Manhattan: Upper East Side
Posted by Nikki Goldstein, November 13, 2009 at 11:00 AM
[Photo: Nikki Goldstein]
Brunch gems on the upper Upper East Side may be harder to come by than in other neighborhoods, but that doesn't mean there aren't a good handful of worthy spots. One is the Corner Cafe & Bakery on 92nd and 3rd, which feels a lot closer to the suburbs than it really is. The place is unbelievably homey—last week, the dining room donned home-made decorations like turkeys and leaves speckled with glitter that hung sweetly from the ceiling. The food is good enough, but without the charming ambiance it would be a lot less satisfying; together, these components are bound to strike that perfect nostalgia factor for anyone who stumbles in.
Corner Bakery's menu is fairly standard, but one dish is out of the ordinary: the bread pudding French toast, which re-configures the dish's signature ingredients and puts them back in a completely different way. Bread pudding, after all, is generally made from brioche, one of the most common choices for French toast (second only to Challah!). It's served as a single slice, so dense and rich that you really wouldn't want much more. The dessert favorite gets its brunch edge when dredged, seared to a lightly crunchy exterior, and served with syrup. The last bit, however, is also the dish's main weakness. It wasn't pure maple syrup that came to the table, just a watered down version that sogged the bread without adding the robust flavor of the real thing.
Continue reading »
Posted by Nikki Goldstein, November 10, 2009 at 2:00 PM
[Photo: Kathy Chan]
Though his latest operation scales back from full restaurant to ten-seat dessert parlor, Payard has set his sights high with Francois, the newly-opened chocolate bar on the Upper East Side. Maybe a little too high, in fact—the space is on the fourth floor of the ritzy Mauboussin jewelry store. Aside from the obvious challenge that is this awkward location, Payard definitely has his hands full. His menu is creative and inspired, but its execution has yet to match the high standards that have paved the road to his past successes.
After finding our way there, Kathy and I ordered the milk chocolate yuzu and dark chocolate passion fruit macarons to start. Instead of the latter, we were given the white chocolate sesame version, which may have been an intentional mistake. The sesame, which hadn't seemed remarkable, had a sophisticated and nuanced savory element in an otherwise traditional sweet, complete with crunchy outside and smooth interior. We couldn't say the same of the chocolate-yuzu, which featured a smart flavor combo but suffered from excess goopiness.
Continue reading »
Posted by Carey Jones, November 9, 2009 at 1:30 PM
[Photos: Robyn Lee]
Moving Onto The Next Round:
Levain
Yura on Madison
Bouchon Bakery
In our first round of tastings for the Serious Eats Chocolate Chip Cookie Championship, we're headed uptown, to the Upper East and Upper West Sides. After combing the bakeries, asking our commenters, and doing a few preliminary nibbles, we've settled on eight: Levain, Bouchon Bakery, Two Little Red Hens, Hampton Chutney Company, Citarella, Fairway, Yura on Madison, and Silver Moon Bakery.
The blind taste test, and our favorite chocolate chip cookies uptown, after the jump.
Continue reading »
Posted by Ed Levine, October 19, 2009 at 11:30 AM
[Photo: Robyn Lee]
I walked into the Lady M Cake Boutique with an open mind. I really did. Its quintessential hoity-toity address didn't turn me off, and neither did its silly name (cake boutique?), or its bizarre display style that presents food like showcased jewels that are clearly not meant to be eaten. I was on the prowl for some serious New York cheesecake, and none of Lady M's aforementioned foibles were going to stand in my way.
I asked if they had any cheesecake. The women behind the counter pointed to a plate under a glass dome that had a large-ish wedge of sour cream-topped cheesecake. I asked how many slices were in that wedge. She said three. I asked how much each slice cost. She said, "Seven dollars." I gulped, and said I'd take all of them.
