Food & Wine USA - (05)May 2020

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22 MAY 2020

HERE ARE TWO TYPES OF PEOPLE IN THE WORLD: breakfast buffs and everybody else.

Here at Food & Wine, we fall firmly (and, based just on office banter while brain-

storming this story, rather passionately) into the former category, especially when

we’re traveling. Hotel breakfasts, whether an all-you-can-eat buffet situation or a

picturesque room service tray, are some of our most memorable versions of the first

meal of the day. We checked in with some of our favorite food and travel pros and asked them to

share the most extravagant, delicious, and over-the-top hotel breakfasts they’ve encountered on

their travels. Read on for our favorites. —OSET BABÜR

T

THE GLOBE-TROTTER

“I spent three miraculous nights

at the Mandarin Oriental in

Paris, where they offer a slew of

international breakfast menus.

One day I had duck egg congee,

a char siu bun, youtiao (fried

dough), and a tiny galaxy of dim

sum; the next day it was a tray

bearing ful medames (stewed

fava beans), olives, salty

cheese, sliced tomatoes, and

warm, fluffy pita; and on my

last day I had their full Japanese

breakfast, with shoyu-braised

cod, miso soup, pickles, and a

bowl of the most perfect white

rice.” —HELEN ROSNER, FOOD

CORRESPONDENT AT THE

NEW YORKER

THE NEW NORSE

“When I think of over-the-top

hotel breakfasts, one standout

is Hotel Skeppsholmen in

Stockholm. I would eat break-

fast here even if I weren’t staying

on property. The minimalist

design alongside a waterfront

breakfast buffet with loaded

plates of cardamom buns, rye

bread spread with Kalles Kaviar,

and perhaps a bowl of filmjölk

(fermented milk) with muesli

or crushed knäckebröd (rye

crackers) is perfectly Swed-

ish.” —EMI LY ELYSE MI L L ER,

AUTHOR OF BREAKFAST:

THE COOKBOOK

THE HEAVENLIEST HASH

“My husband and I had a wonder-

ful breakfast at the Gramercy

Park Hotel in New York City.

We ordered coffee service; the

mushroom–and–broccoli rabe

hash, which comes with a sunny-

side-up egg; and the fried eggs

with roast pork and ciabatta.

The eggs were cooked perfectly,

and the pork was very flavor-

ful. It truly was a memorable

break fas t.” —NINA COMPTON,

2017 F&W BEST NEW CHEF,

CHEF-OWNER OF BYWATER

AMERICAN BISTRO AND

COMPÈRE LAPIN, NEW

ORLEANS

THE COOLEST CONGEE

“I dream about Erik Bruner-Yang’s

Spoken English breakfast set at

The Line Hotel in Washington,

D.C.: crispy pan-seared fish,

brown rice congee with wild

mushrooms and bonito flakes,

kimchi, fermented vegetables, a

steamed egg, and a side of chile

oil that I wish I could bottle and

take home (pictured on p. 21).

All of that, plus coffee, for only

$25? Eaten while wearing a terry

cloth robe? Yes, please!”

—JULIA BAINBRIDGE,

AUTHOR OF GOOD DRINKS

(OUT THIS FALL)

Breakfast pastries

and chia pudding at

Stockholm’s Hotel

Skeppsholmen

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FW_0520_Obsessions.indd 22 FINAL CONTENT 3/18/20 12:28 PM