NYC Tastes

Wow, it seems like September was just yesterday and now Thanksgiving and the holiday season are already upon us!  I started my own personal celebration last week, cozying up to the bar of Otto for their seasonal Pumpkin Coppetta. Two squares of spice cake topped with creamy pumpkin gelato, candied pecans, whipped cream and a decadent maple bourbon caramel sauce that I would like to pour on just about everything.  This is the perfect dessert for any pumpkin lover in your life.  Hope everyone has a wonderful day relaxing with good food and family.  Happy Thanksgiving! Otto Pizzeria One 5th Avenue New York, NY 10003

The family week continued after Upland with a stop at the Arlo Rooftop for a bottle of rose and then onto an itzakya dinner at Sake Bar Hagi before the Book of Mormon.  Monday we decided to uptown to my fathers favorite place in the city for lunch Cafe Sabarsky.  This gorgeous restaurant is styled after the great Viennese Cafes from the turn of the century.  In addition to hearty platters of Bavarian Sausage and Wiener Schnitzel, Sabaraky is the perfect spot to indulge in some wonderful desserts. My father and I always get the same thing the beautiful Klimttorte, a chocolate and hazelnut layer cake studded with smooth chocolate ganache and a shiny gold leaf.  It's a rich, elegant dessert that pairs perfectly with one of their strong Viennese coffees. My Mom always gets the classic Apple Strudel while my brother tried out the Schwarzwalder Kirschtorte, a light chocolate cake with whipped cream and cherries.  I honestly don't think there's any dessert he...

Easter is right around the corner and what could be better than bringing along some incredible desserts from Dominique Ansel Kitchen.  I highly suggest the West Village Caramel Chocolate Cake a crispy sea salt wafer base layered with dark chocolate mousse, chocolate cake and caramel cremeux that's lightly soaked in bourbon (yes BOURBON) then topped with a milk chocolate icing.  It's truly one of the best chocolate cakes in all of New York City. For those who enjoy the fruitier side of life there's the Hidden Apple Tart Tatin made with caramelized apples, caramel mousse and Chantilly cream covered in a gorgeous pate a choux lattice.. Honestly everything from Dominique Ansel is amazing so no matter what you choose it's sure to be a big hit. Dominique Ansel Kitchen 137 7th Avenue South at Charles Street New York, NY 10014

I was devastated three years ago when Nancy Olson left Gramercy Tavern to move back to her native North Dakota.  She created some absolutely incredible desserts including my favorite ice cream treat of all time the  Blueberry Corn Sundae .  I honestly thought that masterpiece was gone forever until I found a similar creation just last week at sister restaurant Maialino. Blackberry takes the place of blueberry in this dessert with a rich mascarpone gelato drizzled with caramel sweet corn and blackberry compote then topped with a crispy popcorn cookie.  It's got that incredible sweet and savory balance I love so much and those fresh blackberries really showcase our fantastic New York State farms.  I split this dessert with friends on my birthday and then returned the very next day to have one all to myself :) Maialino Gramercy Park Hotel 2 Lexington Avenue at 21st Street New York, NY 10010

I love living so close to all of Danny Meyers restaurants.  It's so easy to pop into Gramercy Tavern for a bite at the bar, Blue Smoke for some ribs or over to Maialino for a glass of wine and a delicious dessert. The seasonal Strawberry Rhubarb Sundae was catching my eye on my last visit but the Hazelnut Chocolate Bread Pudding won out in the end (as chocolate usually does). Rich eggy cake sitting atop a swirl of hazelnut cream and topped with a dollop of Vanilla Bean Marscapone and Praline crunchies.  Bread Pudding perfection. Maialino 2 Lexington Avenue at 21st Street New York, NY 10010

Please don't be put off by the crazy flurry of chocolate crunchies scattered across this cake. Things got a little jumbled as I carried this home but I assure you there were no crunchies lost in transit.  This is the incredible S'more Ice Cream Cake from Parm in SOHO. Most people are familiar with the original Pistachio, Chocolate and Strawberry cake (always a classic) but I prefer the insanity of the S'more with layers of Toasted Marshmallow, Chocolate and Graham Cracker Ice Cream layered with rich chocolate crunchies, a toasted marshmallow on top and a graham cracker crumble crust.   This is the perfect marriage of everything I love in life...which I why I shared with Mr. T for our anniversary.  One great marriage deserves another :) Parm 248 Mulberry Street at Prince Street New York, NY 1001 2

