Category Archives: DESSERTS/COFFEE
FOUR AND TWENTY BLACKBIRDS PIE SHOP, Park Slope, NYC
Food: ☆☆☆☆ ½
Service: ☆☆☆ ☆
Ambiance: ☆☆☆
Cost: $
Dishes not to miss: Salted Caramel Pie, Chocolate Scone
“This must be where pies go when they die,” says a sign as you walk into Four and Twenty Blackbirds. I couldn’t agree with the sign more. Continue reading
The Doughnut Plant , Lower East Side, NYC
Service: ☆☆
Ambiance: ☆☆
Cost: $
Dishes not to miss: Carrot Cake, Valrhona chocolate, Jelly filled, Raspberry
I was never a doughnut fan until I bit into one of Mark Isreal beauties at the Doughnut Plant.
Using recipes that were handed down from his grandfather, Isreal has gone from retailing his sweet treats out of a basement to owning two storefronts in New York City. He does nothing less than doughnut wizardry in these kitchens. Continue reading
Fresh Fanatic Bakery by Chef Michael Allen
I was invited to cover an exclusive tasting event showcasing the upcoming launch of The Fresh Fanatic Bakery by Chef Michael Allen. The event was held at the B3 Lounge at Body By Brooklyn, showcasing desserts by famed Pastry Chef Michael Allen and Thanksgiving accented foods catered by The Fresh Fanatic Market and Café. Continue reading
Beard Papa’s, Upper West Side, NYC
Beard Papa’s has perfected the art of mass-producing fabulous cream puffs without comprising on taste and quality. The Beard Papa’s empire began in Osaka, Japan in 1999 and has since expanded to over fifteen countries worldwide.
All their cooking is done right on the premises. They bake up crisp choux pastry shells, which have a filling of your choice, just as you order them.
The Eloise Tea at the Plaza Hotel, Midtown East, NYC
Food: ½
Service: ☆ ½
Ambiance: ☆☆
Cost: $$$$
Fit for: Tourists
Dishes not to miss: It’s all really bad
Special notes: Afternoon Tea is served daily in The Palm Court from 2:00pm – 5:00pm.
Tea at the Plaza Hotel sounds like the quintessential New York thing to do. Throw Eloise into the mix and you’ve got a giddy group of excited little girls.
So off we went to the Plaza hotel for the special Eloise Tea at The Palm Court and a visit to the Eloise boutique.
We couldn’t have been more disappointed!
Continue reading
Roasting Plant, Lower East Side, NYC
Known for the best chocolate chip cookie in town, this cute little Lower East Side coffee haven is definitely worth stopping off at. The cookies are good – but not the best I’ve had. Their stuff is very fresh as all the baking is done on the premises.
Every cup of coffee is brewed fresh and it smells like heaven in here. The founder of The Roasting Plant has developed a unique system to deliver the freshest cup of coffee to every customer.
Here is an excerpt from their website which explains how it works:
“To accomplish this unique innovation, founder Mike Caswell spent six years testing and developing Roasting Plant Javabotô, a patented automation system that ensures maximum freshness and peak flavor. While roasting each type of bean, the system monitors crucial factors such as airflow, temperature, and humidity. Perfectly roasted beans then travel through vacuum tubes, untouched by human hands, until they’re ground and brewed to your specific order.”
Though the space is tiny, they are well equipped with little plug points for customers to sit with their laptops and a cup of coffee to work or play all day! Stop by for sure…if you are ever in the neighborhood!
Dessert Truck Works, Lower East Side, NYC
Food: ☆☆☆ ½
Service: ☆☆☆
Ambiance: ☆☆☆
Cost: $$
I recommend: Warm Chocolate Bread Pudding with Bacon Custard Sauce
What happens when three ex-Le Cirque pastry chefs put their talents together?
Three words:Dessert Truck Works.
Continue reading
The Chocolate Room, Park Slope, NYC
The Chocolate Room is the quintessential playground for a grown up chocoholic!
The minute you step into this chocolate boutique and dessert cafe, you start melting into a sensual state of comatose comfort that only chocolate can bring on. Continue reading
Java Girl Inc., Upper East Side, NYC
I’m sitting in the cutest coffee shop on the Upper East Side as I write this. Everything in this place spells comfort – from the fabulous aromas of fresh Java to the woodsy, country, rustic look of the Café that makes it feel like home. Continue reading
Panorama of My Silent Heart Cafe, Jamaica, NYC
This is my new favorite “hang out with your best buddy”, local spot.
Panorama Café is the most unlikely find, in this neck of the woods. It’s an artsy, warm café with a whole lot of soul.
Bittersweet – The Chocolate Cafe, San Francisco, CA
Bittersweet – The Chocolate Café, on Fillmore street in San Francisco, is an ideal place that really hits a chocoholic and bond-aholics spot! This is the kind of place that every street corner in the world should have. A delightful little café that serves up perfectly sized choco-filled desserts to go with all kinds of yummy drinks hot or cold. Bittersweet is a definite must do if you are in and around the Fillmore area in SFO. Grab your best buddy and be prepared to spend a day of true decadence that will be so worth your while. Continue reading
Clinton Street Baking Company, Lower East Side, NYC
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Fat Witch Bakery, Chelsea , NYC
Who doesn’t love a good Brownie?
In New York City’s Chelsea market, the Fat Witch Bakery has built an entire business on selling just brownies. Their brownies area called “witches” and you can get them in all kinds of bewitching flavors and sizes. What a marvelous concept! Continue reading