Magnolia Bakery in NYC, New York - Average cupcakes...

I heard about Magnolia Bakery in New York City for many years but never went there. In fact, a long time ago, I went to a restaurant on top of the Bakery Midtown, restaurant that is now closed.

Cupcakes are really big here and I do not know if one day they will be as big in France. Why? Because there are so many different pastries with some many different flavors that I am not sure people would be attracted to it. However, what makes the difference is that cupcakes offer, for the same concept, a wide range of possibilities: you can make different types of cake, have some cream or fruits in it and then have an infinite choice of frosting and decoration. A Millefeuille (close to a Napoleon) is a millefeuille!

So we went to Magnolia Bakery Midtown. The place was a mad house! You can have cakes like banana cream pie or order coffee or tea besides cupcakes. Of course, most of the people will go for the cupcakes. And the scene is always the same: pick, pay and inhale!

So we went for the vanilla cupcake and the red velvet cupcake. Red velvet has to be good! If a bakery does not know how to make it, there is a big chance they do not have good cupcakes! I was wrong: the red velvet frosting was pretty good but the cake was very dry (very red too: they must have put a lot of food coloring in it). 

I preferred the vanilla one: great frosting, not too sweet and the cake was moist.

I am not sure I would go back to Magnolia Bakery but have to note two things that I liked: 

• The ratio cake / frosting was perfect. I hate when there is too much cake! The best is the frosting!
• The box to carry the cupcakes is perfect as lots of bakery just offer regular boxes and the cupcakes will roll in it.

I was not wowed by Magnolia bakery to be honest. I may have to try another time...

Enjoy (...)!

And remember: I just want to eat!

Chocolate croissant from La Tropezienne Bakery in Harlem, NYC

Last week, I had to go to work quite early for a meeting and my boss decided to treat us with croissants. Considering the time we needed to be there, he asked one of my colleagues who leaves in Harlem, to go to his bakery and grab a variety of viennoiseries. That is how we ended up with croissants, pains au chocolat (chocolate croissants) and brioches from La Tropezienne Bakery. The name probably comes from the Tarte Tropézienne, that is a tart of pastry cream (crème pâtissière) invented by a St. Tropez pastry Chef named Alexandre Micka in the 1950s, based on a recipe he brought from his native Poland. In 1955, he was chef on the set of the film And God Created Woman (Dir: Roger Vadim) when actress Brigitte Bardot suggested he names the cake Tarte de St Tropez. He decided to call it La Tropézienne.

I tried the pain au chocolat: it was delicious! Flaky, buttery, but not to the point where it becomes too greasy!

The brioche was also perfect. For those who do not know, the difference between Challah bread and brioche is replacing the water with milk for brioches. 

I am always happy to find good croissants / chocolate croissants around here! I heard they have good pastries: I will have to check that out some day!

Enjoy (I did)!

Choc-O-Pain! Finally a French Bakery in Hoboken, NJ!!!

Updated on February 26th 2012 (see at the end of this post).

It has been a long time my wife and I were talking about the need for a nice French bakery in Hoboken. And finally, it opened! Beginning of 2012, Cho-O-Pain opened!

For sure, the location is off Washington street, the main street of Hoboken and hopefully, there will be enough buzz so they attract many people to try their breads, viennoiseries (croissants, chocolate croissants, brioches, etc...).

The place is not that small and you can either order to go or to eat there. The service was very nice and polite and I was please to talk to some fellow French people!

They have plenty of breads, even some epis ones! Luckily, they had some samples and what I tried was pretty good and authentic. They also sell sandwiches like the traditional ham and cheese!

Of course, they had quiches and pizza (French ones)! They also serve croque monsieur, that I am sure are good.

On our side, we tried first the brioche: although it looked burnt on the top, it was delicious! Buttery, but not too much.

Then, we tried the lemon tart (tarte au citron) with meringue on top. This was awesome! Although I would have preferred a more buttery crust (a pate sablee would have been perfect). The meringue was addictive. Definitely a great pastry.

I definitely have to try the breads, pizza, quiches and sandwiches from Choc-O-Pain! In fact I have to try everything! I am so excited that a French bakery opened finally in Hoboken! Bonne chance!

