Serious Eats: New York
Grapefruit Brûlée at Cafe Cluny
There’s no reason that grapefruit-dieting West Village socialites should miss out on breakfast fun. At Cafe Cluny, even the half-grapefruit, among the most mundane of breakfasts, gets special treatment: Their "grapefruit brûlée" is sprinkled with raw sugar and torched for a thin caramelized crust.
While the crackly sugar is fun in itself, its smoky sweetness bleeds into the juicy grapefruit, flavoring the citrus all the way through. And perhaps I just lucked into an obliging fruit, but the heat of the torch seemed to loosen the grapefruit flesh just a bit, making it easier to eat.
Although Cafe Cluny's version was tasty, I wasn't inspired to return so much as to splurge on my own mini-torch. With the right equipment, this breakfast would be incredibly simple, but a real showstopper—perfect as an impressive first course for brunch, or just for an extra-special morning. (Imagine how much fun it would be to start your day with a jet of blue flame.) And I wouldn’t have to shell out $5 for half a grapefruit. Or trot down to the perpetually confusing intersection of West 4th Street and West 12th Street for my sugar-crusted citrus fix.
Cafe Cluny
284 West 12th Street, New York NY 10014 (at West 4th Street; map)
212-255-6900
cafecluny.com