Butter Lane

Ah, Butter Lane, why didn't I find this cupcakery before? The moist, not-too-sweet chocolate, vanilla, or banana cakelets with their lovely dollops of buttercream have sent me over the moon. What other bakery gives you a choice between French or American chocolate toppings, as well as French or American vanilla? Out of all of the different cupcakes I sampled, from chocolate cake topped with strawberry icing and half a strawberry, sea salt caramel icing over a chocolate base, buttery cinnamon honey on a vanilla cake and many more, my favorite has to be the French vanilla over chocolate. This particular buttercream is shot through with vanilla bean, and it is creamier, lighter and not as sweet as some of the other toppings. Its subtlety lets the slight hint of coffee in the chocolate cake radiate through. I wasn't able to try the French Callebaut chocolate meringue icing, as it was sold out, but I plan to try the special seasonal frostings: key lime, lemon, and grapefruit ginger.

Butter Lane: 240 Seventh Ave., Brooklyn, (212) 677-2880. There is also a location in the East Village.

The Best Red Velvet Cupcake I've Ever Eaten

Yes, I know I just wrote about cupcakes. But that was before I walked by Sweet Revenge, which could be described as the Gwen Stefani of bakeries. This sassy little shop serves the most adventurous cupcakes around, and I've already become addicted to two flavors. The cinnamony "Crimson and Cream" is a red velvet concoction that sports a dollop of tart cream cheese icing shot through with raspberry, and the "Dirty" is the deepest, darkest Valrhona chocolate cupcake you're likely to find. I wish I had the metabolism for all 20 flavors.

Sweet Revenge: 62 Carmine St., (212) 242-2240.

Little Cupcake Bakeshop

Just in case you're not quite finished with your holiday overindulging, here's a tip for you: one of the most decadent experiences in NYC awaits you at 30 Prince Street. Open just ten weeks, Little Cupcake Bakeshop is already mobbed, and it's easy to see why. Not only does the place stock every flavor of cupcake imaginable (French toast!), but there are homemade whoopie pies and smores, black and white brownie trifles swirled with raspberry, all kinds of three-layer cakes (red velvet, blue velvet made with blueberries and buttermilk, almond with meringue icing and raspberry-vanilla buttercream filling, maple-iced pumpkin spice), several flavors of cheesecake like Nutella and Oreo, and a long list of enticing winter beverages - the gingerbread latte is apparently quite a draw. It took me three tries to finish the trifle. (And that's saying something.)

Little Cupcake Bakeshop: 30 Prince St., (212) 941-9100.

The Plaza Food Hall

Walking into Todd English's brand-new Plaza Food Hall, I heard someone ask, "What are you in the mood for?" It wasn't a question with an easy answer. There was a sushi bar, a tapas bar, a brick oven for pizza, a cheese/charcuterie/bread/coffee/chocolate counter, a fresh seafood display a la Estiatorio Milos, an Asian dumpling bar, and a grill. Almost every seat was taken except a couple at the tapas bar, so that's where I plunked myself down. However, I was to find that every menu is available wherever one sits. (I wonder if this may change in the future, as there are plates of pesto maki flying all the way from the sushi bar to the folks ordering prime rib sliders at the other end of the room.)

I knew I wanted one of the blueberry-filled lemon meringue cupcakes I'd seen at the front, but I decided to pace myself, ordering... artichoke cacio e pepe, brandade fritters, charred octopus salad, grilled asparagus with preserved lemon zest, and lamb skewers from the tapas bar, a sweet Italian sausage pizza from the brick oven, and some crab salad rolls from the grill. (This was my only meal of the day, I swear.) For me, the standouts were: crab rolls... tons of sweet crabmeat tossed in mustardy aioli, spilling out of three toasted onion brioches; the sausage and aged provolone pizza with a marvelous, chewy crust that was not overcharred in the slightest; and the brandade fritters, which were lightly battered codfish cakes in a pool of romesco sauce and olive oil. (The one false note was the artichoke cacio e pepe, which was acrid and lacked pecorino - I think this simple dish of pasta, tossed only with black pepper and cheese, is perfect as is.) The cupcakes (chocolate grasshopper, strawberry cheesecake, and lemon meringue) were made by English's daughter; the homemade strawberry jam inside the strawberry cheesecake was a lovely surprise.

Now I'd like to go back to try the Kobe pastrami, the whole branzino, and the prime rib sliders!