Tuesday are pretty much the worst day of the week in every sense so I usually skip a regular lunch and go straight for some caffeine and sugar.  Lucky for me the newest location of Maison Kayser opened right across from my Brooklyn office...enter the Cafe Gourmand. A signature Parisien treat with espresso, macchiato or coffee paired with three mini desserts and a perfect financier on the side.   On my visit a delicate creme puff, raspberry tart and chocolate passion fruit were the chefs chosen desserts; each one a little bite of pastry heaven just perfect for getting through the day. Maison Kayser 57 Court Street Brooklyn, NY 11201

I was wandering around the Upper East Side and stumbled across this incredibly cute new bakery called Padoca right on the corner of 68th Street.  They had a great mix of both sweet and savory items like fluffy Egg & Cheese Brioche, thick Brazilian French and cheese filled Empanada's.  Of course I went straight for something sweet their signature Rocky Road Cookie. The dough was super soft with slivers of milk chocolate and walnuts studding the inside and big fluffy orange marshmallows on top just for Halloween.  Cookie perfection! Padoca Bakery 359 East 68th Street New York, NY 10065

My domination of every Ample Hills Creamery flavor continues.  Since my  last post  I've had the wonderful Nonna D's Oatmeal Lace with brown butter cinnamon ice cream; the intense Salted Crack Caramel with butter caramel ice cream and chocolate butter saltines (too intense for Mr. T) and finally the Raw Deal- Vanilla Ice Cream with chocolate flakes and brown butter chocolate cookie dough. As you can see it looks a bit like a classic cookies and cream scoop but once you dig down deep the cookie dough balls emerge. I really liked the sweet flavor of the brown butter dough but I honestly thought there was a bit too much inside.  About halfway through the cup I was out of ice cream and had only balls of dough left. I'll hope for a better dough to ice cream ratio my next visit.  My favorite continues to be that incredible Sweet as Honey.  I'm not sure anything this summer will beat it- until next visit! Ample Hills Creamery Brooklyn Bridge Park- Pier 5 Broo...

Mr. T and I were two of only eight lucky people to score opening night reservations for Dominique Ansel's dessert only tasting menu Unlimited Possibilities (aka U.P.).  The tiny space above Dominique Ansel Kitchen was transformed into a cozy candlelit space with jazz music playing overhead and table that descended from the ceiling for us to dine (check out his table descending video  here ). The meal began with an array of fresh veggies, a little something raw to cleanse the palate for the desserts to come. The eight course tasting menu was designed around the "first" of everything in life.  Dominique explained that he not only wanted to focus on the flavors but also recreate the emotions that went along with each of these experiences.  A week before dining each guest received an email asking to reply with his/her first word and course number one was designed around each response. First Word - sweet pea, rice milk, gin, carrot cake, yogur...

Well it only took me two years but I finally got the legendary Cronut from Dominique Ansel.  I actually got a Monday pre-order right at the start of July which meant no waiting in line and a brand new flavor of the month- Rum Caramelized Banana and Brown Sugar Ganache. I'm kind of obsessed with Bananas Fosters so getting the Cronut in this flavor was like a dream come true.  Thick Banana frosting layered the top with specks of real banana dotting the horizon and layers upon layers of fluffy pastry below stuffed with brown sugar ganache. The outside of the cronut was where the rum caramelization took place giving the sides a sticky sweet crunch with each bite.  I was honestly expecting it to be a bit more flaky like a croissant when in fact it's much more doughy and dense like a doughnut, but incredibly delicious and satisfying nonetheless.  I actually ate too many and gave myself a nice tummy ache but that's usually my M.O.  No stopping this sweet toot...

