C&B

The dining room at C&B was sacrificed years ago to make space for the bakery, turning this East Village storefront into a dedicated production engine for breakfast. There is no indoor seating here, just a tight counter where you place orders while watching the kitchen staff maneuver around racks of cooling sourdough and trays of brioche. The operation is run by Ali Sahin, who brought the technical precision of fine dining kitchens like Daniel into a space that serves egg sandwiches wrapped in paper. The menu relies entirely on scratch-made components rather than wholesale deliveries. Sausages are ground in-house and the bread is baked fresh daily, resulting in breakfast sandwiches that feel substantial rather than greasy. The chorizo and egg on a soft roll is the most frequent order, though you will also see bowls of cilbir – Turkish poached eggs in garlic yogurt – coming over the pass in a nod to Sahin’s heritage. Because the interior is entirely devoted to prep and cooking, the sidewalk acts as the waiting room. On weekends, the line stretches down the block, moving at a steady pace as people grab their brown bags and coffee. Most customers immediately cross the street to Tompkins Square Park to eat on a bench, effectively turning the park into the cafe’s unofficial dining room.