February is not typically a fun month, especially in New York, with the dirty slushy snow that will be piled up for weeks and the bitter wind that forces you to break your self-imposed rule of one cab a week. But, alas, there is a saving grace…for I have just discovered that at Clinton St. Bakery Company on the Lower East Side, February is PANCAKE MONTH.

Pancakes for dinner are always a glorious idea and remind me of childhood. When I was growing up and my mom got out that Bisquick while I was nerding out on my homework, she and I both knew there would be no struggle to finish my meal that night. When Davesh suggested we eat pancakes for dinner sometime this month and sent me the menu for Clinton St., I was all in. And by all in, I mean, I may have created a spreadsheet with the specialty pancakes and their corresponding dates and cross-referenced it with my work, trivia, and social calendars.

Tonight was the first night of Crunchy Banana Pancakes with Cinnamon-Chili-Chocolate Sauce, which was one of the top three pancakes I’d highlighted on my spreadsheet. This was my first time at Clinton St. and Davesh’s first time this week. We didn’t *need* to have appetizers for pancakes but since I’d stayed at work a little later than usual waiting for Davesh to be finished and spent my extra time drooling over the website, I wanted to try more menu items.

So instead of eating one unhealthy thing for dinner, we had many more. Martha Stewart called Neil (the chef) the “King of Biscuits” so I was glad to see four hot fresh ‘scuits delivered to the table when we sat down. We ordered the special Queso Mac & Cheese and the Crispy Idaho Potato Skins which are not like regular potato skins but are more like cheese fries, with Monterey Jack, jalapeño sour cream, and jalapeños themselves.

I over-appetized a little (per usual) so I came no where close to finishing my pancakes but oh. my. gosh. The fluffiness. The fried banana on top. The slight kick of the chili in the rich, carefully drizzled chocolate sauce. They were, dare I say it, up to par with my mom’s Bisquick’s pancakes. Mom – stop reading now. They were better. So much better. I want them every day. of. my. life.

These particular banana pancakes are only available until Friday, but I’m also quite interested in these upcoming items (descriptions from Clinton St.):

I am ecstatic that I over-appetized and could not finish my pancakes because I now have two days worth of amazing breakfasts left over. Trust me, I am going to need these breakfasts to get me ready for these frigid February-morning commutes. The only good thing about this month is PANCAKES.

xx