New York style bagels, American scones and sinful cinnamon rolls. If you’ve been craving for these staple American dishes in Kolkata, there is now a place where you can go to indulge – the newest American cafe in town, 8th Day Café and Bakery at AJC Bose Road. It is the brainchild of Grant Walsh, an American who first visited Kolkata nearly five years back, fell in love with the city, left his job in his country and came back to open 8th Day to give the city a true American cafe experience. And why the name 8th Day? Because Grant believes that there are seven days in a week and the 8th day is the day when good things happen!
I’ve been to 8th Day Cafe many times since it opened early this year and I love the simple and relaxed vibe of the place. It is located on a quiet street and when you enter, you immediately fall in love with the charming interiors and the warmth that the place exudes. White walls, blackboard style menu, french windows overlooking the street, shelf full of books and board games. You will feel like sitting here for hours. And to enhance the experience, 8th Day also organizes regular events. Tuesdays are Stand Up Comedy Open Mic nights and on Fridays or weekends, you can catch bands playing live. A few days back, they got Angie Miller of Americon Idol fame to perform. Like their Facebook page to keep yourself updated on forthcoming events.
Now lets talk about the food. They have quite a few things on the menu but if you are looking for my recommendations, do try the Roasted Beet with Red Onion and Goat Cheese Salad (Rs 159), The Aubergine (Rs 139) – bagel with roasted aubergines, caramelised onion, melted mozzarella cheese, pesto and garlic mayo and the K-Town (Rs 139), bagel with curried chicken salad and lettuce. They have also introduced some new items in the menu like breakfast burrito, tortilla wraps, bagel chips with bean salsa and ice cream sandwich
Any visit to an American cafe is incomplete without indulging in a Cinnamon Roll (Rs 99) and 8th Day makes one really well. The roll comes with white sugar frosting and when you cut through, it’s warm and gooey in the center with a delicate cinnamon fragrance. You should also try their Salted Caramel Cupcake (Rs 79) – caramel cake, caramel icing, and salted- caramel drizzle, the chunky and chocolicious Auntie Kay’s Chocolate Chunk Cookie (Rs 29) and the classic Old Fashioned Apple Pie (Rs 79). Coffee is also an important part of the menu and they definitely make the best coffee in town. I like the Pour Over Coffee (Rs 99)– hand brewed Arabica coffee with a strong aroma and flavours, the Cappuccino (Rs 89) and the Latte (Rs 99). Tea lovers can enjoy a variety of teas that come straight from the Glenburn Tea Estate in Darjeeling. Silver Needle (Rs 129) is my favorite.
I love 8th Day Café and Bakery and I hope they open more outlets in the city soon. If you haven’t visited this place, go now!