Ever so carefully, the woman sliced the large wedge into three smaller ones. Each slice looked so pretty, downright perfect. Apparently not, to my ever-so-precise friend behind the counter. She looked at the third and final slice and—this is where it gets really weird—apparently decided that it was too large, because she proceeded to cut a quarter-inch off of it, so that the slices would all be the same. In a final affront to serious eaters everywhere, she took the extra tiny slice back to the kitchen... where they must stash all the tiny leftover slices of cake to be disposed of properly.
Continue reading »
Posted by Carey Jones, October 19, 2009 at 10:00 AM
[Photos: Robyn Lee]
Our Top Five
- The Winner: Two Little Red Hens
- Mona Lisa Pastry Shoppe
- Lady M Cake Boutique
- Cheesecake Factory
- Fairway Market
In the pantheon of iconic New York foods, not much outranks the proud cheesecake. Whether after dinner at Luger's, by the round at Eileen's, or shipped across the country by Junior's, New York cheesecakes are a force to be reckoned with. The cheesecake is a dessert that's perfect in its simplicity. A silky, creamy base, an optional thin crust—and that's it.
What makes a first-class cheesecake? It's smooth and creamy, just sweet enough, with a hint of tartness. If there's a crust, it adds something extra without overwhelming the taste of the cheesecake itself. And it's rich enough to seem a bit decadent, without going down like a cement pour. You should want to keep eating—at least, for more than one bite.
So we canvassed the boroughs for New York's best cheesecake, arrived at our finalists, and assembled our panel of crack tasters. All cakes were tasted blind, brought to the same temperature, in similar-size slices. We even scuffed up the edges of the more cosmetically privileged. And we had our tasters start with different samples, to cancel out the effects of palate fatigue—a real concern, after 14 cheesecakes. As it turns out, the first bite wasn't always the best bite.
(For the purposes of fair comparison, we went only with bakery cheesecakes, rather than restaurant ones. We also excluded all flavored and ricotta-based cheesecakes—stay tuned for later taste-tests.)
So after countless miles traveled, bites considered, and calories consumed, we've arrived at our winners. Our favorites, our surprise showings, and the best cheesecake in New York—after the jump.
Continue reading »
Posted by Nikki Goldstein, November 13, 2009 at 11:00 AM
[Photo: Nikki Goldstein]
Brunch gems on the upper Upper East Side may be harder to come by than in other neighborhoods, but that doesn't mean there aren't a good handful of worthy spots. One is the Corner Cafe & Bakery on 92nd and 3rd, which feels a lot closer to the suburbs than it really is. The place is unbelievably homey—last week, the dining room donned home-made decorations like turkeys and leaves speckled with glitter that hung sweetly from the ceiling. The food is good enough, but without the charming ambiance it would be a lot less satisfying; together, these components are bound to strike that perfect nostalgia factor for anyone who stumbles in.
Corner Bakery's menu is fairly standard, but one dish is out of the ordinary: the bread pudding French toast, which re-configures the dish's signature ingredients and puts them back in a completely different way. Bread pudding, after all, is generally made from brioche, one of the most common choices for French toast (second only to Challah!). It's served as a single slice, so dense and rich that you really wouldn't want much more. The dessert favorite gets its brunch edge when dredged, seared to a lightly crunchy exterior, and served with syrup. The last bit, however, is also the dish's main weakness. It wasn't pure maple syrup that came to the table, just a watered down version that sogged the bread without adding the robust flavor of the real thing.
Continue reading »
Posted by Nikki Goldstein, November 10, 2009 at 2:00 PM
[Photo: Kathy Chan]
Though his latest operation scales back from full restaurant to ten-seat dessert parlor, Payard has set his sights high with Francois, the newly-opened chocolate bar on the Upper East Side. Maybe a little too high, in fact—the space is on the fourth floor of the ritzy Mauboussin jewelry store. Aside from the obvious challenge that is this awkward location, Payard definitely has his hands full. His menu is creative and inspired, but its execution has yet to match the high standards that have paved the road to his past successes.
