Ok…so I went back to Aroma Espresso Bar today. That’s right, two days in a row. I love it so much, I may be there tomorrow. Why wasn’t this place open when I lived on the block?!?!?! Well, after my husbands brilliant performance in Billy Elliot, we went to get lunch/dinner (linner in the theater world) at Aroma. Sidenote…the bread at Aroma is thick, homemade, soft, out of this world bread that comes in white, multigrain, and wheat. YUMMY! I decided to have half a salmon sandwich in order to save room for a Sweet Cheeks vegan cupcake. Yes, you heard me correctly, VEGAN cupcake. I AM NOT A VEGAN! I LOVE eggs, milk, butter, etc. But, I like to try everything, and am health conscious, so I was interested to see what a NO egg, NO milk, NO dairy cupcake tasted like. I tried the blackberry vanilla cupcake, but they also had chocolate coconut and chocolate strawberry today. The actual cake part tasted like a blackberry muffin. It was soft, chewy, and sweet from the pieces of blackberry. The vanilla frosting was delicious, light, and sugary! Topped with purple sugar crystals and a juicy blackberry, this vegan treat made me believe that all things are possible! Till tomorrow Aroma Espresso Bar!
Aroma Espresso Bar
www.aromacafeus.com
161W 72nd Street
New York, NY 10023
212-595-7700
145 Greene Street
New York, NY 10012
212-533-1094
Aroma Espresso Bar recently opened on the Upper West Side after the original outpost in SOHO. Just what 72nd Steet needs, the espresso bar even has delicious sandwiches and breakfast all day! I, of course, was interested in the sweets on the menu. After much consideration, I chose something I had never even seen or heard of before. It was called an Alfajores Cookie. The helpful employee at the register described this cookie as: two soft cookies with a dulce de leche center, rolled in coconut, and topped with powdered sugar. I was sold! Not knowing what to expect, my first bite was filled with utter enjoyment. The actual cookie part was soft, chewy, and melted in my mouth. The thick layer of dulce de leche was creamy and perfectly sweet. I loved that the dulce de leche was not sticky, as in a candy. It had a peanut butter consistency and complimented the two cookies that sandwiched it. The coconut on the outside added a different texture to those bites, and the powdered sugar top was delightful! When I got home I started to investigate this delicious cookie. I found out that the Alfajores Cookie is very poplar in South American countries and sometimes covered in chocolate! That sounds good to me!
“Brownie”- Blondie is right-on with this new UWS hangout. As she did, I went for the first time and then came back again the same week! The coffee is fantastic and the sweets are delicious. I had a croissant and the vegan cupcake she recommended ( mine was blueberry chocolate). Both the Alfajores cookie and vegan cupcake were delicious!
285 Amsterdam (between 73/74th Streets)
New York, New York 10023
66 Water Street (Between Dock & Main Streets)
Brooklyn, New York 11201
350 Hudson at King Street (1 block South of Houston)
New York, New York 10014
(212) 414-2462
www.mrchocolate.com
Being an Upper West Sider, I’m always excited about new places in the area. I went to Jacques Torres Chocolate tonight with hopes of having one of their delicious ice cream cookie sandwiches. To my dismay, they informed me that this specialty is only in the summer. Of course, I still had to try one of their famous hot chocolates and chocolate chip cookies. I had a classic hot chocolate (they also serve a “Wicked” hot chocolate that’s spicy), with a chocolate chip cookie, a Mudslide cookie, and four of their chocolates. Now having cookies here was quite a test when my ultimate cookie place (Le Vain Bakery) is right across the street. I have to say though, their chocolate chip cookie was impressive and I was not disappointed. It’s size is equivalent to a bread plate, and the chunks of chocolate are plentiful. This cookie was thin and soft, just like a giant chewy Chips Ahoy! cookie. I was very happy to devour not one but 2 of these.
I was quite disappointed by the mudslide cookie though. It’s a chocolate cookie with chocolate chunks and nuts. It was just plain dry and hard. Maybe it was due to the fact that it was at the end of the day, but that’s no excuse. One tip when you get a cookie here, be picky and choose the one you want because they’re all different sizes and chocolate quantities. When I was eating, I definitely heard a man ask for the third cookie down since it was the largest.
