Cro-Dough

By now I'm sure everyone's heard of the cronut craze, though I have yet to try one. Why? Waiting on line for 2 hours is not my thing (I scoff at you Apple fangirls/boys), especially at the crack of dawn on a work night.  Plus, it's downtown and I'm midtown, and unfortunately, I don't have a minion (any volunteers??).

Thankfully, A visits Gregory's Coffee frequently and informed me that they started making an imitation cronut. WHAT? And the icing on the cake (er, croissant-donut) is that Gregory's is 2 blocks from my office. Oh, and there's no line.

They call it a "cro-dough" so obviously it's completely different. I've now tried it on two separate occasions (which you already know if you follow me on IG), both times in the early afternoon, as an after-lunch snack. Both times, I found them to be considerably chewy - made more noticeable by the fact that I had some trouble cutting it up with fork&knife. The filling though - Oh!  Change your chewy dough recipe, but don't do anything to the filling! My first try was their regular cream, and yesterday I went for their new chocolate - both incredibly delicious.

It may not be the original, but I'm A-okay with that.

ps. I'm now also in love with their iced coffee. #justsaying


Gregory's Coffee
551 Fashion Avenue

Mini-cupcake war

Our whole office may be dieting, but somewhere in the rulebook, there's an exemption clause for birthday celebrations - especially when they come with cupcakes. But hey, we they don't want to cancel out all that yummy salad we've they've been living off of for the past month, so we compromised and went mini.

We had two birthdays to celebrate within a two week span: MJ & IG's. Our initial plans to try some more cupcakecrew flavors were spoiled by the fact that they weren't accessible on MJ's bday. Boo. But that meant we could finally try Baked by Melissa.


If you're looking for mini, this is as mini as you're going to get, short of eating air. Their cupcakes are quarter size (as in, the size of a quarter), which is great when you want to try out several flavors (or have a room full of dieters who you're celebrating a birthday with), but quite unfulfilling if you've got a sweet tooth.

I personally only tried their special flavor of the month - the firecracker - and I'd have to say it was a party in my mouth! Literally. A fun & unique cupcake to say the least. I'll take it that lack of comments about the other flavors (mint choc chip, cookies & cream, pb & j, red velvet, choc chip pancake, and s'mores) meant they were all good, but nothing to call home about. Either that, or someone wanted to hog all the extras for herself. Would I eat them again? Yeah, probably. But I wouldn't go out of my way to pick some up. Say...like I would for Cupcake Crew.


We were lucky Cupcake Crew was in our neck of the woods for IG's bday, and didn't hesitate to pick some up for... breakfast (what's even better is that we got 6 free since M told them I followed them on twitter!). What'd I try this time? "Cousin Vinny" - a mix of vanilla chocolate chip cake, filled with canoli cream rolled in a fried canoli shell. If that doesn't sound good, then I'm not even sure why you're bothering to read this post. Other flavors in the pickings? Trusty old red velvet, coconut raspberry, chocolate caramel pretzel, vanilla peach, and strawberry balsamic...the latter which I heard tasted kinda gross.


And the conclusion is...? There's always one cupcake in the tray that's going to topple over.


Baked by Melissa
526 7th Ave
(btwn 38 & 39th)

Cupcake Crew
varying locations
but this batch was bought from the corner of 40th & 6th

Starbucks Petites

If food had the capacity to express human emotion, well then, this is definitively emoting our feelings about this work week.

Bleh.

Typical Starbucks baked goods level of deliciousness-- a bit on the oily side, but we can't complain since it's just so darn convenient. And cute!


Starbucks Coffee Company
located everywhere
but bought at
315 7th Ave
b/t 27th & 28th Streets

Happy Post-Thanksgiving Weekend #31

HAPPY [INFORMAL] HOUSEWARMING J & M!!! Oh yeah, and D.

In this basket:
Pumpkin Bread
Frosted Carrot Cake
Pound Cake

It's a first making Pumpkin Bread, and while K thought there wasn't enough Pumpkin taste, E begged to differ. And while K thought there was enough carrot taste, E begged to differ again. The only thing we agreed on was that the pound cake was perfectly browned all around, and the carrot cake could have done with a little less density. We hope everyone had a splendid Thanksgiving. Enjoy some quick breads and this/last week's unrelated posts!

(And I guess we'll get a small ad in here) Rawrs!

Read THIS WEEK'S POSTS here:
The Spot
KoFoo

Read LAST WEEK'S POSTS here:
Cuba Cafe

Related Posts: Happy Weekend #28. Happy Weekend #29. Happy Weekend #30.