After finding our way there, Kathy and I ordered the milk chocolate yuzu and dark chocolate passion fruit macarons to start. Instead of the latter, we were given the white chocolate sesame version, which may have been an intentional mistake. The sesame, which hadn't seemed remarkable, had a sophisticated and nuanced savory element in an otherwise traditional sweet, complete with crunchy outside and smooth interior. We couldn't say the same of the chocolate-yuzu, which featured a smart flavor combo but suffered from excess goopiness.
Continue reading »
Posted by Carey Jones, November 9, 2009 at 1:30 PM
[Photos: Robyn Lee]
Moving Onto The Next Round:
Levain
Yura on Madison
Bouchon Bakery
In our first round of tastings for the Serious Eats Chocolate Chip Cookie Championship, we're headed uptown, to the Upper East and Upper West Sides. After combing the bakeries, asking our commenters, and doing a few preliminary nibbles, we've settled on eight: Levain, Bouchon Bakery, Two Little Red Hens, Hampton Chutney Company, Citarella, Fairway, Yura on Madison, and Silver Moon Bakery.
The blind taste test, and our favorite chocolate chip cookies uptown, after the jump.
Continue reading »
Posted by Ed Levine, October 19, 2009 at 11:30 AM
[Photo: Robyn Lee]
I walked into the Lady M Cake Boutique with an open mind. I really did. Its quintessential hoity-toity address didn't turn me off, and neither did its silly name (cake boutique?), or its bizarre display style that presents food like showcased jewels that are clearly not meant to be eaten. I was on the prowl for some serious New York cheesecake, and none of Lady M's aforementioned foibles were going to stand in my way.
I asked if they had any cheesecake. The women behind the counter pointed to a plate under a glass dome that had a large-ish wedge of sour cream-topped cheesecake. I asked how many slices were in that wedge. She said three. I asked how much each slice cost. She said, "Seven dollars." I gulped, and said I'd take all of them.
Ever so carefully, the woman sliced the large wedge into three smaller ones. Each slice looked so pretty, downright perfect. Apparently not, to my ever-so-precise friend behind the counter. She looked at the third and final slice and—this is where it gets really weird—apparently decided that it was too large, because she proceeded to cut a quarter-inch off of it, so that the slices would all be the same. In a final affront to serious eaters everywhere, she took the extra tiny slice back to the kitchen... where they must stash all the tiny leftover slices of cake to be disposed of properly.
Continue reading »
Posted by Carey Jones, October 19, 2009 at 10:00 AM
[Photos: Robyn Lee]
Our Top Five
- The Winner: Two Little Red Hens
- Mona Lisa Pastry Shoppe
- Lady M Cake Boutique
- Cheesecake Factory
- Fairway Market
In the pantheon of iconic New York foods, not much outranks the proud cheesecake. Whether after dinner at Luger's, by the round at Eileen's, or shipped across the country by Junior's, New York cheesecakes are a force to be reckoned with. The cheesecake is a dessert that's perfect in its simplicity. A silky, creamy base, an optional thin crust—and that's it.
What makes a first-class cheesecake? It's smooth and creamy, just sweet enough, with a hint of tartness. If there's a crust, it adds something extra without overwhelming the taste of the cheesecake itself. And it's rich enough to seem a bit decadent, without going down like a cement pour. You should want to keep eating—at least, for more than one bite.
So we canvassed the boroughs for New York's best cheesecake, arrived at our finalists, and assembled our panel of crack tasters. All cakes were tasted blind, brought to the same temperature, in similar-size slices. We even scuffed up the edges of the more cosmetically privileged. And we had our tasters start with different samples, to cancel out the effects of palate fatigue—a real concern, after 14 cheesecakes. As it turns out, the first bite wasn't always the best bite.
(For the purposes of fair comparison, we went only with bakery cheesecakes, rather than restaurant ones. We also excluded all flavored and ricotta-based cheesecakes—stay tuned for later taste-tests.)
