Bite Of The Day: A Slice Of Quiche Heaven At Pels Pie In PLG
After a spending a sunny, early fall morning at Pels Pie Co., 446 Rogers Avenue in Prospect-Lefferts Gardens, I am completely hooked. Though I came for the food, the atmosphere at this bakery & coffeeshop was almost as delightful as the savory pie.
Walking down Rogers Avenue, Pels is easy to miss, with a thumbnail-sized, chalkboard sign as the most prominent display of the shop’s name. But keep your eyes peeled, because what you’ll find inside is well worth the trip to Prospect-Lefferts Gardens.
Pels has a quaint, shabby-chic atmosphere, with high ceilings, intricate moldings, swaths of ‘chipped’ paint, and plants hanging from street-level windows. There is ample seating for duos at small tables tucked into every corner, along the long counter and bakery station, or in the backyard garden.
The entire cafe, which opened in the spring of 2015, is spacious and relaxing, a great place to linger — as evidenced by the freelancer crowd with laptops and headphones.
The daily Whitefish Quiche ($4 per slice) was delicate and flavorful, with springy chunks of fish meat floating in a smooth, eggy filling. The crusted top layer of rosemary and herbs added complexity and crunch to the mild filling, held by a perfect buttery crust.
Though on first glance the slice seemed small, especially sitting on an empty white plate, it was actually a reasonable portion for a rich, buttery and protein-packed lunch.
For me, the crust was the highlight — buttery, dense and spongy but not overwhelmingly greasy. Plus, the deep indents along the edges made me feel like I was eating a work of art. All Pels crusts are baked in the open bakery you can look into from the counter. Today’s seasonal varieties included chocolate mousse, apple, fig buttermilk, grapefruit custard and raspberry almond — all $4 per slice or $30 for a whole pie.
In addition to being a delightful pie and coffee shop, Pels offers drinks and $5 dinner specials in the evening (spicy wings are on the menu tonight). Yelp reviewers love the cappuccino, apple pie, caramel salted brownie, and cheap dinner bites.
Pels Pie, located at 446 Rogers Avenue between Lincoln Road and Lefferts Avenue, is open from 7am to 10pm, seven days a week. They have a rotating menu of pastries, pies, quiches, biscuits and muffins during the day, and nightly $5 drink and $5 dinner specials.
How to get there from Ditmas Park:
On the train: Take the Manhattan-bound Q/B train to the Prospect Park stop, and walk east on Lincoln Road for two blocks until you hit Rogers Avenue.
Scenic bike route from Beverley Road: Travel time 15 minutes — ride east on the Beverley Road new bike lane, and turn left on Ocean Avenue (north). Turn right on Parkside Avenue, then after two blocks turn left on Bedford Avenue (connecting to another bike lane). Left on Lefferts Avenue brings you to Rogers Avenue.
Most direct bike route: Ride east on Cortelyou Road or Beverley Road (past Flatbush Avenue), take a left on Bedford Avenue and ride north. Turn right on Maple Street and right on Rogers Avenue.