(ETA: I just went back for lunch today, and I want to mention how accommodating the hosts were to my baby-in-stroller. When I'd requested outdoor seating at Sarabeth's, I was refused and told that I'd be creating a fire hazard. But when I got off the escalator and strolled into the Food Hall, a smiling lady led me to the seafood counter and let me park my City Mini right in the corner.)

The Plaza Food Hall: 1 West 59th St., Plaza Hotel, Concourse.

Colson Patisserie

It hasn't taken long for the subway platforms to heat up, even though the weather has warmed only recently. The other day, I stepped off of the Park Slope F train, craving refreshment. Fortunately, a cool drink and a cup of gelato were only a block away. Colson Patisserie, which is known for scones and muffins which are wholesaled to cafes around the city (Cafe Grumpy is one), also makes its own gelato, sorbet and iced tea. The iced tea comes in mint, blood orange, pear, ceylon, chai, and pineapple papaya varieties, and the other day there was a special lemon-myrtle mint. As for gelato and sorbet, there are flavors like balsamic strawberry and brownie; the delicious Italian espresso dessert known as affogato is offered with a scoop of vanilla.

Colson Patisserie: 374 9th St., Brooklyn, (718) 965-6400.

Demel

It's pouring out today, but if you can bring yourself to leave the apartment, there's a cozy new bakery-cafe you must check out. About a week ago, Austria's famous Demel (founded 1786) set up shop down in the depths of the Plaza's retail area. If you go, I recommend that you order a double espresso with whipped cream (all coffee comes with sugared, chocolate-covered hazelnuts) while you make your selection from one of the most enticing dessert menus in the city. Then, sit back and hope your selection hasn't already been consumed by another lucky patron! When I visited yesterday, I delighted in the warm milk souffle cake with a flask of thick vanilla cream, the dense chocolate truffle cake, the yogurt cheesecake layered with raspberries, and a slice of pound cake topped with strawberries and kiwis. But the signature Viennese apple strudel, Sacher torte and chocolate nougat cakes were but a memory.

Apparently, pastry chefs Edward Jemal and Rahout Michael make daily deliveries to Demel, but if this insatiable demand continues, they will have to deliver on the hour!

Demel: The Plaza Retail Collection, 1 West 58th St., (212) 572-0989.

Abraco

Are you tired of all those boring muffins and croissants at your local coffee shop? Then head over to this tiny East Village cafe. Olive oil cake, cured black olive cookies, ricotta fritters and orange bread puddings are imaginative accompaniments for Abraco's great cappuccinos. (If you want something less exotic, try the chocolate chunk cookies.)

Abraco: 86 East 7th St., (212) 388-9731.

Batch (3/2009 CLOSED)

"You've come at just the right time," said Pichet Ong. He was preparing a plate of chocolate truffles for sampling. And these weren't just any chocolate truffles; they were the salted butter caramel, basil balsamic, white chocolate jasmine and saffron Pernod concoctions of Ellen Mirsky. She's selling 6-piece boxes of them at Batch, Pichet Ong's delightful addition to P*ong.

My timing had been horrendous earlier this week. I'd attempted to visit Batch on Monday after reading a newspaper article which incorrectly stated that the sweets shop was open every day. Unfortunately, Batch is closed on Mondays! Naturally, I had to make up for lost time. So I filled up on luscious raspberry cream cake, dense, fudgy chocolate mint cookies, a big chocolate chunk cookie, and a cake topped with thin slices of bananas. Oh, and those truffles.

Batch: 150B West 10th St., (212)929-0250.

Ciao For Now

No, I'm not going on vacation (until sometime in 2008, anyway); this post refers to a really delightful East Village bakery. If you favor savory baked goods as well as sweet ones, you'll really appreciate the offerings here: potato puffs filled with goat cheese and red pepper, bacon cheddar biscuits, and "not-frittatas" with egg, Swiss, spinach, potato and caramelized onions. And of course there's something for those of you who begin the day with something sweet: polenta muffins with a lemon lavender glaze, apple turnovers, and apple oat scones glazed with maple and vanilla. There are also various sandwiches and cookies.

(By the way, if you don't want to attend a Christmas party empty-handed, ask for the special holiday cookie box - you get 30 cookies for only $20.)

Ciao For Now: 504 East 12th St., (212) 677-2616.

Amai Tea & Bake House (CLOSED AS OF 4/19/09)

I have a free-floating scone obsession. It first attached itself to the oat scones at Balthazar Bakery. Then, it was transferred to the buttered walnut scone at Cheeks. (That scone is lovely with an apple slice and a bit of cheddar.) After that, there was the sugarless fruit scone at Joe Coffee. My obsession briefly morphed into a muffin obsession, which was satisfied only by the diminutive maple muffins at Kyotofu. But today, in full force, it returned to its original manifestation when I entered the new Amai Tea & Bake House.