Update February 26th 2012:

So we went back for brunch today to Choc-O-Pain. I was very excited to try something different.

When we arrived, it was packed! I explored a bit the restaurant: first, the main floor is where the kitchen is. You can see what is going on there by looking through a glass. You can order to go or to stay. If you stay, you can either sit in one of the tables or at the communal table, or go upstairs where there are few tables and seats. The entire place, especially upstairs has a very rustic feel. 

We went for the ham & cheese sandwich: I thought I was in France! The bread was so good, so crispy. A perfect baguette!

Then we had the Tarte aux poireaux (leeks tart): I did not have this for years and loved it.

We finished with a fantastic Tarte aux poires (pear tart). It was made with almond paste and was sublimely buttery.

I have to say that it was great! Same quality as what you would find in a good boulangerie (bakery) in France. So if you do not have the luxury to travel, go there for a bit of France!

Enjoy (I did)!

And remember: I just want to eat!

Restaurant Information

tabelog.us

	* Restaurant Name
	Choc O Pain
	* Overall
	★★★☆☆
	* Neighborhood / Cuisine
	New Jersey / French
	* Street Address
	157 1st St., Hoboken, NJ 07030
	* Phone
	(201) 710-5175

Snacks at Momofuku Milk Bar in NYC!

Saturday was a perfect day for a walk. Of course, walking burns calories, so you need to replenish your system with a snack (hehe). Hence the visit to Momofuku Milk Bar in the East Village...

Momofuku is a group of restaurants (Momofuku noodle Bar, Momofuku Ssiam...) owned by Chef David Chang. In Japanese, it could be translated to "Lucky peach", but Chef David Chang once mentioned that it was in honor of Momofuku Ando, the inventor of the instant ramen.

There are several locations for the Milk Bar. The one in the East Village is small and I was not surprised to see a big line waiting to get their treats! They propose different items: Milk Shakes, pies, cookies...but not your regular ones. For instance, the special of the day was a deep fried apple pie that my arteries would have surely appreciated.

I went for the cereal milk milkshake: I love milkshakes. Surprisingly, one of the best milkshakes are at...McDonald's! So I tried this one: it was thick for sure and tasted like the milk that is remaining in your bowl after you have eaten all your corn flakes. I thought there would be a bit of crunchiness, but it was not the case. It was just ok for me. I think it would have been better with chocolate cereals! Everything is better with chocolate!

Then I tried the cookie: I chose the corn flakes, chocolate chips and marshmallow cookie. I liked it! It was very chewy with a nice layering of taste of the three main ingredients. However, the chocolate chips were small.

I then finished with the cake bites. We picked Birthday cake (that is in fact a birthday truffle). It was very good. Although I had in mind the cake bites we got in the Public Market in Milwaukee. Maybe it is the lack of chocolate to cover the cake. Still, I would have that again!

If I were in the area and if I was hungry, I would probably go back for the cookies and cake bites, but I do not think I would go back just for this place. It was good, but clearly it did not wow me like Spot Dessert Bar did!

Enjoy (I did)!

Bagel on the Hudson in Hoboken - Great Bagels!

I love a good bagel with either cream cheese and lox or tuna salad. Finding a good bagel place is not that easy. In New York, my favorite is H&H bagels. In Hoboken, it is Bagel on the Hudson. It is a small place that makes awesome bagels! 

My favorite bagels are the plain and the everything (topped with a poppy seed, sesame seed, garlic, onion and salt mixture - photo below).

They of course have other standard bagels like egg, whole wheat or salt.

If you do not have anything to put on your bagel, they sell lox, cream cheese or tuna salad. All of good quality.

This is definitely a great place for bagels!

Enjoy (I did)!

Spot Dessert Bar in New York, New York - Bring me a shovel!

Just hearing the name, you want to go! A DESSERT BAR!!! I did not even need to show an id to be able to enter there.

This place is quite interesting: located on St Marks, it is easy to miss. But I can tell you that not that many people missed it: it was packed (quite noisy too)! The concept is interesting: Classic "American" desserts with an Asian twist. I put American between quotes because  a lot of desserts are from around the world such as the creme brulée or the tiramisu.

