[Photo: Kathy YL Chan]

At Patisserie Claude on West 4th Street, the Apricot Tart ($4) might not look like anything special. Bumpy, not especially sleek or perfectly cut. But looks aren't everything. Give it a go and you'll be pleasantly surprised with the golden shortbread-like tart shell, more crumbly than flaky. Inside there's a filling of marzipan mounded over stewed apricots in equal proportion. You have to get a bit of everything in one forkful for the full experience—a slip of sweet apricots moist against the marzipan and closed in on both sides by the tart shell. It's a modest, not too sweet pastry that would make a perfect substitute on days when Patisserie Claude's croissants just aren't what you want.

Patisserie Claude

187 West 4th Street New York, NY 10014 (map)
212-255-5911

About the author: Originally from Honolulu, Kathy YL Chan writes A Passion For Food, where she chronicles her eats and travels adventures between Hawai'i, New York and beyond. She firmly believes that there is always room for dessert.