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Pancakes: The Rising Stars of NYC Brunch

Café Cocina Consuelo in Harlem has garnered attention for its distinctive masa pancake, which is richly caramelized, smothered in honey butter, and topped with a flavorful compote. Originally, this dish was not part of the planned menu; it came about through an unexpected twist of fate.

When co-owners Karina Garcia and Lalo Rodriguez launched Cocina Consuelo as a modest café, they initially intended to offer the traditional wheat pancake. However, when a gluten-free diner traveled from New Jersey to dine there, Garcia decided to experiment with masa, a flour made from corn that has been gaining popularity among local bakeries due to the increased availability of heirloom corn. Without having fully tested this alternative recipe, she offered it free of charge to the diner, and it was a hit. After sourcing heirloom corn from Masienda, a supplier for restaurants like Cosme, the masa pancake took its place on the menu, replacing the conventional option. Over time, the restaurant has showcased different seasonal toppings, with the current combination featuring sour cherries, coriander, and orange.

Although Garcia did not initially expect the masa pancake to become the focal point of her establishment — which also serves dinner — it has emerged as the top breakfast item, with the café serving around 50 pancakes daily during breakfast hours.

In contrast, at Hen House, pancakes play a crucial role in attracting customers and sustaining the restaurant’s presence.

Chef-owner Antony Nassif recently introduced a brunch menu featuring a knafeh pancake, a creative nod to the traditional Middle Eastern sweet made with cheese and flaky pastry. Due to rising demand, this unique dish is now available at all times during the week.

Nassif prepares the knafeh pancake by layering strands of kataifi dough with butter and a rich buttermilk-semolina batter, adding a blend of Palestinian Akkawi cheese, mozzarella, and cheese curds. This mixture is cooked in the oven and flipped to maintain a crispy top, later adorned with blueberries and a maple-rose syrup. His playful take on the pancake is affectionately dubbed “panefeh.”

Earlier this month, Nassif shared a heartfelt post on Instagram, revealing he had just $10 left in his bank account amid looming threats of closure for his restaurant. The community responded enthusiastically, flocking to taste innovative dishes like the knafeh pancake. “I always wanted to do something with knafeh, and pancakes draw people in,” he explained, emphasizing the importance of creativity in dining experiences. He noted that in today’s competitive landscape, having visually appealing offerings on platforms like Instagram is crucial for survival. Although the restaurant is still recovering financially, the surge in interest has provided a much-needed reprieve, including support from local artists who have lent their talents to promote the knafeh pancake.

The idea of “pancakes for the table” has become a cultural phenomenon among food enthusiasts, further highlighting their importance in social dining experiences. Exemplifying this trend is Sunday in Brooklyn, where their famous pancakes, dripping with hazelnut maple praline, have become symbolic of a bygone social media era. The restaurant has sold approximately 40,000 pancakes each year, with the double-stack often ordered as a shared dessert.

These elevated pancakes serve as a counter to the notion that one can replicate brunch favorites at home. While producing a simple pancake may be accessible, creating an extravagant version often inspires diners to seek out restaurants.

Restaurants are increasingly using pancake variations to showcase their unique characteristics during brunch and beyond. Sam Yoo, the chef at Golden Diner in the Lower East Side, draws inspiration from the flavors of South Korean honey-butter chips. The creations at locales like Hen House and Cocina Consuelo illustrate how traditional American breakfast staples can be innovatively transformed.

While Hen House turns a dessert into breakfast, another recent trend has turned breakfast into dessert: the Japanese soufflé pancake. Establishments like Flipper’s and Rule of Thirds have popularized this visually stunning treat, which has captivated diners across the city.

Jeremy Salamon’s recent opening of Pitt’s in Red Hook features a pancake soufflé that has quickly gained popularity as a decadent dessert. This dish requires a significant commitment from diners, as it must be ordered at the beginning of the meal due to its lengthy preparation time of approximately 40 minutes.

Goldie Flavelle, the head baker at Pitt’s, adeptly manages the soufflé production each night, with each table averaging one $22 order. In a unique operational twist, the restaurant distributes headsets among staff to coordinate the precise timing for when to bake the delicate soufflé to ensure its ideal texture.

Pitt’s, as described by Salamon, embodies the concept of a “restaurant-themed” establishment, with its soufflé served in a ramekin, dusted with powdered sugar and enhanced with maple syrup poured in right before serving. Flavelle captures the essence of the dish in saying, “it tastes just like a pancake.”

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ny.eater.com