Zaftigs Delicatessen

Boston trip!

Zaftigs is a mainstay in the Brookline area. Is that the proper word, “mainstay”? Well, in any case, it is now! So, if you go to this mainstay (!!) on a weekend, be prepared to wait for like an hour. Bo, Bill, Ben, and Pat all went on a Wednesday morning; there were plenty of open tables.

The centerpiece of the menu, the pièce de résistance, if you will (I won’t because I’m not French. But like, no judgments), is the banana-stuffed French toast. You will be mocked by those ignorant few who declare, “You ate a giant piece of cake for breakfast! That’s stupid!” or whatever it was that Ben and Bill were screaming at us later that day. I don’t really remember. I just remember the French toast.

When the plate of banana-stuffed French toast arrives, you are perplexed. It almost looks too fragile to be able to withstand the ferocity of your cutlery. And, to a degree, you’re right. It takes a practiced hand to cut into the towering dough without ruining its appearance, or its integrity. After you sit, staring, like Indiana Jones stared at the Chachapoyan Fertility Idol, you make your first incision. If you haven’t panicked, then well done. You can begin to enjoy. Syrup, dough, banana. Sweet, base/dough flavor, sweet. The banana stuffing is fluffy and is light on your tongue. Dancing, dancing, dancing on the taste buds until the next forkful of dough is crammed atop, forcing it into your gullet.

Bo and Pat also got blueberry muffins as an appetizer. Cut in half and grilled. This is the perfect way to eat a muffin, and it’s the perfect place to eat a muffin in this fashion. It’s a lot, but seriously, it’s worth skipping your next meal for.

Ben and Bill got other things. Bill: granola pancakes (that means healthy… right? … right??). And banana bread. Bo ate some and it was awesome. Ben: just like plain old eggs and an English muffin. Nevertheless, she was delicious!

The next morn, we go again, in the dreary and annoying rain. Everyone orders a breakfast sandwich. The standard style is English muffin, egg, monster cheese (so named for the nocturnal beasts that roam Coolidge Corner, picking off unsuspecting tourists, I can only assume), and Canadian bacon. Pat and Bill each get a slight modification: bagels, and Bill asks, “May my cheese please be cheddar?” Yes, Bill. Yes, it may. The sandwiches were artisanally crafted. The meat was salted just the appropriate amount to balance out the cheese. The default mode of egg is over easy — Bo would recommend getting them cooked just a bit more, to avoid over-gooification. Alternatively, Bill ordered egg whites, which seemed to also work.

Zaftigs is a fine establishment. With 10 as a must-eat, this restaurant rates a 9. If you’re in Boston/Brookline, go there; it’s worth the wait.

Assuming, of course, you’re not put off by somewhat creepy art:

Don’t Miss: The banana-stuffed French toast!

Pro Tip: It doesn’t open ’til 8 a.m., so you can go to nearby Peet’s Coffee, get a coffee, and walk into Zaftig’s a few minutes early with aforementioned coffee in hand!