Happy Weekend #29

Spicehhhh! Okay, not really.

If you're tired of your good old fashioned milk hot chocolate and want to change things up a bit, Vosges offers this "Aztec Elixir" cocoa. It has: ancho & chipotle chillies + Ceylon cinnamon + Madagascar vanilla bean + cornmeal + dark chocolate - but the bite is ever so slight. It's not as spicy as other Mexican hot chocolates we've tried, but it's a nice deviation from the norm for those days you're feelin' just a tad bit risqué.


We paired it up with some gourmet marshmallows straight from...Chicago! (Thanks L for finding and steering me to them!) So many flavors to choose from, but settled on the coconut and strawberry (pictured), hoping to find them online. Alas, it is not to be, and we'll have to make a trip to Vancouver to pick up some more yummy flavors. ...unless someone tells me they sell them at Wholefoods? (*wishful thinking*)


Read THIS WEEK'S POSTS here:
Bianca's
Congee Village

Read LAST WEEK'S POSTS here:
Luzzo's

Read LAST LAST WEEK'S POSTS here:
Guy & Gallard
'wichcraft



Related Posts: Happy Weekend #26. Happy Weekend #27. Happy Weekend #28.

Paris Baguette

French? Parisian? Er...Korean? We won't bore you with the reason for why we so desperately craved 빵, but after passing by this place whilst returning from a work adventure and then again when returning from ComiCon, we can definitively say, "The craving has been allayed." With A's ravings about their red bean-filled doughnuts in mind, we got a few of those (uh, of course!), while also picking up a red bean bun (hits the spot!), chocolate bread (Wow, chocolatey!), mocha bread (which doesn't taste of mocha, nor bread), and sweet potato cake (It's so surprisingly delicious, we could die!).

These days, we're not sure if it's the eating lunch at our desks or the daily overtime at work that makes us feel pooped to the core, but a sure-fire pick-me-up is some good ole fresh 빵. As A would say, =9


Paris Baguette
6 W 32nd St
b/t 5th Ave & Broadway

Happy Weekend #28

With all these individual apple pies cooling on the rack, it looks like we've finally opened that bakery! Unfortunately, no, not so.

After spending the week working on things intangible that will take months to complete, it's nice to take a day (and a half) to work on something with instant (or day-later) results. Plus, said results are so cute!

In case you're unfamiliar with Williams-Sonoma (Say, what?!), these molds come in a variety of shapes. Even though it's more time consuming to make individual pies, the results are just that much more satisfying. Also, you don't have to share...that's always a plus. Great spices to add to your apples include: cinnamon (well, duh!), ground ginger, nutmeg, and don't forget the salt. Just a little of each goes a long way!


Read THIS WEEK'S POSTS here:
brgr
vivo
FoodParc


Related Posts: Happy Weekend #25. Happy Weekend #26. Happy Weekend #27.

Salted Caramel Shake WAR

(okay fine, more like a war inside my stomach -_-;)

I'm not really allowed to have these (dairy is evil!)...but...I really wanted them. XP I saw the monthly custard menu for Shake Shack, and made an internal vow to try out the salted caramel custard - offered on Mondays this month. Then Friday comes along and my stomach begs for food. Can-not-get-shake-shack. What better substitute for a cheat-day Friday, than Schnipper's?! And low -n- behold, they have salted caramel shakes!

Schnipper's salted caramel shake: $6.50
I loved the saltiness of this shake - though it still could've been saltier - but the caramel taste was sadly lacking. There was a visible squirt of caramel (see image), which was definitely not enough to single-handedly create a detectable caramel taste.

Shakeshack salted caramel shake: $5.25
Ooh, salty! And some distinct caramel taste that kinda lingers in my mouth. More on the fluffy side, but still very filling.


And the WINNER is...

Shakeshack! Overall, their shake had a better blend of flavors, and my preferences sway towards salty-goodness ;p Their shake is smaller in size than Schnipper's, but still way too much for my stomach to handle - especially with an actual lunch to go with it (helloooo 'shroom burger!). So I definitely appreciate the smaller size (and the smaller price!).

...What's your preference?


Schnipper's Quality Kitchen
620 8th Avenue
(btwn 40th & 41st)

Shake Shack
691 8th Ave
(@44th St)

Happy Weekend #25

To our utter astonishment, the end of July has crept up on us, burned away in the blazing heat of greenhouse gases. To your utter astonishment, it appears we've started blogging again. Yeah. Sorry about the hiatus. (But if you aren't currently gasping in surprise at this post...Then, we're not so sorry. Ha.)

