[Photo: Kathy Chan]

I went through a lot to get this chocolate whoopie pie ($3.50). It was Serious Eats reader Deep who gave me the heads-up after I first wrote about
Columbine. The dessert specials at Columbine change on a daily basis, and every once in awhile, the whoopie pie pops up—in Deep's words, "phenom-nom-nom-inal." You have to check the Columbine website each morning, where they list the specials.

On one lucky morning, the whoopies were on the menu, and Deep emailed me; I dashed down, but was unfortunately too late. They'd sold out of whoopie pies. That was a month and a half ago. But just yesterday morning I saw an email in my inbox from Deep—"Whoopie Pie alert!" This time I ran down to Columbine as soon as my meeting got out, waited in the very long lunch line, and ordered one whoopie pie.

"Sorry ma'am, we just sold out."

"What?!"
"But if you wait just 15 minutes, we should have more."
"Oh yes! I'll wait! I can wait!"

So I waited. 15 minutes turned into 30 minutes. And then 45. I'd check in with the woman behind the counter. "Almost, almost," she'd say. After 30 minutes she offered to deliver it to my office when it was really finished. But I waited it out. And just after the 45-minute mark, the whoopie pie was in my hands—plus the free cookie they threw in for my patience.

And man. It was totally worth it. The cookie is at that perfect middle point of cake and cookie—soft, verging on fudgy, but still a coherent cookie. The filling? Marshmallow cream, spooned in the center. It doesn't look like much cream, but take the first bite, and everything just swooshes right out so that all is all distributed evenly. Perfect ratio, and sweet, but not too sweet. Thanks again, Deep!

Columbine

229 West Broadway, New York NY 10013 (map)
212-965-0909
columbine229.com