To accompany the cookies, I enjoyed the hot chocolate, which was delightful. Not too thick and not too watery, which was perfect since the cookie was quite rich. Of course, I couldn’t leave without trying some of the chocolates. The ones that caught my eye were the Russian Peanut Butter, Caramel, Apple Pie, and Pumpkin Pie candies. The Russian Peanut butter was so smooth and silky, the caramel was melty and creamy, the Apple Pie tasted just like the real thing, along with the Pumpkin Pie. I love how creative and seasonal the pie flavors were. These were luxury chocolates that deserve their famous rep. What a great Valentine’s gift a box of these would be! Overall, the experience was pleasant. The interior was festive and fun. I can’t wait to go back and try the ice cream sandwich when the weather’s warmer!
EMACK AND BOLIO’S
Emack and Bolio’s 73 Houston Street 81st Street and 1st Avenue
Amsterdam Avenue New York, NY 10012 New York, NY 10028
Between 78th and 79th (212) 533-5610 (212) 734-0105
New York, NY 10024
(212) 362-2747
For the best ice cream cone in the city seek out this ice cream shop! There are three locations: Upper West Side, Upper East Side, and in the West Village. Whichever you choose order this…Rice Krispies coated Waffle Cone!! Imagine a fresh, gooey, homemade Rice Krispies treat wrapped around a homemade waffle cone and then filled with your favorite ice cream. The bites of cream, crispy, and cone (the 3 c’s if you will) are OUT OF CONTROL! I am telling you, you owe it to yourself to leave whatever you are doing and get this cone! The key here is the Rice Krispies treat because it is perfectly made. So many times at bakeries Crispy treats are artificial tasting and stale. Not here dessert lovers! The treat is fresh and buttery with the exact marshmallow amount to hold it all together. Emack and Bolio’s has great ice cream and yogurt flavors as well. I personally enjoy the Cookies and Cream yogurt, but they are all extremely tasty and creative. This ice cream parlor almost feels like a secret find because the stores are small, cozy, and never to crowded.
Where should you go for the most one of a kind ice cream cone? Walk in to Emack and Bolios and you will be pleasantly overwhelmed with the choice of flavors. Anything from Oreo Cookie (they claim to have invented it), to Butterscotch Toasted Coconut, to Heaven (vanilla ice cream with marshmallow swirls and white chocolate chips) and much more! The ice cream was great, but the cones were absolutely unforgettable. In all my years of going for ice cream, I’ve never seen such assortment of cones for this cool treat. All I have to say is GET THE WAFFLE CONED WRAPPED IN A RICE KRISPIES TREAT! Yes, I said it correctly. This is the most brilliant idea, and I couldn’t get enough. I feel I will be stopping by frequently since there are so many different combinations and tastes. I have to try them all! It’s open until midnight, so it’s great for late night cravings. So I thoroughly suggest you go get your tastes buds satisfied with this nice cold goodness in the last of this summer heat! xoxo Beth and Amanda (Brownie and Blondie)
Rice To Riches
37 Spring Street (btwn Mott and Mulberry Streets)
New York, NY 10012
(212) 274-0008
If you are up for a quite different dessert experience, you must go to this unique rice pudding place called Rice To Riches. With the ultimate rice pudding fan in town to visit me (my mom), there was no question it was time to try one or two of the amazing and constantly changing flavors of rice pudding they offer. The décor is retro and modern, matching perfectly to their whole new dessert idea. They have all kinds of concoctions from fruity to chocolate-based to plain. You can add an assortment of ”soul mates” (toppings) to your flavor choice too. I chose to enjoy the “Cinnamon Sling with Raisins” topped with “Mischief” (buttery graham cracker blanket). All I have to say is AMAZING. So creamy and rich it delights your taste buds instantly! My mom got the “Understanding Vanilla” with a “Cloud 9”(whipped cream), and my boyfriend got the “Man-Made Mascarpone with Cherries” and “Cloud 9” on top. It was so hard to decide, but they let you taste as many as you want before choosing. We were all in Heaven! A little fare warning though, order the smallest size if you are by yourself. I could only eat half, and I can eat a dessert believe me!!! Not to worry though since they come in adorable plastic containers that you can put right in the fridge. You can keep the spoon or “shoehorn” looking utensil too. I would love them to create a dish where you can have maybe 3 different kinds in small amounts at once since they are so rich. It was definitely a delightful experience. What a unique idea!
They ship anywhere in the USA too, so you can enjoy whether a New Yorker or not! xoxoBrownie