This week we're cleaning out the cobwebs in our minds as a means to clean out our Blogger Garage. Enjoy...whatever we can remember. And this Carrot Cake test.

We've come across a few Carrot Cake recipes that also incorporate Pineapple. Always ones to test, this recipe is a compilation of a few recipes. Verdict? Pineapple lends a downright crunchy texture to the cake that we can't say we're too fond. On the bright side, that Dream Creamy White Frosting (yes, that's what it's really called) was a success. It's a great (not quite perfect) combination of White Chocolate, Cream Cheese, Butter, and a wee bit o' Sour Cream and Almond Extract. Let the testing continue!

Read THIS WEEK'S UPDATES here:
Turning Point
Bar Pitti
Bridgeway Diner

Read LAST WEEK'S UPDATES here:
Boqueria Soho
Gregory's Coffee

Read LAST [LAST, LAST] WEEK'S UPDATES here:
Gelato on a Stick
Veniero's (with Pictures)


Related Posts: Happy Weekend #22. Happy Weekend #23. Happy Weekend #24.

Gelato On a Stick

Utter devastation didn't last too long as the West Village Beard Papa's was replaced with a new gelato spot. (Enter inner strife: HALT. Isn't there already a GROM two stores down? But if it's gelato that comes on a stick, it's totally different. Right?)

Unchaperoned and unadvised, KM and I naughtily made our way in the opposite direction of supper to have dessert BEFORE dinner. KM chose the Hazelnut Pop topped with Hazelnuts, Dark Chocolate & Coconut, while I opted for the Chocolate Pop with Granola, Dark Chocolate & Coconut.

The entire wonky experience took less than 10 minutes, which included deciding, instructing, paying, pictures, eating, and 5 minutes of clean-up. We inhaled those suckers. Not because they were that good but because we had to. It melted so quickly, we can't honestly say the gelato was good or bad. Instead of a small bar to stand at, they should install sinks to drip over and wash up afterwards. Were we satisfied? Hell, no. Did we want to walk over to GROM for a civilized gelato experience? OH, yes. Will we be going back to Popbar? Alas, probably not.

The lament for Beard Papa's is back in full force.


Popbar
5 Carmine St
@ 6th Ave

BORBA...?

I've been on this drink kick the past few months. Aside from my daily dose of coffee, I attempt to squeeze in something a little more hydrating and more tasteful than the good ole poland spring. I scanned the shelves at New Star Cafe (where I finally found these!) and the "lychee fruit" on this bottle jumped out at me. Lychee is probably my favorite flavor (at least it is as I'm writing this post), but the whole "skin balance water" had me o.0? This drink is gonna do wonders for my skin??! Hmmm...I'm skeptical. But obviously, I bought it anyway. And it tastes good. I don't have any idea how much it cost me, but I'm sure it was a pretty penny. Short of miraculously curing my skin problems by this afternoon, I'm gonna hold off on purchasing another bottle for a while.

Happy Weekend #23

Obviously we're still suffering from some rare, but serious, form of Jet Lag in the blogosphere.

You may only go on vacation for a week or two... or three, but every other weekday of the year is spent in a groove. So, why is it so hard to get back into that groove?

Maybe it's because you're still dreaming about those Pipers crisps you bought on a last-minute whim at the cafeteria of the Royal Botanical Gardens in Kew. What can I say? We have excellent instincts. And so do them farmers.

If any of you know where we can pick these up in the US, please share your secret!

Read THIS WEEK'S UPDATES here:
Ele Cafe
Village Tart


Related Posts: Happy Weekend #20. Happy Weekend #21. Happy Weekend #22.

La Crêpe Parisienne

Can't you just tell from the picture?

La Crêpe Parisienne
51 Spring St
b/t Lafayette St. & Mulberry St.

Coconut M&M's??!

Ohhh Yeah. How long have I been eyeing these on the m&m website and wondering when the heck they'd mass market these so I could get my hands on them??! Imagine my surprise when I spotted them near the register at a cafe around the corner from my office! I wanted to buy the whole box (and share!), but thought the cashier might look at me like a crazy, and I'd never be able to venture back there again to buy more. We couldn't let that happen. So...I settled on three packs. I went back to the office and gave one away (ain't I nice). And still ended up with 3 packs - work that one out amongst yourselves ;)

Before I forget to mention - they're good. Really good. But, they could be better. Like...if the whole thing was coconut. But, don't get me wrong - I'm quite content with these just as they are. Go get 'em fast - they're limited edition!

