Robert Beacham
Google
Late Wednesday night in Williamsburg, I've just moved to the neighborhood and am wandering Grand Street at 1 AM looking to find, of all things, some yogurt. I hit two bodega-type places, one of which was about to close, and employees at both gave no indication that they had ever even heard of yogurt.
I vaguely remembered Bagelsmith, since I pass in on my way to the L train. I was completely surprised to find it open, and was greeted warmly by guys behind the counter. There I found yogurt, in several different forms and flavors, and a whole lot more.
I asked an employee what time they closed, and he explained that they are open 24 hours a day. He said their full menu was always available, and suddenly moving to Williamsburg seemed a whole lot better. They had about six homemade soups, sandwiches made to order, and all sorts of other things I was surprised to find at 1 AM. The place was bright, clean, and friendly.
After leaving, I managed to drop one of the yogurt parfaits I had purchased about a block down Lorimer. I went back to repurchase another, and the guy at the counter told me to just take one, no charge. I'm like, "who trained these guys, Trader Joe's?" Way impressive.
It's good to know that there's a place to hit up at all hours, where the atmosphere is friendly and the offerings extensive. I will be back many times in the future. Exceptional!