Dessert Club ChikaLicious recently introduced a ton of new desserts and we'll be sure to eat them all eventually. But let's kick off Monday afternoon with these NY Malassadas ($4.95). Malassadas may as well be the Hawai'i state dessert, so you can bet I was over the top thrilled to see these on the menu. More

It's been nearly five years since pastry-trained chef Jehangir Mehta blurred the lines between sweet and savory with the opening of Graffiti, a closet-sized East Village food and wine bar serving up eclectic small-plate fare. The space is still as small as ever, but that hasn't stopped Mehta from serving up dishes with big, bold flavors. More

Downtown Bakery has been serving Mexican food in the East Village for almost twenty years. If you haven't eaten their burritos, swollen with refried black beans and crumbly orange rice, or indulged in the hangover obliterating powers of their huevos rancheros, then you've at least walked under the blue and white awning that shoots over the sidewalk. Downtown Bakery began as an Italian establishment, but over the years it's become a staple taqueria in the East Village. More

It's been awhile since we last Sugar Rush'ed Butter Lane Cupcake, and there are a few things worth noting. First, they've got two rotating frosting flavors which are alone worth a visit. More

Terroir opened just a few years ago, but it already seems like one of the elder statesmen of the East Village restaurant scene. The space is small and comfortable and the staff is friendly and welcoming. The tables and utensils are communal, and the focus is on small plates to go with the extensive wine and beer menu. If you go before 6 PM, you can take advantage of Happy Hour specials on the drinks, most notably a free glass of sherry (I'd recommend the Oloroso) to go along with the food. Oh, did I mention the food? It's excellent, and there are plenty of vegetarian options. More

We've come across kale chips in many forms: laced in cheese, tossed with chilis, and even a version with garlic and Indian spices. But Organic Avenue is the only I know of that offers a dessert version of kale chips. More

Mille-Feuille à la minute? Yes, please! At Prima, the Mille-Feuille ($9) is assembled to order. It's the highlight of the dessert menu, and quite a sight, with chubby round pipes of vanilla bean pastry cream in the bottom layer and the lightest whipped chantilly at the top. Pastry cream and chantilly are separated with flaky, butter-rich puff pastry and a bright drizzle of thinned strawberry jam. You'll make a mess: puffy pastry will fly alongside confectioners sugar on that first bite. But goodness, this is worth it. More

It's no secret that we love Caracas Arepa Bar. And we're not shy to tell you about it: we've sampled their veggie options and taken a look behind the scenes at how they make their awesome Venezuelan arepas. Even though I pay visits on a semi-regular basis, I never tried the Los Muchachos ($8). It's a little pricier than the others, but totally worth it for the double header of meaty grilled chorizo and fried white cheese. More

This afternoon, drop all your plans and run over to Sundaes and Cones. It doesn't matter if it's rainy, cold or grey—there's avocado ice cream by the pint! They don't skimp on the fresh avocados here; every scoop is creamy and buttery with a subtle, almost savory finish. You can taste a bare touch of lime, but it's avocado that plays center stage, a worthwhile departure from the everyday chocolate and vanilla. Don't forget, they let you mix flavors in a pint—avocado and taro ice cream make a dream pairing. More

At Masak in the East Village, carrot cake ($8) is a must-order on the dessert menu. It combines the familiar with unfamiliar in a way that manages to be at once comforting and exciting. With finely grated carrots, the cake is plenty moist and dense, memorable enough to be dessert alone. But if you wait just an extra minute for the kaya ice cream—a heady, fragrant custard of pandan and coconut milk—to melt into every nook and cranny of the cake, it transforms into an almost bread pudding-like dessert. More

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Spring is happening in New York, and we couldn't be more excited (no, really look at slide 1—we're really excited). Tender, green vegetables are the order of the day, and we've already started chowing down. Of course Spring still has a long way to go, so we haven't devoured all our favorite veggies yet, but these have made a fine start to the season. Click through the slideshow to see all the early seasonal dishes we've loved lately. More

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We like hot dogs and we love snacky Japanese foods. So it was only a matter of time before we ate our way through the menu at Japadog. This Canadian chain hit the East Village earlier this year, their first American location, with a menu of dogs topped with nori, bonito flakes, tonkatsu sauce, and much more. More

After how the food will taste, there are two big questions for diners at a tapas restaurant, vegetarian or otherwise: "How much will I have to spend?" and "Will I be full after eating?" We each ordered a glass of txakoli, the sparkling Basque white wine that is the traditional accompaniment to tapas, and tried to answer those questions. More

Tightly packed with everything from whole toasted hazelnuts to walnuts, almonds, and plump, dried figs, the Love Loaf ($6 for a 3-piece pack), at Zucker Bakery is both hearty and sweet enough to deem dessert. It's a gluten-free concoction, chewy with a crunchy browned top. It also goes exceptionally well on a cheese plate if you slice it thin. If possible, plan your visit to Zucker's on a Friday—show up around noon for a loaf of their warm, straight out of the oven challah. It's the one day of the week they bake challah, a beautifully braided loaf topped with sesame seeds, eggy and plush. Don't bother resisting the urge to completely tear apart and devour on the walk home. More