Susan K.
Yelp
ORIGIN:
Mother and son Mamie and Matt Keys opened West Egg Bakery and Cafe in 2019 after closing Mamie's in neighboring Roxbury, Connecticut. The cafe's name makes reference to the nouveau riche community of that name in Fitzgerald's novel, The Great Gatsby.
CONCEPT:
As with the earlier venture, West Egg Bakery and Cafe serves many old and new American breakfast and lunch classics, such as corned beef hash and eggs, blueberry pancakes for breakfast, bacon and spinach and hot honey fried chicken for lunch. Baked goods are a huge draw as well, with a variety of chilled and hot beverages available to accompany.
LOCATION:
The cafe is tucked away in the nicely landscaped Barclay Square Shopping Center that is uniquely designed to reflect the local Colonial architecture.
SERVICE:
Guests order at the counter from menus that are in a large metal bucket at the entrance, and receive signs with numbers to place at their table. Friendly servers then bring dishes and utensils to the table as dishes are ready.
EXPERIENCE:
Upon opening the window-paned wood door guests find the cafe is bedecked with all sorts of Americana, including old metal children's sandbox shovels and splattered enamel-glazed containers.
Cafe tables are scattered thought out, with enough room to allow for private conversation. A shaded outside patio lines the entrance of the cafe.
A wide range of egg Benedicts are available. I experienced the fried green tomato special, as well as the crab cake egg Benedict. They are served with a healthy side of delicately seasoned greens, and sit on sliced biscuit rather than the typical English muffin. I like the textural contrast that English muffins provide, but the biscuit base offers a unique twist to the dish. A side of perfectly golden and crisp French fries were beautifully presented in a large cup, poking out like matchsticks.
Other breakfast items I have experienced include the smoked salmon bagel and corned beef hash. I was surprised to find the smoked salmon bagel was not prepared, but rather its components -- pickled red onion, capers, chopped tomato, slabs of cream cheese, toasted bagel, and of course slices of smoked salmon -- displayed as a colorful platter. Black iced tea went well with this dish, and I appreciated the opportunity to select from a small collection of bagel types. The corned beef hash had a high proportion of corned beef compared to nearby Laurel Diner's highly acclaimed rendition. To boot, it was well- seasoned and included root vegetables beyond the traditional potato, and was topped by two luscious poached eggs. Besides toasted multigrain bread, a side salad accompanied this dish and was dressed in a dressing that was fragrant and flavorful.
TIPS:
West Egg Bakery and Cafe is open every day from 8 AM to 3 PM, except on Tuesdays.
Take out is available.
The cafe periodically hosts events that celebrate the community. Look to their Instagram profile for announcements -- @WESTEGGCAFECT.