Mr. Chocolate! NY’s Willy Wonka! I’m a kid in a candy store when I’m here. (Wait.. it is a candy store.) I’ve been to all three locations, this Uppwer West Side store frequented most. I stopped in the Dumbo store one blistery morning for some hot chocolate. While sipping on the cup of intensely rich velvety bliss, I watched the chocolatiers work their magic. The kitchen is glassed so customers can see everyone in action.
I was also at the Tribecca location on Easter, where Jacques himself was molding chocolate bunnies! (Along with dozens of interns from FCI.) Always cool to see the Chef in action. The Upper West Side location is smaller and more intimate, with a café space in the corner. I went during Passover, so kosher items lined the shelves too.
I’ve helped the Chef in several demos, and what’s amazing is that he works so clean! With all that chocolate play, not a speck of brown on him. A down-to-earth guy with a great sense of humor. Despite his M.O.F. and celebrity status, he said the fancy schmancy French desserts never sold when he first opened his store. The top-seller, to date, is his infamous chocolate chip cookies!
Neighborhood: Midtown West
10 Columbus Circle / 59th Street, Third Floor, New York, NY 10019
Phone: (212) 823-9366 website
Thomas Keller’s Bouchon Bakery located on the third floor of the Time Warner Center is one of my favorite hangouts. The ambiance reminds me of being in Tokyo. I used to like their croissants, but one bad experience has discouraged me from further purchases. So this time I was determined to try the Pain Au Trois Chocolats. I went at noon and luckily, there was one left. The pâte feuilletée could have been more crunchy and flaky, but overall, I loved the flakiness of the dough against the intensely smooth chocolate filling and the solid crunch of the dark chocolate atop. Their items all seem super-sized though.. the macarons are good but gigantic, and the tarts and cookies could also feed a few people.
Neighborhood: East Village
207 2nd Ave / 13th St, New York, NY
Neighborhood: Midtown
15 West 56th St / 5th & 6th Ave, New York, NY
Phone: email here website
Cookies..Pies..Cake..Cinnamon Roll..Cereal..Soft Serve..
This dessert house of the Momofuku empire whips up traditional American dessert flavors in new shape and form. It’s plain to see with Chef Tosi’s heritage, formerly of the Wylie Dufresne family at wd-50.
The addictive salty-sweetness of cereal milk™ soft serve , compost cookie™, and crack pie™ are all too famous and have now been trademarked. I’ve tried almost avery item on the menu. Definitely heavy on the salt, but I keep going back for more. My favorites: cereal milk, cereal milk soft serve, crack pie, cornflake chocolate chip marshmallow cookie, chocolate malt cake. I like the brown butter filling in the cinnamon bun pie but the brioche dough was questionable. The red velvet softserve is brilliant and aesthetically pleasing when twisted with the cream cheese softserve, but it’s a bit heavy and I really don’t like food coloring. Savory favorite: pork buns!
As of the first week of April, the pastry kitchen moved midtown (má pêche location) so I can’t watch Christina Tosi pile mounds of cookie dough while I drink my cereal milk. Also, you now cannot purchase cakes by the slice! All items come pre-packaged from the midtown kitchen and the cakes “don’t keep as fresh when transporting from the new kitchen.” hm.. $38 for a taste of the cake..
(Oh wait, I just found this.)
Neighborhood: Tribeca
377 Greenwich Street, N. Moore and Greenwich
New York, NY 10013
phone: 212.925.3797 website
Caramel Boudini
We had dinner at Locanda Verde last week. I’ve been wanting to dine here mainly to taste Karen DeMasco’s desserts. There is a great breakfast spread during the daytime, but it’s too far from my office so I could only try her dinner-hour plated desserts. DeMasco is formerly Pastry Chef of Craft, and has come off a two-year absence from the New York restaurant scene to return to the ovens at Locanda Verde. She has also been in the kitchen of Gramercy Tavern under Claudia Fleming, who remains a strong influence in her work. She was awarded the James Beard Outstanding Pastry Chef Award for 2005. My sister got me The Craft Of Baking for Christmas, and I’m slowly baking my way through it. So far, the recipes are great. Chosing a dessert from this menu was very difficult. I sampled the Maple Budino with candied pecans and apple butternut sorbetto, and also the Lemon Tart with buttermilk gelato and limoncello granita. The maple budino.. ohmygod. The menu is seasonal so it may dissappear soon, but good thing I had it before it’s gone!
Oh, and on the savory front, the lamb sliders there are a must-have.