So after countless miles traveled, bites considered, and calories consumed, we've arrived at our winners. Our favorites, our surprise showings, and the best cheesecake in New York—after the jump.
Continue reading »
Posted by Kathy YL Chan, August 27, 2009 at 4:00 PM
When in search of a cream puff, but also in need of a break from Beard Papas, I turn to Choux Factory, with locations in Midtown East and on the Upper East Side. Cream puffs are $2 apiece, in vanilla, chocolate, blueberry, green tea, and strawberry, with special seasonal flavors every now and then.
My favorite of the bunch is strawberry, in which strawberry-yogurt custard is nested within the crisp shell, topped with a bit of strawberry jam and finished with strawberry whipped cream. The custard is more creamy than eggy, delicately sweet, and goes down quite easily. More complex, and noticeably more "homemade" than their machine-injected counterparts at Beard Papas, these are two completely different breeds of puffs, each delicious in their own way.
Choux Factory
1685 1st Avenue, New York, NY 10079 (map)
212-289-2023
Posted by Kathy YL Chan, August 4, 2009 at 4:00 PM
At Yura on Madison, fresh and generously cut bundt cakes are individually outfitted in custom plastic slips. With a line of flavors including banana-coconut and espresso, it was no easy feat settling upon one, but I left quite satisfied with my cut of sugar-dusted lemon cake. The bundt cake is impressively citrusy in taste, making bright use of both lemon rind and juice. I took each bite in hopes of breaking into an occasional patch of buttered lemon rinds. A single forkful sunk from top to bottom exhibited a range of textures, from the slightly crunchy crust, baked a deep brown, to the luxuriously dense crumb. Immesnely satisfying!
Yura on Madison
1292 Madison Avenue, New York NY 10128 (map)
212-860-1707
yuraonmadison.com
Posted by Grace Kang, August 3, 2009 at 2:30 PM
Summer is the season for picnics. Eating out of doors in the green grass somehow makes you reach for that third piece of fried chicken, no sweat. As an avid picnicker, I looked forward to trying Public Fare, Danny Meyer's latest venture in Central Park. It meant I could lug a little bit less food in my bag as well as trying something other than the standard cart offerings scattered throughout the grounds.
My first taste of Public Fare came on a recent Thursday. At around nine in the morning, we were nearing Hour Five of Operation: Get Shakespeare in the Park Tickets or Die Tryin'. Needless to say I was a bit groggy, but when my sister brought back a whoopie pie from Danny Meyer's nearby stand, I couldn't resist a bite. But that first taste, with a ratio of about 90% dry cake and 10% flavorless filling, made for an unpleasant mouthful and an inauspicious start.
Situated in Central Park's Delacorte Theater, Public Fare seeks to be a step up from the usual concession stand and its boring offerings. The idea of great, accessible food easily eaten on the Great Lawn (only about fifty feet away) was promising—but the realities of execution left me wondering.
The goodies (and not-so-goodies), after the jump.
Continue reading »
Posted by Kathy YL Chan, July 31, 2009 at 4:00 PM
The plush, raisin-studded cinnamon buns at Two Little Red Hens are far from the warm, ooey-gooey creations you dream about. I grew up associating cinnamon rolls with the national chain Cinnabon, where the buns are always warm, doused in icing, and intoxicating with that cinnamon fragrance. I still hold a soft spot for those buns—not even the fancy competitors at 'wichcraft or Cafe Zaiya could replace them.
But the one at Two Little Red Hens is more like a cheerful morning bun, just a tad sweet with cinnamon spice lightly strewed between the rounds. Raisins are plump, aplenty, and a pleasant break from the sometimes monotonous, ordinary roll part. Iced with a single layer, the bun is served at room temperature. I won't be returning just for this, but if placed in a brunch bread basket, please don't mind if I help myself to one.
