Fodor's Expert Review Blue Ribbon Bakery

A neighborhood standard for good, if expensive, food, this outpost of the Blue Ribbon empire has an eclectic menu with substantial sandwiches on homemade bread (freshly baked in the oven downstairs), small plates, legendary bread pudding, and entrées that span the globe, from hummus to grilled catfish with sautéed collards and sweet potatoes. The cavelike basement dining room is dark and intimate; upstairs is more open and light filled, with large windows looking out onto a pretty West Village corner. Brunch is notoriously crowded.