Hungry Pigeon
743 S. 4th St., Queen Village
Tucked into a small corner of Fabric Row, the Hungry Pigeon is the kind of spot that has a perpetual buzz all day long. It’s the kind of place you’d happily have breakfast, and then, say, stay for lunch—there are birdcages everywhere, charming, mismatched silverware, and vintage furniture, and brick accent walls. Helmed by co-owners Scott Schroeder and Pat O’Malley (she’s a Balthazar alum), it’s no surprise people flip for the pastries: flaky chocolate croissants, banana bread sticky buns and buttermilk biscuits. At both breakfast and lunch you order at the counter, and the menu is simple, if not traditional in a wholly satisfying kind of way. (Think: a breakfast sandwich served on an English muffin, avocado toast, chopped salad, and even a cheeseburger.) Come nighttime, it switches over to table service and there’s a solid wine and local beer list, plus more polished fare, including spaccatelli and mushrooms, grilled eggplant and a grilled half chicken with quinoa tabouli.