The Ace

Set your alarm. This is cooking worth waking up for. Indeed, brunch usually isn’t a kitchen’s brightest moment, but that is far from true at The Ace, a slim vintage diner that first opened in the 1950s. Husband-and-wife team Rafael Badell and Maggie Stackpole are the latest to hold the keys to this historic haunt, and it’s during the day when the cooking really sings. What’s that smell? It’s probably expert wedges of house-made sourdough sizzling away on the griddle. Start with the duck confit and wild mushroom toast crowned with softly poached eggs. Whatever you do, save room for, what is likely, the city’s best French toast. A triumphant square of brioche arrives topped with caramelized pears, vanilla bean whipped ricotta and toasted pistachios.