I had been watching the space for ages, ever since I first caught sight of the owner's popular Lovescool blog, which announced the impending opening of the cafe. Finally I went in tonight, and became starry-eyed with scones! Earl Grey currant? Greenmarket cheddar with pepper? Vanilla bean? I thought I would go insane. And then there was the lavender butter...

(... and dark chocolate brownies, and quince chocolate brownies, and green tea cupcakes with nice big swirls of green buttercream on top, and butternut squash tarts adorned with pumpkin seeds, and chocolate espresso tarts...)

Did I mention they serve tea?

Amai Tea & Bake House: 171 3rd Ave., (212) 863-9630.

Madeleine Patisserie

La famille Goupil is here from France to delight us with a rainbow of macarons at their month-old Madeleine Patisserie. These light, flaky buttercream cookie sandwiches are not to be confused with the super-sweet, leaden coconut pucks known as macaroons!

When I arrived at the bakery today, I was under the mistaken impression that the selections were limited. I saw a few berry tarts, a jar of chocolate-chip madeleines and some baskets of croissants. But in a few minutes, trays full of the brightly-colored macarons started to appear. "What is that bright purple one!" I asked. "Cassis." "Oh, and that one!" "Those are hot chocolate with coffee, pistachio, lemon chocolate..." Lemon chocolate? To me, that combination sounded unorthodox, but it was surprisingly good... smooth, tangy chocolate buttercream filling and cocoa-dusted yellow cookie. "Those pink ones with sesame, those are strawberry? Just give me 12 different flavors," I sputtered. Now either they thought I was insane and wanted me to leave, or they appreciated my interest, because they gave me an extra box of macarons - for free.

Madeleine Patisserie: 128 West 23rd St., (212) 243-2757.

La Bergamote

Are you tired of packing your picnic basket with PBJs? One way to liven up your lunch is to avail yourself of the sandwich selection at La Bergamote, a French bakery in Chelsea. All varieties come on a large baguette, and there's way more than the typical ham and brie! Try the garlic sausage, duck rillettes, smoked trout, chicken mousse with Blue cheese and walnuts, or the pheasant with cognac! Of course, there's always the chance that you won't be able to get past the display of pastries like Paris Brest and baba au rhum, but I can't vouch for their ability to withstand the hot August sun.

La Bergamote: 169 9th Ave., (212) 627-9010.

Kyotofu NYC: Opening Today!

Well, the grand opening of this new Japanese bakery is actually November 6, but you can get a sneak peek of the offerings starting tonight at 6:30 p.m. There will be a full bar including sake and shochu, and treats like sansho pepper cheesecake, chocolate chestnut mochi cake, fresh ginger sticky rice pudding, green tea cookies, and homemade sweet black sesame tofu. (I've been waiting quite a while for this!)

Edited to add: You must try the black-sesame-cake-bottomed sansho cheesecake, which is served with plum carpaccio and crystallized ginger!

Kyotofu NYC: 705 Ninth Ave. (212) 974-6012.

Baked NYC

I've fallen head over heels in love. Unfortunately, the object of my desire is in another borough. However, this elusiveness only makes me pine away all the more. Lest you start worriedly E-mailing my companion, I'll reveal that both of us are enjoying my new beloved: Baked NYC!

Baked is the sexiest, most adult bakery I've found in NYC, with its Scotch-laced chocolate pudding and fleur de sel-sprinkled sweet-and-salty caramel cake. Other creative cakes are the red-hot cinnamon buttercream with Valrhona cocoa, and the fortune-cookie topped almond green-tea. I've also tried a delectable cornmeal muffin accented with rosemary, a mixed berry scone with a slight tinge of lemon, and the icebox cake: a sort of gourmet Oreo with chocolate wafers and pastry cream.

Unfortunately, Baked is a 20-minute walk from the Carroll Street subway station. If you want to cut that walk in half, just walk down Union Street past the BQE into the Columbia Heights neighborhood - you'll find many Baked goods at Coffee Den on the corner.

Baked NYC: 359 Van Brunt St., (718) 222-0345.

The Ultimate Chocolate Eclair

If there's a better chocolate éclair than the one at Jacques Torres, I haven't found it. Chocolate cream, fluffy as pudding, is generously piped into a moist, eggy éclair shell, one half of which is thinly coated with what amounts to an entire semisweet chocolate bar criss-crossed with white chocolate. Why did I only buy one?

