[Photo: Kathy YL Chan]

Cafe Grumpy bakes all their pastries in-house and you can expect to find everything from apricot and apple cider crumb cakes to chocolate financiers and nutty fig-pecan cookies on any given day. Their Hazelnut Brownie is my latest obsession. The generously cut square boasts more than its fair share (though I'm not complaining!) of toasted hazelnuts, some whole, most halved. A thin crackly crust sinks into a tall brownie that's more cakey than fudgy. In a city that's ruled by fudgy, excessively rich brownies, what a relief! You'll polish off this square in no time, and sharing is completely unnecessary.

Also, if you're looking for a classic slice of Banana Bread, they do this classic loaf plenty of justice. Plain and pure with a dense, moist crumb, dusted with powdered sugar, and not a walnut in sight.

Cafe Grumpy

224 West 20th Street, New York, NY 10011 (map)
212-255-5511
cafegrumpy.com

About the author: Originally from Honolulu, Kathy YL Chan blogs at Kathy YL Chan, 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.