The restaurant is not that big, so be patient if you go on a week end! In term of decor, it is mainly made of wood and most of the furniture is made of repurposed material. I also noticed some kind of plastic grass here and there...

If your well placed, you will have the chance to see the staff preparing desserts (real beehive over there) and you can't keep looking at the desserts they are bringing to the tables. 

The service was efficient and courteous. Despite the fact that it was packed and they needed our table, the waiter, after we payed, proposed us some more water and started to talk to us.

Now, let's talk about the most important thing: the desserts!

Imagine that they call regular desserts Tapas. Trust me: these are no tapas but regular desserts size. They propose for a discounted price to a combination of dishes (2,3,4,5...). We went for three and picked:

The Thai Tea creme brulée, served with a flour less jasmine rice wafer and a hot thai tea. Great presentation: it was served on a slate and the orange color of both the tea and dessert were vibrant. They added a bit of playfulness by providing additional syrup and condensed milk in case people want more flavor for their tea. Although the presentation was great, I did not really like the creme brulée.

The Chocolate Green Tea Lava, served with a green tea ice cream. The cake was delicious and not as sweet as what I would have expected! I loved the first bite when you see this mixture of chocolate and green tea fall off the cake like...lava. Very nice color. However, I did not like the ice cream: it had a very bitter taste. This was, with the Tea-Ramisu, one of the items that I saw the most leaving the kitchen.

The Green Tea-Ramisu made of matcha green tea essence, green tea madeleine sponge, shaved white chocolate-green tea. Let me tell you that, like the other desserts, the presentation was outstanding! It was served in a wooden box and had an incredibly vibrant green color. The taste was to die for, not too sweet and not bitter at all despite the fact that everything was with green tea! I think I still remember the first bite! The addition of the white chocolate was a great idea as it added some flavor to the dish. This was definitely my favorite!

We also tried a Tahitian Coconut cupcake: the cake was very good and moist and the cream cheese frosting delicious. It had a perfect proportion cake / frosting. Next time, I have to try the red velvet!

At the end of the day, even if I did not like all the desserts or part of it, I would go back: Chef Kittichai is very creative and the twist he is giving to these desserts makes this place unique. They are also serving brunch, so you may see me there one day, enjoying a crepe or a waffle!

Enjoy (I did)!

If you went to this restaurant or have a question or comment about this post, do not hesitate to leave a comment!

Delicious Banana Cream Pie from Billy's Bakery in NYC! Updated on 1/22/12

My wife has always been a big fan of Billy's Bakery in Manhattan for two things: cupcakes and coconut cream pie. I am not a coconut guy, but I have to say that their coconut cream pie is pretty good and they are pretty generous in portions, with very reasonable prices (we just bought two slices of banana cream pie - photo - for $9!).

Billy's bakery has several locations, but I only know the one in Chelsea. The bakery is kind of retro with an old red formica table set (one, so it is more a grab and go). You also get to see the kitchen where all the magic happens! On top of that, from the kitchen, emanates the fantastic smell of freshly made cakes. No way you can leave without buying something yummy!

Besides, the coconut cream pie, I have tried the cheesecake, that is good, but not as good as Junior's and the banana cream pie that is delicious. In fact the banana and coconut cream pies are identical in the way they are made (I guess it is creme patissiere - a rich, thick and creamy custard made from a mixture of milk, eggs, sugar, flour and cornstarch), but one has bananas and the other one coconut (try to guess; you can do it). The banana cream pie is light and not too sweet. It is perfect with a coffee or tea.

Apparently, their pineapple upside down cake is awesome, but they did not have it this time. So I guess I found a good excuse to go back...

Update on 1/22/12:
well we went back today and I tried their pineapple upside down cake: good with a very moist cake, but I would have liked more pineapple juice and flavor in the cake! Fortunately, I also had some more of the banana cream pie! I am telling you: having a food blog gives you plenty of excuses to indulge!!!

Enjoy (I did)!

And remember: I just want to eat!


Reference: www.billysbakerynyc.com

Koryodang: Korean pastries???

