extra special about this establishment is that everything is cooked the old school way, off wood fire. The steaks and pork chops are awesome, but don’t you dare leave without trying a pizza. Their dough programme is phenomenal and does wonders when it is in contact with that amazing wood fire oven – and they make their own mozzarella. Justin, the amazing chef (and one of my closest mates), hails from St Louis and brings a lot of his heritage and flavours from these parts of the world, so expect to see more than just your classic pizza toppings. The St Louis pizza uses cured meats and sausage along with provel cheese, only found in St Louis. I absolutely love this place, and better yet there’s now two locations.

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