Enjoy a Breakfast Break at Elm City Cafe

Savor comforting bites from New Haven at Jimmy Fantin's charming Elm City Cafe in North Stuart Plaza

May 13, 2025

Bacon, egg, cheese, salt, pepper, ketchup breakfast sandwich. Photo courtesy of Elm City Cafe

When one door closes, a new one opens—and serves you breakfast and lunch. In February 2020, Fantini’s Italian Restaurant moved to a larger spot a few doors down in North Stuart Plaza, leaving the old space vacant. Last December, owner Jimmy Fantin opened a new eatery in the original space: Elm City Cafe.

Inside Elm City Cafe. Photo courtesy of Elm City Cafe

Once again, Fantin is honoring his Connecticut roots through food. While Fantini’s is known for its New Haven–style “apizza,” Elm City Cafe is all about the BECSPK (bacon, egg, cheese, salt, pepper, ketchup). The breakfast sandwich served on a kaiser roll is a staple for Connecticut commuters, says Fantin, who imports the buns from New York. Bagels and Junior’s carrot cake are also imported from up north. “There are so many people from the Northeast who long for these staple deli items, bagels, and pastries,” says Fantin. “That’s the niche I’m filling.” Another breakfast favorite at the café is the French toast, made with thick brioche bread, which Fantin says makes it “fluffier, higher, and deeper.”

Hummel Bros. hot dog platter and New Haven Foxon Park soda. Photo courtesy of Elm City Cafe

Lunch items include the signature hot dog platter, which comes with two beef Hummel Bros. dogs (a New Haven–based company), slit top to bottom so that when they’re cooked on the steel griddle, the sizzle chars the dogs, giving them a snap when bitten into. The platter comes with a choice of French fries, coleslaw, or chips.

A big bonus? Elm City Cafe, which is open daily from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., serves everything on the menu at all times. “We’ll make breakfast or lunch anytime,” says Fantin. 1560 NW Federal Hwy., Stuart; 772.232.6782