One time, we were walking in Koreatown in New York City, looking for Red Mango and noticed this big (very high ceiling), modern and bright pastry shop with a calm atmosphere (probably the water fountain and stones). We right away saw the different pastries and decided to go for a lemon tart and a chocolate tart: this was delicious and reminded me the tarts I used to have in France. Who would have thought that I would find some delicious pastries in a Korean patisserie? We went back another time and tried their hot cocoa, that is pretty decent: they, at least, use milk and not water, and you can ask for some whipped cream.

So, after we got this memorable dinner at Il Bastardo few weeks ago, we kind of needed to end the evening with something sweet. And guess what: we ended up at Koryodang, again. They had a whole bunch of cakes, but, unfortunately, they did not indicate what was what. So we asked the waiter what it was and his answer was quite amusing: "it is cakes" he said, slightly annoyed! You know what? I would not have guessed!!! Of course it is cake! So we gently asked him to describe them; this would not happen if they put a description for each pastry (duh!). Finally, we came home with two cakes: a white tiramisu and a chocolate truffle cake. Both cakes were delicious, not too sweet and very light.

Koryodang is definitely a good address to know if you need a dessert! By the way, Koryodang is apparently a term used by a group of friends to call upon the only korean friend that they have.

Enjoy (I did)!

The Doughnut Plant: the doughnut reinvented!

Doughnuts are in this country what croissants are for France. I am not going to get excited by the regular doughnuts that one can find in the karts in the street, but if you bring me to the Doughnut Plant in New York, then I am going to start drooling! I think it goes far beyond the doughnuts at Dunkin Donuts or at Krispy Cream! 

The first time I heard about the Doughnut Plant was on "Throwdown With Bobby Flay", a great TV show to discover some hidden gems in New York. At first, the story of the owner, Mark Isreal, was touching: he spoke about his grandfather's recipe and how he decided to made doughnuts; how he made doughnuts out of a basement all night for 5 years before opening his first store. I started to feel some sympathy for the guy. Then came Bobby Flay who proposed a throw down. Mark Isreal did not want to compete and, once convinced by his friends that he should, had a poor attitude. He won with his signature doughnut: the tres leche doughnut (photo 1). We decided to try it with my wife and went to his location on Grand street. After trying the tres leche one, I understood why he won: the doughnut was de-li-cious: it was a cake type with a tres leche cream inside, all around the doughnut. I probably inhaled all the doughnuts we bought in a matter of minutes. Now, this was few years ago; I noticed that there is today less cream than before. They may have changed the recipe or lower the quantity to lower their cost. They are still good though!

With the same principle he uses for the tres leche doughnut (e.g. cream filled), he proposes some amazing banana or coconut doughnut (photo 2), but these are yeast doughnut (as opposed to cake, the yeast doughnut is more traditional). For the Holidays, he is proposing marzipan doughnuts. I tried both the yeast and the cake (photo 3) one: I prefer the cake one, although it was a bit dry.

Now, be aware that the cake doughnuts are heavier than the yeast one...Just in case you want to eat 5 of them!

Last, you can find these doughnuts at Dean & Deluca or Balducci's but I found that people working there do not always know what is what.

Enjoy (I did)!

Le Pain Quotidien...au Quotidien!

A lot of people think that Le Pain Quotidien (The Daily Bread in English) is French: it is in fact Belgian.  I am not that chauvinistic so I would not go there to eat some great bread, croissants or pastries! 

Le Pain Quotidien is a franchise; they have restaurants all over the world: France (I had to say it!), Australia, Bahrein, India, Mexico, Russia...And of course in the US, in several locations: NYC, Philadelphia, Pasadena, Washington DC, etc...Normally, whatever you find in one location can be found in another, the same way. As if it was the Mac Donald's of bakeries! 

Le Pain Quotidien uses organic ingredients as much as possible and bakes bread and pastries every day.  Their bread is delicious: they serve different kinds, from the baguette to the rustic loaf. They also have buttery and flaky croissants that are to die for! Their restaurants have a rustic and homy feel with bricks on the walls, wooden floors and wooden tables that have an unfinished look (they are made of reclaimed wood). They all have a large communal table for those who like to listen to people's conversation...

