[Photograph: Kathy YL Chan]

A good brownie and an ice cold lemonade are one of my favorite summertime dessert pairings, and there are two (hopefully more!) options I've found in Soho. At The Smile To Go, the brownies (pictured, $3.50) are infused with lavender. They're fragrant, thin, and extra chocolatey, with a crackly crust and pockets of melted chocolate chips. Couple it with their housemade basil lemonade, a puckery sweet number with fresh basil leaves stirred in just before serving.

A few blocks up at Hampton Chutney Company, brownies ($1.95) are finished with a swirl of cream cheese and are lean on the cake-like side. Their signature lemonade is Orange Blossom, a loose and light lemonade with a flirty dose of orange blossom water.

The Smile To Go

22 Howard Street, New York, NY 10013 (map)
646-329-5836
thesmilenyc.com

Hampton Chutney Company

Multiple Locations in NYC
hamptonchutney.com

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