Two Little Red Hens
1652 2nd Avenue, New York NY 10028 (b/n 85th and 86th Street; map)
212-452-0476
twolittleredhens.com
Posted by Grace Kang, July 17, 2009 at 2:00 PM
I look forward to every Restaurant Week because it gives me a chance to try restaurants I normally couldn't afford to eat at on my poor student's budget. It may seem like a straightforward decision, but there's an art to choosing a restaurant during this week, or in this case weeks.
To get the best value, I typically troll online for reviews, check out recently-opened places, and select the most promising candidates. Then I ask myself, is this someplace I wouldn't normally go to? How much of a deal am I actually getting? What does the menu look like? Are there enough choices to satisfy a party of four? That said, it takes a lot for me to return to a place for Restaurant Week because there are so many new places I want to try. I'd already been to Park Avenue Winter for Restaurant Week earlier this year, but because of the changing season I deemed Park Avenue Summer worth a visit to sample the lunch menu ($24.07). [Note: There's only one different dish on the $30 dinner menu.]
Appetizers
Butter and Sugar Corn Soup with Tomato & Tomatillo: This didn't taste too rich, which is often a problem for me with restaurant soups. They usually add so much cream, I feel weighed down afterward. The soup was definitely creamy, but the tomatoes and tomatillos added another flavor dimension which brightened it up.
Salmon Tartare with Tomatoes and Basil: The salmon tartare was the group's favorite appetizer. With the simple and raw mix of ingredients, it was a perfect summer dish. If I could sum it up in one word? Refreshing.
Cured-Lemon Caesar Salad: Warning: if you're not a fan of whole anchovy fillets, don't order this. You might be horrified. The cured-lemon exemplifies the sharp flavors in the salad, but I prefer a lighter hit of flavors in my Caesar.
Continue reading »
Posted by Kathy YL Chan, July 13, 2009 at 5:00 PM
At Two Little Red Hens on the Upper East Side, a positively massive hunk of gingerbread runs you a very small $2.75. Each dark square boasts a sticky moist exterior, and tender, aggressively spiced crumbs—not a dry spot to be found. The scent alone is nothing short of intoxicating.
Little tables in this cozy nook of a bakery make it easy to whittle away the hours, book in one hand and gingerbread in the other. I make trips all the way up from my East Village apartment just for the Brooklyn Blackout Cake (also at Ladybird Bakery in Park Slope, formerly under the same ownership) and the cheesecake, but add this to my list: a gingerbread worth traveling for.
Two Little Red Hens
1652 2nd Avenue # 1, New York NY 10028 (b/n 85th and 86th Street; map)
212-452-0476
Posted by Erin Zimmer, June 16, 2009 at 11:15 AM
Until Sunday, Sandro's will offer a special $25 three-course menu in honor of the restaurant’s 25th anniversary. Each day will feature a different selection of appetizers, pastas, and desserts. Today's menu includes the signature fried artichokes, bucatini all’amatriciana, and sponge cake with pastry cream and Alchermes liqueur, among other things. 306 East 81st Street (nr. 2nd Avenue; map) 212-288-7374.
Posted by Carey Jones, May 29, 2009 at 2:45 PM
"As a ritual, absinthe has an unmistakable allure."
When absinthe was legalized in the States in 2007, it exploded onto the cocktail scene. Its rumored hallucinogens, its illicit thrill, its glamorous history, weaving through French radicalism and Bohemian culture—and a high alcohol content to boot. What wasn’t to love?
Within weeks, New York bartenders were drowning every drink imaginable in the green stuff, turning out Absinthe Sazeracs and Absinthe Punches and, God help us, "Flaming Absinthe Mojitos." But caught in the cocktail frenzy, many self-proclaimed Green Fairy fanatics never got a chance to taste, well, absinthe.
Uptown at L’Absinthe Brasserie-Restaurant, chef and proprietaire Jean-Michel Bergougnoux takes the spirit seriously. As befitting the restaurant’s name, his absinthe list is extensive, with twelve varieties spanning France, Switzerland, and the United States.
