I tried one of Gigi Hadid's favorite breakfast spots, and I can see why she keeps going back for the scrambled eggs

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Rachel AskinasiFeb 12, 2022, 19:03 IST
I tried one of Gigi Hadid's favorite breakfast spots, and I can see why she keeps going back for the scrambled eggs

I tried Gigi Hadid's go-to breakfast, and I can see why the model loves it so much.Rachel Askinasi/Insider

  • Gigi Hadid once said she loves breakfast from The Smile, a restaurant near her NYC home.
  • She told Harper's Bazaar that she gets the restaurant's scrambled eggs, toast, and bacon.
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Gigi Hadid has publicly professed her love for breakfast at a New York City restaurant called The Smile.

Gigi Hadid has publicly professed her love for breakfast at a New York City restaurant called The Smile.
Gigi Hadid walking in SoHo.Raymond Hall/GC Images

In a 2015 interview with Harper's Bazaar, the supermodel said she typically eats breakfast or has coffee before she does anything else for the day, and that scrambled eggs are her go-to pick.

"I live near the Smile, and I love their scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast," she told the magazine. "I drink orange juice and coffee always."

As someone with a newfound appreciation for scrambled eggs, I made my way to the NoHo eatery to try Hadid's breakfast recommendation.

As someone with a newfound appreciation for scrambled eggs, I made my way to the NoHo eatery to try Hadid's breakfast recommendation.
I took the subway, but Hadid lives just up the street from the restaurant.Rachel Askinasi/Insider

The restaurant is a short walk from the Bleeker Street subway station in Manhattan's NoHo neighborhood.

With a small wooden sign and a below-street-level entrance, this place may be easy to miss. So keep your eyes open and look for the string lights on the north side of Bond St.

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Bond St. is the perfect mix of ultra-luxe and chic downtown. It's no surprise that Hadid loves it over here.

Bond St. is the perfect mix of ultra-luxe and chic downtown. It's no surprise that Hadid loves it over here.
At around 1 p.m. on a Thursday, the street was relatively quiet.Rachel Askinasi/Insider

With its cobblestone streets and luxury apartment buildings, this tiny sliver of Manhattan is an ideal spot for young, fashion-forward celebrities like Hadid.

Even just walking down the single street, on what was a beautiful, 52-degree day, I felt like I was in a little secluded spot in the middle of the busy city. It's not a street I'm personally on often.

I stepped inside, but it was such a nice day that I chose to sit at one of two tables situated on the front patio. I started my order with juice and coffee like Hadid.

I stepped inside, but it was such a nice day that I chose to sit at one of two tables situated on the front patio. I started my order with juice and coffee like Hadid.
I understand the need for two beverages.Rachel Askinasi/Insider

Gigi says she always gets orange juice and coffee, so I got orange juice and coffee.

The menu indicated that the juice was "fresh," so I thought that meant freshly squeezed. Instead, my $4 serving tasted more like regular out-of-the-carton OJ, which isn't a bad thing. When I asked a team member, they confirmed that, at the moment, the juice is bottled.

The Smile offers bottomless regular drip coffee for $4 (meaning free refills). Usually, this would be my go-to, but I had already had two cups of coffee earlier in the morning and I didn't want to overdo it. So I went with a cappuccino for the same price instead.

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I looked at the menu, but I was there for the scrambled eggs and bacon. I was impressed when it came to the table.

I looked at the menu, but I was there for the scrambled eggs and bacon. I was impressed when it came to the table.
I was satisfied with this simple order.Rachel Askinasi/Insider

Hadid said she orders scrambled eggs, toast, and bacon from The Smile. But when I looked at the menu, the dish was listed with greens instead of bacon for $11. The meat was in the sides section from which diners can get an order of maple-thyme bacon for $7.

I decided to shoot my shot and just asked for it the way Hadid had laid it out, and the team member knew exactly what I meant.

The dish came to my table with two massive slices of bacon perched on top of a generous pile of scrambled eggs, with a nest of arugula and a slice of sourdough toast side by side.

I was hit in the face with a powerful waft of delicious smells coming from the bacon and I couldn't wait to dive in.

Since eggs change drastically in flavor when they change temperature, I started with those.

Since eggs change drastically in flavor when they change temperature, I started with those.
The eggs were fluffy and rich at the same time.Rachel Askinasi/Insider

When I took a bite of the eggs, I immediately noticed their luxe texture. They were soft but not runny and had a custardy feel without being wet.

In terms of flavor, I detected some butter in a subtle but surely-there way.

Even when I got around to trying everything else on my plate, the silkiness of the scrambled eggs was like a little recurring treat throughout my meal.

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The maple-thyme bacon was worth the trip alone.

The maple-thyme bacon was worth the trip alone.
This glazed bacon was worth going back for.Rachel Askinasi/Insider

I wasn't sure if the bacon that was about to come with my meal would be the specialty maple-thyme meat that was in the sides section of the menu. But I'm so glad it was.

There were two thick-cut slices that sat on my eggs, and at first, I thought they may have been too underdone for my liking (I usually order it extra crispy). But after tasting it, I appreciated the texture.