Happy Weekend #21

Is it a happy weekend? I'm here, but would like to still be in London, and K's (stuck) in London, but would rather be here. Oh, woe is us. What can we do but wallow in good food!? XP

While in London, we did a little crazy supermarket shopping (armful of junk food anybody?), and M ended up with these bad boys:

I obviously jacked this from their website, as I completely neglected to capture a photo
I refrained from buying any myself (so dumb!), but M shared her's during lunch, and....when do I ever pass up on chips?!? OMG the Caramelised Onion & Sweet Balsamic Vinegar was yummmmmm! And look at all the other flavors they have! If you can find these in the U.S., I'd HIGHLY RECOMMEND you grab a bag for yourself, and about five for me (for now).

Potato chips are my absolute favorite snack, and they go just perfectly with burgers and sandwiches. ;)


Read THIS WEEK'S BURGERWICH UPDATES here:
Five Napkin Burger
Five Guys
Pret A Manger


Related Posts: Happy Weekend #18. Happy Weekend #19. Happy Weekend #20.

Happy Weekend #20

In anticipation of E returning from her trip to London/Paris, this week's posts are dedicated to the delightful Macaron, simultaneously chewy, crunchy, and melts-in-your-mouth. These are pictures of our second stab at homemade macarons. Don't be fooled by the simplicity of the recipe. To get that perfectly circular shape, the perfectly smooth top, and the perfectly crusty bottom is much trickier than anticipated. A trickiness that, quite obviously, remains unmastered. These cookies are expensive for a reason.

Read THIS WEEK'S MACARON UPDATES here:
des macarons français. français?
Macarons GRATUITEMENT, Le Premier
Macarons GRATUITEMENT, Le Deuxième
Ladurée


Related Posts: Happy Weekend #17. Happy Weekend #18. Happy Weekend #19.

LADUREE

What's a visit to Paris without some macarons?! We were pretty sad when they told us the macarons would only keep for FOUR days (refrigerated), as we really wanted to bring these delicacies home to share. So...we were pretty bummed we couldn't bring them home, but that wasn't going to stop us from trying them ourselves! ;P

Flavors pictured & tried: apple, pistachio, praline, coffee, caramel, chocolate, vanilla, lime chocolate, passion fruit chocolate, raspberry chocolate

I'm not sure which was my favorite, but each one was soft chewyness with a sharp distinct taste. Oh so good.

If you're ever in the area, you MUST visit their pretty little store and pick up some of these delights (along with their other various eye-watering yummmies)!


Ladurée
Ladurée Champs Elysées
75 avenue des Champs Elysées
75008 Paris

Ladurée at Harrods
87/135 Brompton Road
London SW1X 7XL

Happy Weekend #19

Happy Easter and Passover to all those who celebrate! What better way to celebrate the resurrection of Christ or the Hebrews' escape from enslavement than with pizza?! Well, we don't observe either, so we don't know any better. One thing we do know is that E's co-worker isn't doing us any favors by introducing these Tastykakes, offered seasonally as part of their Spring Classic Collection:

Uhhh... Coconut Cake? Wrapped in Dark Chocolate? Yes, please!

Oh! And, no worries, you can buy 18 boxes of 6 packs of 2 online. Hippity Hops. Doesn't the name just tickle your funny bone?

Read THIS WEEK'S PIZZA UPDATES here:
OTTO
The ORIGINAL Frank Pepe
Lombardi's


Related Posts: Happy Weekend #16. Happy Weekend #17. Happy Weekend #18.

Happy Weekend #17

With vacation to the UK on our minds, all we can seem to focus on is Shortbread; shortbread this, shortbread that. So, Thanks, Scotland!

These Shortbread sandwiches were made for Valentine's Day and transported directly to Chinatown for the Lunar New Year. Since shortbread is pretty much all about the butter, never skimp on it and always use a high quality butter like: Organic Valley Cultured, Hotel Bar, or Land O' Lakes. Shortbread is a simple recipe to follow, but heightens with spices, extracts, or citrus zests. Also, it's one of the few cookies that retains its shape through baking. So whip out them cookie cutters. Huzzah!

Read THIS WEEK'S UPDATE here:
Cafe 360


Related Posts: Happy Weekend #14. Happy Weekend #15. Happy Weekend #16.

Red Mango

Who hasn't tried Red Mango yet??

If you raised your hand, SHAME ON YOU!

Plain yogurt w/ honey, granola, & raspberries

Plain yogurt w/ Captain Crunch, mochi, & strawberries

Go visit your nearest Red Mango (probably located somewhere near a Pinkberry), and cool off some of this sizzle (fo' shizzle!).

Red Mango
63 W. 14th St.
b/t 5th & 6th Ave