There are lots of incredible bakeries in NYC, but when I'm truly looking to impress I head to Lady M Cake Boutique for her dazzling array of cakes and pastries. I've been obsessed with their wondrous Mille Crepe for years but the other offerings as just as fabulous like the Gateau aux Marrons and Strawberry Mille Feuille. This towering mass has layers of strawberries, whipped cream, sponge cake and strawberry jam all sandwiched between flaky, buttery pastry.  The only challenge is getting a bite of everything at once. Lady M Cake Confections 36 West 40th Street @5th Avenue New York, NY 10018

After our Brooklyn crawl we landed in the East Village hungry for some fresh seafood at one of our favorite places Upstate Oyster Bar.  As usual with such a popular and tiny space we had to wait about an hour for a table.  Luckily they take your name and send a text when it's ready so it's really just a little extra free time to walk around or grab a drink or two nearby.   The menu changes daily but I highly suggest starting out with a big round of fresh oysters and one of the specials of the day.  On my visit the Scallops with Mushroom Risotto were absolute perfection. Big and crispy outside with that hearty rich pasta...yum. Mr. T ordered his usual seafood go-to the Bouillabaisse chock full of fresh lobster, fish, shrimp and crab meat.  The meal at Upsate always ends with a free slice of lemon pound cake which is just delightful but I had bigger plans for my dessert :) We recently celebrated my friends birthday at nearby Spanish restaurant Huert...

I'm always amazed by Christina Tosi's desserts at Momofuku Milk Bar.  Take for instance the classic birthday cake.  For many of us this cake evokes the vision of a small round cake with birthday candles, sprinkles and funfetti frosting.  Tosi takes this classic memory and amps it up Momofuku style. Big balls of rainbow cake crumbles stud the creamy vanilla frosting on top... ...then layer upon layer of fluffy rainbow cake and rich vanilla icing sit below.  I love how she leaves the sides untouched so each layer can be drooled over from every angle.  If cakes not your thing Tosi also does pie like the decadent Candy Bar Pie with pretzel and fudge, the sticky Caramel Apple or the ridiculous Crack Pie dusted with powdered sugar (just like a classic Chess pie from the South). If you can't decide just order the Franken Pie which includes all three.  No matter what your dessert dreams may be chances are Tosi has it. Momofuku Milk Bar Multiple Locat...

Every time I trek to the Upper East Side I make a quick stop at Payard for a treat or two. It's impossible to pass up the gorgeous Louvre Cake... ...chocolate and hazelnut mousse layered with hazelnut dacquoise, hazelnut wafer and enrobed in a shiny chocolate glaze.  It's one of my favorite desserts of all time. Mr. T always sticks with classic French pastries like the eclair. Payard's version is much more elegant than you find in most places.  The classic choux dough is baked to a gorgeous golden brown, stuffed with pastry creme then topped with a thick coffee fondant. This begs to be eaten slowly with a nice frothy macchiato on the side. Francois Payard Bakery 1293 3rd Avenue at 74th Street New York, NY 10021

I really can't walk through the West Village without stopping into Dominique Ansel for one of his incredible creations.  This time I was having a serious craving for chocolate...not just a little square of chocolate but a rich, decadent kind of chocolate craving....enter the Chocolate Pecan cookie. This cookie was flourless so it had that super chewy texture inside with crisp edges and a thick fudgy middle that was everything rich and decadent I was hoping for. It's honestly more like a brownie than a cookie but I'm not one to argue with Dominique Ansel...he's keeping my chocolate quota completely filled. Dominique Ansel 189 Spring Street between Thompson & Sullivan New York, NY 10012

In an effort to cure the Monday blues I head for something sweet.  Usually a Lindor truffle will do but for those really tough Mondays I head to the bar at Gramercy Tavern. Three scoops of creamy Sour Cherry Ice Cream, sour creme whip, loads of real sour cherries on the bottom and hot fudge with a sprinkle of salt on top.  Those Monday blues seem light years away... Gramercy Tavern

People recognize the start of summer in different ways...some by their first trip to the beach, others by that initial 90 degree day, for me it's when Gramercy Tavern brings back a fresh strawberry dessert to their menu...this time the Strawberry Coup. Plump, fresh strawberries atop of tangy yuzu custard, tart strawberry sorbet, graham cracker crumbles, fresh basil and a dollop of creme cheese.   Paired with the fruity Lolita lambic from Goose Island and I would say summer has officially arrived! Gramercy Tavern