Jacques Torres Chocolate: 66 Water St., Brooklyn, (718) 875-9772, and 350 Hudson St., (212) 414-2462.

Summer's Last Berries at Almondine

It seems that summer has made a brief reappearance. Almondine, the French bakery owned by Jacques Torres and Herve Poussot, is celebrating by making use of the season's ripe strawberries in a refreshing ice cream shake topped with real whipped cream. The fresh berries are also featured atop a layer of pastry cream in Almondine's fruit tarts ($3.50). If raspberries are more your style, try the sugar-sprinkled raspberry version.

Almondine, 85 Water St., Brooklyn, (718) 797-5026.

A Very Exciting Package

I've just received an awfully intriguing package courtesy of Yellow Cottage Bakery, a small Wisconsin operation which specializes in chocolate-iced brownies. The package contains one dozen brownies in four varieties: chocolate, chocolate chunk, chocolate walnut and chocolate pecan. The treats are made with 100% natural ingredients like pure vanilla and Wisconsin butter.

Since I just spent the weekend at Mitsuwa's Hokkaido Food Festival, my appetite is somewhat compromised, but I should be able to fit in a brownie or two this evening. I'll report my brownie tasting results soon.

Updated to add: I hereby pronounce these brownies fudgy and wonderful!

Gribouille Patisserie Traditionelle (CLOSED)

"We printed out 100 take-out menus this morning, but they're already gone," said Timothy, the Parisian owner of the two-week-old Gribouille. I'm gratified at the instant popularity of this wonderul bakery-cafe! Among its many offerings are: quiche Lorraine both with and without bacon, Petrossian salmon sandwiches on fresh-baked brioche, organic omelettes, chocolate or coffee eclairs, lemon tarts, and delectable meringue-topped chocolate cupcakes. (Don't forget to ask for a "carte de fidelite" - once you've bought 10 pastries, they give you one free!) Timothy told me that he loves having his own cafe because he can serve all of his favorite foods. (They will likely become your favorites too.)

Gribouille Patisserie Traditionelle: 2 Hope St., Williamsburg, Brooklyn, (718) 384-3100.

Fresh-Baked Cookies...

...and performance art. Where might you find this juxtaposition? At PS1 Contemporary Art Center (22-25 Jackson Ave, LIC, Queens) this Sunday, April 9th from 3-6 p.m. The Scratch 'n Sniff Duo will be baking cookies while mixing live beats and sounds to celebrate the opening of PS1's "Reprocessing Reality" exhibit. Admission is free, and the cookies are as well.

Bouchon Bakery Snafu

As someone who hasn't yet scored a reservation at Per Se (I'm not very persistent), I was thrilled about the recent opening of Thomas Keller's Bouchon Bakery. However, my first experience was disappointing, and not because of the pastries (which were excellent).
I stepped out of the elevator, and there across from the A/X store was a display of the most exquisite danishes and tarts. Being in a comfort-food mood, I skipped over the beautiful mille-feuille napoleons and, in quick succession, ordered two vegetable jardiniere sandwiches, one giant chocolate-chip cookie, a TKO (buttercream Oreo) cookie, two "bouchons" (slightly-bigger-than-bite-sized brownies), a tuna Nicoise on ciabatta, an Illy cappuccino and finally, a beribboned bag of the aforementioned bouchons (I thought my grandmother might like them).

After browsing at Borders, I subwayed home and prepared to enjoy one of the jardinnieres, which had been advertised as containing sweet piquillo peppers. To my dismay, I realized that the bag was missing several important items. The two vegetable sandwiches were absent, but in a far greater tragedy for a chocolate-lover, the bag of bouchons was missing!

Morosely, I munched on my (terrific, olive-heavy) tuna Nicoise as I pondered whether I should call the bakery to try to claim the missing edibles. I'd paid in cash and hadn't kept my receipt.

There was no direct line to the bakery, just a voice recording, so I left a message for the cafe manager. She called back almost immediately and apologized, saying that if I returned, she would make sure that I received the sandwiches and "something extra for my trouble." By this time, the cafe was about to close, so I'd have to wait at least a day.

After one taste of the bouchon (meltingly chocolatey even at room temperature) I realized that I must return as soon as possible. The next day, I went back to the bakery, but the manager I had spoken with was not there! I explained my predicament to the slightly suspicious cafe personnel, and they packed up a bag of sandwiches, gherkins and bouchons for me.

Bouchon Bakery is definitely worth a second visit, no matter what the reason!

Bouchon Bakery: Shops at Columbus Circle, 3rd Floor, (212) 823-9366.