I have always been curious about Maman, I knew they had really good baked goods items, and I do like having all sorts of baked goods… But, they do offer more than just baked goods, it is a popular spot for brunch and lunch. We happened to be very closed to one of their locations, Maman Nomad one day, looking for a brunch spot. It was easy to find, just go to a place with pretty exterior and people lining up in front of it. Well, actually, the line was for people who just wanted to purchase baked goods and/or coffee to go. If you want to dine in, you need to give your name to one of their staffs, and wait somewhere nearby the door, but do not join the line.
They have a nice outdoor seating right in front, with refreshing blue frames and some greeneries surrounding the patrons. Looks heavy duty, but very cozy and cute.
It was a bit chilly that day, so we wanted to dine indoors. I was told that the wait will be about 25 minutes, but luckily for us, many people finished quicker than expected. So, within 10 minutes from putting our names on the wait list, we were taken to our table. Yay!
The inside was actually a bit larger than it looked from outside. I really loved the bright blue and crisp white, with lots if vibrant greens inside. It had a bit of Greek feel to it. The furniture and décor was kept simple and rustic, yet warm and homey. I was slightly concerned about the fact that we were not dressed up for “fancy brunch” (LOL). But, this is not one of those pretentious spot. Maman Nomad welcome any patrons, in fancy outfit, athleisure, or just t-shirts and jeans.
They have the baked goods and baristas at front by the door. The ones who just want to order things to go can come in, order, pick up, and go. They are only allowing one patron at a time to come in, so that there will be no crowding.
I tried to check all the baked goods at the front counter when someone was just coming in to place an order. They all looked soooo good! I wish if I could try one of each…
The best way to try some of Maman Nomad’s best baked goods is to order their Pastry Assortment ($10). You get three or even four (if you are lucky) baked goods in a basket. I think it is a great deal! And yes, we of course ordered it. It is a Chef’s Choice Baked Goods for Two, and you can only order this if you are dining in.
To go with the Pastry Assortment, we wanted to get a coffee. The server told us about their seasonal drink specials of the day, which was Pistachio White Chocolate Cappuccino ($8). Maman Nomad must have a sorcerer of some kind to offer a cappuccino that has all of my favorite! It was unsweetened, which we liked, but at the same time, we were not offered any kind of sugar… Good thing we didn’t need any. It was very creamy! Strong, yet mild and milky, with nice amount of small pistachio chunks! I thought it would be very sweet, since it was “white chocolate” cappuccino, but it was not sweet, and had great flavor.
With our creamy cappuccino, we were ready for the pastries! The first one I wanted to try was their cookie. I kind of remember something special about the cookies from Maman. I am glad the assortment included their cookie!
It was their Chocolate Chip Cookie, and it was huge! A nice size to share with someone else, unless you don’t want to. And after one bite, you really don’t want to. It was packed with nuts and chocolate, soft and elegantly sweet. LOVE! It was moist and soft, without being too soft, with nice crunchy texture on the edges. I could have this every day…
The second item in the basked was Chocolate Croissant. It was really great too. Flaky and fluffy, buttery and airy…yum! The chocolate was almost unusually tasty! I know that is kind of a strange thing to say, but it really was surprisingly delicious chocolate. I wish if it had more chocolate in there.
The last but not least, Croissant. It was super plum, taller than average croissant (in my opinion). It was buttery and flakey, so good! Maman Nomad certainly does classic well.
Now, we were there for a “real” brunch, not just some pastries and coffee. The menu at Maman Nomad was enticing, but we finally decided on Maman’s Breakfast Sandwich ($13.50) and Eggs Ratatouille ($14). I have a not-so-secret love affair with breakfast sandwiches… The ones from Mike & Patty’s and Flour Bakery Café in Boston, Breakfast Club in London, The Station Grill in Cape Cod, Mile End Delicatessen in Brooklyn, HARBS in Manhattan, and so many more…
Needless to say, I was excited to try the breakfast sandwich from Maman Nomad. The Maman’s Breakfast Sandwich ($13.50) is made with homemade bourbon bacon jam, fresh avocado, and oven-roasted tomatoes topped with a fried egg on a cornmeal focaccia bun. It came with a big side salad, super fresh! The egg was cooked just right, giving me egg porn… Be ready to get messy! Creamy avocado, crunchy buns, and bacon jam packed with bacon! So good!! The cornmeal bun was really good too, but the delicious bacon Jam certainly stole the show. It was amazing!
My hubby who is more of a Shakshuka kind of guy, went with something similar to that. Eggs Ratatouille ($14) is made with stewed eggplant, zucchini & tomatoes baked with two eggs, topped with herbed feta, and served with toast. This dish is available on weekends only.
Ratatouille was packed with veggies and had a little kick to it, which was nice. Packed with so much flavor! Comforting, earthy, and all the flavors melting together to create one awesome dish. Goat cheese adds extra flavor that goes perfectly together as well. The eggs were slightly over done in my opinion, just slightly. This dish was so satisfying!
They have one gender-neutral bathroom all the way back. They also had some merchandise and cold drinks at the back also.
The bathroom was bright, clean, and had the same décor with bright blue, crisp white, and some greeneries.
We had a really nice brunch here. The service was a bit slow, but since we were not in a hurry, it was quite relaxing. We really enjoyed the food, pastries, and coffee. Everything was really tasty! I would love to go back again and try more of their delicious offerings!
Maman Nomad – 22 W 25th Street, New York, NY 10010