Greenpoint Cheap Eats Diaries Volume 1: Peter Pan

We love cheap food. And we don’t just mean your regular budget-friendly fare. We’re talking down and dirty, there’s-only-$12-left-in-your-bank-account cheap food.

Our mission is to find satisfying, delicious meals for under $5-$7 per person. Rosie and I are going to wade through this wasteland of small plates and $15 kale salads to bring you the very cheapest of the cheap. It’s no easy task, but we (and by we I mean me, Gina) are willing to try just about anything (keep an eye out for our White Burger post) in the name of broke-ness.

To kick things off we met for a power breakfast at Peter Pan, which we have deemed the best breakfast bang for your buck in, quite possibly, all of North Brooklyn. There, we said it.

– Gina

What we had:
1 Tea – $1
1 Coffee -$1
1 Egg Bialy Sandwich to share – $2.10
1 Sugared jelly donut – $1
1 Sugared ring donut – $1

Cost:
$6.10 (exc. tip)
(That’s $3.05 EACH!!)

Gina’s verdict:

My favorite thing about Peter Pan is eavesdropping on other people’s conversations. Last time I was there, an elderly gentleman announced to another regular, across the restaurant and in full volume, that he was constipated. You just don’t get that kind of experience anywhere else.

Egg Bialy– My dad is from South Brooklyn and he’s always been a big proprietor of the bialy, an old school Yiddish flat bagel-hybrid, ofen with cooked onions on top. It’s also a thing in Poland and other Eastern European countries (a lot of Polish food overlaps with Yiddish eats).  I convinced Rosie to try it and the results were top notch; the bialy is buttery and soft, and went well with scrambled egg, although it was in serious need of salt and hot sauce for flavor. Luckily, those condiments were on the counter already.

Donut – Stuck with classic sugar. Unreal. Could eat 10 more but stopped myself because I want to live past the age of 40.

Coffee – Not the world’s best, but it’s like $1, and pairs nicely with the meal. I wouldn’t go to Peter Pan’s just for the coffee, because it’s pretty weak, caffeine-wise (I like my coffee super strong), but if you’re already there, why not? Also of note, they obviously don’t have soy milk, which is a slight issue given my lactose intolerance, but I took one for the team this time. Sorry, stomach.

In all, this was a lovely breakfast. Peter Pan’s perfectly encapsulates the old-school sense of community that makes Greenpoint so special, even if the servers would rather not give you the time of day.  If I had to wear a pink uniform every day, I’d be pretty irritable too.

So next time you feel like dropping a fat $20 on fancy brunch, think about the meal you could get for $5 here. It’s really no contest.

Rosie’s verdict:

I love the bustley atmosphere at Peter Pan. At 10am on a Thursday morning the counter seats were already full and a constant stream of customers were lining up for take-out. There’s a good cross section of humans in there too: old-school regulars, young creative types and always a cop or two nipping for in donuts whilst Agent  Cooper keeps the engine running out front.

Egg Bialy – Generous on the scrambled egg which came in a thick slab, actually a bit more like an omelette. Extra tasty with a dollop of ketchup from the jumbo bottle of Heinz that was being convivially passed around. Served on a paper plate…meh…but obviously helps keeps the breakfast process at maximum efficiency.

Jelly donut – Mmm. Jam-packed with erm, jam. Light, lovely and everything you’d expect from Peter Pan. Also provided me with so much sugar-fat fuel that I didn’t need to eat again until late-afternoon.

Tea – Fine. Lipton in a paper cup with a red straw stirrer which I absently sipped my tea through (classy lady).

Breakfasting at Peter Pan is a great experience. The service was not overly enthusiastic on that particular day but who cares when they are such masters of their sugarcraft.

This is definitely not my normal breakfast choice (I’m usually more of a bran flakes girl), but at $3.05 each for a savory bite, a sweet treat and hot beverage this is a truly bargain breakfast in one of Greenpoint’s most cherished settings.

Overall cheap eats rating (from 1 to 5 burgers)

Cheapness: dirt cheap

Deliciousness: pretty f-ing good

Full Stomach Level: could have eaten a few more donuts

Service: waitresses ignored repeated attempts to ask for check

Setting:   old school ambiance

What’s the cheapest meal you’ve had in Greenpoint?? Tip us below.