The strips were undoubtedly flavored with maple, but they weren't saucy or super sticky — it was more like a light glazing. When I bit into one of the more pink sections, I noticed how meaty and tender it was. It seemed intentional and way better than I had first expected.

The fattier areas were soft and dissolved on the tongue, which I personally don't love when it comes to bacon. But I think if I had ordered these well-done, the meatier pieces would have been crunchier and less enjoyable.

While I thought it was definitely fork-and-knife bacon (I picked it up once and that just didn't feel right), it still felt like the sideshow to the eggs' main attraction, which I appreciated.

Sourdough toast is always a good idea, in my opinion, and it was a great choice for the flavors on this plate.

Sourdough toast is always a good idea, in my opinion, and it was a great choice for the flavors on this plate.
You can see the small pools of butter on the left.Rachel Askinasi/Insider

Usually, when I get a plate of eggs and toast somewhere, I am offered a choice of bread. Sourdough was the default, though, on this menu item, and I was very happy about it.

The tangy taste paired well with the richness of the eggs and offered a semi-soft pillow for the harder bacon.

It came as a single slice cut in half and buttered relatively lightly. It wasn't dripping, but there were small pools of butter here and there.

Sometimes toast can be over or underdone. But the crunchy outer edges and softer center were exactly what I felt I needed for the plate of protein that was in front of me. It held up when topped with each food, and it didn't scrape the roof of my mouth with sharp corners.

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The greens were fine, but I didn't think they added as much to the meal as they could have.

The greens were fine, but I didn't think they added as much to the meal as they could have.
The pile of greens was just as big as the pile of eggs.Rachel Askinasi/Insider

There was a mound of arugula that took up around one-third of my plate. While the greens tasted like they were slightly seasoned, they were dry and undressed, in my opinion.

It didn't totally ruin my meal, but arugula is naturally bitter, and I felt like a super light veil of something acidic like vinegar or citrus would have gone a long way, making every bit of this meal delicious.

It was a delicious tiny moment when a few leaves of the arugula mingled with the thin layer of liquid at the bottom of the eggs.

While there were a few others outside with me, there were many more people dining indoors.

While there were a few others outside with me, there were many more people dining indoors.
It was dimly lit inside and looked like a tavern.Rachel Askinasi/Insider

I took a look inside and saw couples, friends taking a lunch break, and even parents who appeared to just be stopping in for a quick bite with their babies in tow.

The lights were dim, but it still gave off more of an intimate-meets-casual vibe than that of a fancier restaurant. I'd say it's great for solo meals, catch-ups with a friend, or even a weekend brunch-time date.

One vibe it's not the best for is remote working — the team said they don't give out their WiFi to customers.

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If you do sit outside, beware of what you decide to sit underneath.

If you do sit outside, beware of what you decide to sit underneath.
That was the end of my orange juice.Rachel Askinasi/Insider

While my setup was cozy, it was directly underneath the building's fire escape. I noticed my phone, which was face-up on the table so I could take all of these photos, was dusted with some gray-colored specks. But when I picked up my glass of orange juice to finish it off, I saw what I can only refer to as mysterious city flecks floating around.

If you've ever walked around NYC and gotten suspiciously dripped on by what you assume is an air conditioner, this kind of felt like that: A bit of a bummer, but there's nothing you can really do. Today, it's the price I paid for having a pretty outdoor breakfast.

The indoor setup offered a stop-by coffee and pastry counter, so you can grab and go if you don't want to dine in.

The indoor setup offered a stop-by coffee and pastry counter, so you can grab and go if you don't want to dine in.
Customers can just duck in for a coffee and pastry.Rachel Askinasi/Insider

It seemed like a lot of the diners around me (and on Instagram) were ending their meals with dessert. So I decided to go with the chocolate-chip cookie priced at $4.

Texture-wise, I liked that it was soft in the middle without being gooey, and the outsides were crispy but not hard. I thought it could have used a bit more salt than the few specks I saw on it to balance out the sweetness, though.

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Feeling stuffed from my meal, I took my cookie to go and walked a bit more through Hadid's neighborhood before leaving this oasis to finish up my day.

Feeling stuffed from my meal, I took my cookie to go and walked a bit more through Hadid's neighborhood before leaving this oasis to finish up my day.
Maybe next time I'll pick a different seat.Rachel Askinasi/Insider

Having joined the clean-plate club (I ate almost everything on my plate except two fat-only bites of bacon), I walked away feeling uncomfortably full.

Hadid's classic breakfast ran me $34.87 after tax and a COVID surcharge but before tip. It's definitely pricey for a casual breakfast, but not too bad considering the neighborhood. Plus, I didn't feel cheated with regard to portion size.

I think many of us operate under the notion that breakfast and lunch should cost less than dinner, but if I had paid $35 for a nice dinner in NYC, I'd consider it moderately-priced rather than expensive. Taking into account how full I was and the fact that I was impressed with the quality of the food, I think it makes sense that any meal of the same caliber could cost as much as the next one.

That being said, I do think $7 for two pieces of bacon hurt my soul a little — but just a little.

Let's face it, if I was worth the same estimated $29 million that Hadid is worth, I'd spring for the meal as my go-to as well.

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