Oatmeal Griddle Cakes Star At L.A. Import 'Breakfast By Salt's Cure'

"Pancakes for the table" is always the correct move, but what if you're at a restaurant where almost the entire menu is pancakes and pancake-adjacent accompaniments? Do you all just order pancakes, and then also get more pancakes to share?

That's the happy dilemma you face at Breakfast By Salt's Cure, a sunny and cheerful new pancakes-all-day spot that opened recently on Morton Street in the West Village. It's the first NYC location of a popular Los Angeles operation, owned by chef Chris Phelps—but Tristan Harrington, the kitchen manager here, promised it would not be the last. "This is our flagship location in New York," Harrington told Gothamist last week. "We're hoping to open two more, probably one in Brooklyn, and one somewhere else."

The pancakes, or Oatmeal Griddle Cakes as they're officially called, are from an old Phelps family recipe, and they are fantastic: slightly crisp around the edges, moist throughout, and available in varieties such as the OG, Blueberry, Chocolate Chip, Pink Lady Apple, and Banana Nut. Each comes with its own topping, like cinnamon molasses butter, or flax crumble, or toasted walnuts and coconut flakes, but one thing you will not find on any of them is maple syrup.

"No syrup. Ever," Harrington explained. "It's how Chris's grandmother served them originally. The family never ate them with syrup—it's not necessary because they're sweetened a little more than a normal pancake. And there's sugar on top [and] in all of the garnishes. We're not anti-syrup. I grew up in Upstate New York, I love maple syrup, but it's not necessary with these." He's right, too—they are delicious as is.

The sides I tried were all first-rate as well. The salty, slightly spicy pork sausage patties (they also come in chicken or vegan chickpea) added some zing to my pancake platter, as did the pair of perfectly prepared sunny side up eggs. The best accompaniment, though, was the lovely slab of Picnic Ham—a fatty, molasses-cured steak cut from the pig's shoulder, served here with a bit of applesauce in lieu of bacon.

There are a few non-pancake offerings, too, so the Pancakes For The Table rule is still applicable. I enjoyed my Fried Chicken Sandy, which comes with a comically large cutlet drizzled with honey mustard, and topped with a mountain of creamy coleslaw. There's also a Cheeseburger on the menu, and a breakfast sandwich called The Morton.

The interior is cheery and comfortable, and during peak hours (and warm weather) they set up tables for about 20 out on the sidewalk. Ordering is done at the counter, and then someone brings your food, though there doesn't seem to be a set system in place. There's no booze yet, just drip and cold brew coffee, hot tea, Brooklyn's Best, and fresh-squeezed OJ.

As far as the awkward name goes, Salt's Cure was the original restaurant in West Hollywood (it was a steakhouse that specialized in cured meat), and then they added breakfast, which proved to be so popular that they dropped dinner entirely and only did the latter. But as Harrington said about the West Village spot, "we're hoping people will just call it 'Breakfast.'"

Breakfast By Salt's Cure is located at 27 1/2 Morton Street, at the corner of Seventh Avenue South, and is currently open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily (breakfastbysaltscure.com)