Part deux of the brunch files-- let's go. Cafe Mogador has been around for over 30 years, and I was a late-comer to this party, turning up my first time in August. I've been a mogi ever since (it's like the yogi of brunchers. I made it up).
The Rundown
- Food: Moroccan and Mediterranean dishes. All authentic, none unrecognizable, all awesome.
- Locations: East Village- 101 Saint Mark's Place (between 1st and A), and Williamsburg- 133 Wythe Avenue
- Vibe: Cool people. Relaxed people. Old people. Young people. All people! (No dogs, I saw them once tell a girl her dog couldn't come in... but all people)
- Price: Between $12-16 per person if you're not drinking alcohol
- Boozy drinks? Yep.
It's kind of strange how I ended up at Cafe Mogador for brunch the first time. I had heard foodie friends recommend it for dinner, but I had tucked it away on my long "restaurants to try" list and backlogged it in my mind. In the late summer, I was flipping through a Bon Appetit article profiling celebrities' top spots in NYC. Chloe Sevingy had written that she hits up Mogador multiple times a week for breakfast/brunch. Disclaimer: I have no idea why her suggestion finalized Mogador as a "need to try" in my mind-- I'm not some weird Chloe Sevigny fan and I'm not the celebrity stalking type. My rationale was something like: hey, she seems pretty cool, and if anyone is hitting up the same place 3+ times a week, it must be pretty damn goood.
Since I live about 10 minutes walking distance from the East Village location (as there's also one in the Burg), I decided to hit it up with my boyfriend on a late summer morning (shout out to summer-- if you're reading, come back to me, please).
We didn't have to wait that first time, but I've noticed as the winter has gone on, the wait time is a bit longer (maxing out at 20 minutes at the most, which is still great by NYC brunch standards). The interior is what I could describe as easy and easygoing. It's relaxed enough that you feel like you could wear anything, talk about anything, hang around as long as you want. It's a true cafe as cafes are meant to be-- unpretentious, unrushed, unassuming.
The first thing I ordered when I sat down (which I subsequently order every time I sit down) is a pot of the Moroccan Mint tea. Served in a beautiful metal kettle, it's the most perfect tea: warm, minty, hydrating, intricate. It just makes you feel cool (and warm) at the exact same time, and somehow puts you at ease. I don't know how to explain it, just take my word and order it, and you'll feel like yourself, but more awesome.
I always order the Moroccan eggs, my go-to, my staple-- I literally dream of these eggs and talk about getting brunch there at 2am the night before, which is saying something. The dish is two poached eggs in spicy tomato sauce, with warm pita and homefries (which you can also sub out for salad). The tomato sauce is pure perfection-- the spice is deep and long -asting, and they also give you some out-of-control awesome red pepper hot sauce to add to the dish, if you feel like kicking it up even more. The pita bread so great-- it's fluffy and warm and perfect for catching all of the sauce and yolky goodness in the dish.
My boyfriend has ordered a lot of the dishes, but his usual go-to is the Moroccan Benedict, which is a spin on the traditional Benedict adding the spicy tomato sauce in addition to the hollandaise. Other stand outs on the menu are the halloumi, which is salty-crispy-delicious pan cooked cheese (FYI- it's basically cheese that tastes like potato chips, so unless you dislike universal forms of deliciousness, you should definitely order it). The baba ghanoush, which is their charred eggplant dip, is also outta-control, and comes with more of that fluffy perfect pita bread.
There are so many reasons why I would say go to Mogador, but it's hard to pinpoint exactly what it is about mogi that makes it special. What Mogador has that others don't at brunch, food wise, is something off the beaten (and overplayed) brunch path. While every other brunch place is regurgitating a spin on pancakes or BECs, Mogador has some seriously unique dishes, that are seriously authentic (meaning, they're not making unique things for uniqueness sake). They're the real deal. What Mogador also has is a different brunch atmosphere-- it's not that crazy, wait in line, instagram 20 pictures of your food thing. It's about going with quality people and having a quality time.
Overall Cool Brunch Rating: 4.5/5
- Pros: Unique, unusually delicious food. Relaxed, inviting vibe.
- Cons: If you're with someone who's not as adventurous and just wants their pancakes, this may be a tough sell (but in that case, just drop them and go solo, it's worth it)
- Tips: In the winter, try to sit away from the door, because it gets drafty. In the summer, try to snag an outdoor table.
- Will I go back: I'm a mogi. Obviously, yes.
For more information, here is Cafe Mogador's website.
