AlwaysHungryNY: Battle of the Blueberry Pancakes

JZ & The Gluttoness — April 30, 2009

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We know, we know, National Blueberry Pancake Day was January 28 not April 28 (National Blueberry Pie Day). But who made up these days anyway? Blueberries aren’t really even in season until mid-May so whoever decided anything blueberry-related should happen in January or April didn’t play fair. Either way, it put blueberries on the brain, and led to a conversation with Chef Ron Silver of Bubby’s, in which, he challenged any restaurant of our choosing to a blueberry pancake throwdown. It seemed obvious to look to the flapjacks of New York’s famous breakfast spot, Clinton St. Baking Co., to see who turns out the better product.

Let the Battle of the Blueberry Pancakes begin!

 

Bubby’s Blueberry Pancakes

First, a little history about Bubby’s from the restaurant’s owner and founder, Chef Ron Silver. Bubby’s first opened its doors illegally in 1990 at 120 Hudson, using the space to sell pies the day before Thanksgiving while the actual leaseholder was out of town. Business boomed and when the landlord returned he allowed Bubby’s to stay open. Funny enough, Chef Silver doesn’t make Bubby’s airy blueberry pancakes in the style of his childhood, “I grew up eating sourdough pancakes which are decidedly not fluffy but rather tangy, dense, chewy,” he confided, though he does keep them on the menu as an homage. These days, menu standards include plain, blueberry, chocolate chip and banana walnut pancakes. There’s also a repertoire of seasonal pancakes (next up: rhubarb).

The Fluffy Sour Cream Pancakes with Blueberries, served at Bubby’s, were adapted from a James Beard recipe. Soon after Bubby’s opened, Chef Silver said his blueberry pancakes were featured in Gourmet Magazine and quickly became a best-selling item. In addition to milk, the recipe calls for sour cream, which helps give the pancakes a golden hue and slightly crisp exteriors. Fresh blueberries are used in both the batter and to top the pancakes. We were told that the secret to ensuring that each pancake has a cake-like interior and reaches its typically impressive ¾-inch height is to not overmix the batter. The fanned stack of three pancakes is covered with powdered sugar and served with butter and maple syrup.

Clinton Street Baking Co.‘s Wild Maine Blueberry Pancakes

DeDe Lahman won’t tell you the secret to Clinton Street’s “world-renowned” pancakes, but she’s quick to credit the impressive stack to her husband, the restaurant’s co-owner, Neil Kleinberg, who devised the award-winning recipe. Although they didn’t win the recent Throwdown against Bobby Flay, their Wild Maine Blueberry Pancakes certainly keep the restaurant packed with locals and tourists. When Kleinberg and Lahman first opened, they didn’t expect pancakes to become the star of the show. “I actually don’t love pancakes,” DeDe told us. She doesn’t even consider them Clinton Street’s best menu item, adding that the Brioche French Toast is the breakfast menu’s sleeper pick.

Still, there’s no denying the public clamor for Clinton Street Baking Co.’s blueberry pancakes. These amazingly light and spongy flapjacks arrive straight-piled and three-tall, riddled with blueberries, topped with blueberry sauce and accompanied by an insanely decadent, warm, caramel-colored Maple Butter. They are sweet, delicious, and everything that a great pancake should be.

The Verdict: Bubby’s and Clinton Street are about the same height, but where Clinton’s are light and spongy, Bubby’s are dense and more cake-like. Where Bubby’s are seasoned on their own, Clinton’s are slightly under seasoned relying more on accoutrements (the oozing, fresh berries and their sugary sauces), for flavor.

None of this really matters though, because at the end of the day, Clinton Street Baking Co.’s pancakes are much better. Sorry Ron, the breakfast king’s cuisine reigns supreme. If you live in the neighborhood, it is definitely a luxury to roll out of bed and have a stack at Bubby’s, but honestly, there is no competition. Clinton Street Baking Co.’s pancakes are just on a totally different level, which is probably why you usually have to wait for over an hour to eat them.