Le Pain Quotidien is one of my favorite place for a casual brunch or lunch. Besides the bread and pastries, they have great tartines (open face sandwiches). My favorite is the one with ricotta, figs and honey! It tastes so fresh and all these ingredients pair very well together. It is also very light and the figs add a nice texture to the tartine. It is the perfect meal for a picnic in a park (you can have it to go). They also have a great cheese plate and good salads. Then, you find the traditional brunch dishes: french toasts, omelets or soups. I like the way they serve their food: tartines and plates are served on a breadboard that give a plus to the presentation. If you really like the plates, breadboards and bowls, you can buy them. On top of that, they sell jams, coffee or chocolate. 

Last, they apparently give some cooking classes! I may check this out one day!

Enjoy (I did)!

And remember: I just want to eat!

Cupcakes at Sweet in Hoboken, NJ

When I came in this country, I did not know what cupcakes were. They are still today a novelty in France; not surprising considering the number of pastries we have there! I could spend weeks eating every cake in patisseries! But cupcakes are fun: you could imagine so many variations of it! I love watching, for instance, Cupcake Wars on the Food Network: they have to be so creative. Imagine that: they have to make cupcakes with ingredients like avocado!

The first time I had a cupcake in New York, it was not good: sweet and too much cake: you need a good ratio cake / frosting! A little more than 1/3 frosting, 2/3 cake is perfect (although I would go with 2/3 frosting and 1/3 cake...). I then had a second one at Crumbs and still did not like it. Same issue with the frosting / cake ratio. Finally, I tried Sweet. I remember: we were having a wine and cheese party at our place and a friend of us, Kristen, brought this small box that contained several lovely mini cupcakes. Everybody was ecstatic when eating them. So I could not resist to my curiosity and picked a red velvet one: it was a revelation! The cake was moist and delicious and the frosting amazing (cream cheese frosting). Thanks to my good manners, I did not shank anybody that day so I could have a second one!

We then became regulars. My favorites are the red velvet and the banana one. They also have one with chocolate ganache and marshmallow. I just wish they had some special cupcakes more often. My big regret is the Nutella cupcake: I tried it once, but they never made it again. They said they would do it again in the winter! So I have a personal message for Sweet: please make the nutella ones on a regular basis!

So, if you do not like cupcake or are not sure, go to Sweet in Hoboken: it may change your mind! 

Enjoy (I did)!

And remember: I just want to eat!

Restaurant Information

tabelog.us

	* Restaurant Name
	Sweet
	* Overall
	★★★☆☆
	* Neighborhood / Cuisine
	New Jersey / American New / Desserts
	* Street Address
	343 Garden St., Hoboken, NJ 07030
	* Phone
	(201) 420-0111

Natale's, Italian Bakery in Summit, NJ

Natale's is an Italian bakery located in Summit, New Jersey that opened in 1938. We ended up there after our so so experience at the Huntley Taverne. We needed something good and sweet to forget...My wife's cousin, Jessica, proposed us to go there. That was a brilliant idea! Anyway, how could we refuse to go to a bakery??? 

They do have a large selection of typical Italian cookies, but also some cakes inspired from French pastries. What I likes is that they were proposing, for some cookies, a small and regular size: I think it is great, because it allows people to try different things. I mean, with so many cookies, I did not know what to choose! So I picked a mini cannoli and a mini cream puff! They were good but missing a little bit of sugar: funny because usually, I complain about too much sugar! The sprinkle cookie was good and everybody loved their cookies. So Jessica: mission accomplished!

If you are in Summit, try Natale's and have a cannoli for me!

Enjoy (I did)!

The Old German Bakery in Hoboken, NJ

It has been a while I wanted to sit in the Old German Bakery in Hoboken to sip a hot cocoa and try one of their cakes. The bakery opened in January 2011 and I think it is a good alternative to Carlo's bakery! Not that German and Italian pastries have anything in common! It might be because of the crazy lines in front of Carlo's, made of people who do not care about those who are just trying to pass through and use the sidewalk for what it is supposed to be! 

Anyway, I already tried the Old German Bakery before for a quick snack: their pretzel bread is excellent, not too salty; their almond croissant is to die for! Very buttery with a decadent almond paste in it! It has been a very long time I did not have such a good one!

So today, after a long walk in the cold, we decided to go have a hot chocolate and try one of their cakes. I am very particular when it comes to hot chocolate: I need milk, not water! Although it took them a little bit of time to prepare it, it was good. Not the best (like Angelina in Paris or Max Brenner in NYC), but good! And with milk...This was perfect for a cold day!

For the cake, we decided to try a cherry and crispy chocolate one: this might not have been the best choice and we should have probably tried a more standard cake like a black forrest or a strudel. The top part with the cherry was my favorite part. The issue I had was with the bottom part: there was something chewy! 

I will definitely go back and try a different cake (they have plenty) with my hot chocolate!

Enjoy (I did)!

And remember: I just want to eat!

Billy's Bakery in NYC, New York: incredible banana cream pie!

My wife has always been a big fan of Billy's Bakery in Manhattan for two things: cupcakes and coconut cream pie. I am not a coconut guy, but I have to say that their coconut cream pie is pretty good and they are pretty generous in portions, with very reasonable prices (we just bought two slices of banana cream pie - photo - for $9!).

Billy's bakery has several locations, but I only know the one in Chelsea. The bakery is kind of retro with an old red formica table set (one, so it is more a grab and go). You also get to see the kitchen where all the magic happens! On top of that, from the kitchen, emanates the fantastic smell of freshly made cakes. No way you can leave without buying something yummy!

Besides, the coconut cream pie, I have tried the cheesecake, that is good, but not as good as Junior's and the banana cream pie that is delicious. In fact the banana and coconut cream pies are identical in the way they are made (I guess it is creme patissiere - a rich, thick and creamy custard made from a mixture of milk, eggs, sugar, flour and cornstarch), but one has bananas and the other one coconut (try to guess; you can do it). The banana cream pie is light and not too sweet. It is perfect with a coffee or tea.

Apparently, their pineapple upside down cake is awesome, but they did not have it this time. So I guess I found a good excuse to go back...

Update on 1/22/12:
well we went back today to Billy's bakery and I tried their pineapple upside down cake: good with a very moist cake, but I would have liked more pineapple juice and flavor in the cake! Fortunately, I also had some more of the banana cream pie! I am telling you: having a food blog gives you plenty of excuses to indulge!!!

Enjoy (I did)!

And remember: I just want to eat!


Reference: www.billysbakerynyc.com

Amy's bread - Coconut Bar! (New York, NY)

I like Coconut but I am not a coconut lover. But, when I tried the Coconut Bar from Amy's bread, it was a revelation! Think about it: buttery crust, coconut and chocolate chips! They all pair perfectly together and it is even better after you pop the bar in the microwave for few seconds. Add a glass of milk and it is a perfect treat!

Definitely worth to try!

Enjoy (I did)!

Cannoli time from Giorgio's bakery in Hoboken, NJ

The first time I saw a cannoli (I should probably say cannolo!) was in New York. I have to say that I did not like it at all. I guess it was not the best bakery because when I tried the ones from Giogio's in Hoboken few years after, I became addicted to it! Cannoli are sicilian pastries made of fried dough, shaped like a tube, filled with a cream that contains mainly ricotta, with a hint of cinnamon. 

Now look at the photo and imagine that you are bitting in this cannoli: the crunchiness of the shell married with the sweetness of the cream will make you want to bite again and again and again. That's why I usually get two of them!!!

But it is not only for the cannoli we go there! They have great cookies and pastries. For instance, I love the St Joseph Zeppole, that is like a chou pastry filled either with ricotta, similar to a cannoli, or with custard.

They also always have delicious cookies.

The chocolate blob cookies is always there, waiting for you and me. They also have plenty of Italian cookies made with almonds. Last time, for the first time, they had a coconut macaroon that was awesome!

If you have a sweet tooth like me, go to Giorgio's in Hoboken: he is the boss!

Enjoy (I do)!