The menu may be somewhat over-conceptualized—dubbed L’Heure Verte, or “The Green Hour,” after the time when Parisians would once crowd bars for their evening absinthe fix. But it’s clear that Bergougnoux puts a great deal of care into absinthe service and selection. And L’Absinthe, a quintessential bistro—as theatrically French as Balthazar, though without the Soho scene—is a refreshingly low-key place to enjoy it.
Continue reading »
Posted by Erin Zimmer, May 27, 2009 at 6:00 PM
Cherry coke tastes a lot better when it comes from a man who just walked out of an Edward Hopper painting, especially when your palate is much more accustomed to Coke Cherry Zero. At Lexington Candy Shop, it's a reddish-black color (all that real cherry syrup), not the blackish-black you're used to from a convenience store Coke. A large is $3.50 but you're not just paying for the drink. There's a hidden fee for the bar stools, the spying on your fur-coated neighbor noshing on a liverwurst sandwich, the old air vents (ehh, those can't be safe, nevermind), and the fact that it's a "candy shop" with no apparent candy on the menu. Make it a cherry coke float for $7.50.
Lexington Candy Shop
1226 Lexington Ave, New York NY 10028 (map)
212-288-0057
Related: Photo of the Day: Soda Jerk Slinging Scoops
Posted by Kathy YL Chan, March 12, 2009 at 4:30 PM
Mille crepes is doubtlessly the first thought that pops into mind upon hearing the name Lady M, the confectionery on the Upper East Side. Dreams of airy thin crepes stacked upon each other, separated only by brushes of custard cream, is enough to lure even the weariest sweet tooth from its cave.
But such common affection for the crepe cake means other desserts at Lady M are oft unfairly overlooked. This must be fixed—we must reconfigure our gaze! The ever graceful gâteau aux marrons, with tender layers of almond cake and chilled whipped cream, is equally swoonworthy, if not even more so than the famed mille crepe. At $9 a piece, these delicate wedges are far from recession-friendly. But if we can splurge for $40 steak, there's nothing wrong with substituting a $9 cake, now is there? Especially when the cake comes with piped tangles of lush chestnut cream and walnuts.
Lady M
41 East 78th Street, New York NY 10075 (map)
212-452-2222
ladymconfections.com
Posted by Erin Zimmer, January 14, 2009 at 12:00 PM
As noted earlier, the 2nd Ave Deli is pregnant with a little one, and Gothamist confirms the address: 1442 First Avenue (at 75th Street; map). The space is currently home to the Wicked Wolf restaurant. And yeah, it's still not on 2nd Ave.
Posted by Erin Zimmer, January 12, 2009 at 6:15 PM
Photograph from ShellyS on Flickr
Despite last year's false rumors, this time it sounds pretty real. Just three years after closing, and a year after reopening (not on 2nd Ave), the 2nd Ave Deli is giving birth to a 2nd (possibly on 2nd Ave, but no hints yet). According to Save the Deli, it'll be somewhere "on the deli starved Upper East Side."
Says Jeremy Lebewohl, heir to the 2nd Ave Deli throne:
My intentions are to basically build another 2nd Ave Deli. The UES is a different neighborhood, with a different client base, and different eating habits. A realistic goal is that I would ideally like to be open before the Jewish holidays at the end of this year. That’s now my target.
You can call me stupid and/or crazy for doing this, but I’ve got a great product, I'm not bashful to say it. Even with a second location, that same flavor that you have at 33rd St, you’ll feel the same haymish relationship, just as you did on 2nd Ave. That feeling’s just as important to bring to the location as the food is. You’ll feel like you’re walking into a family run business up there. I promise”
I have no problem with pastrami mini-empires.
Posted by Robyn Lee, December 14, 2008 at 5:00 PM
When Momofuku master David Chang goes to culinary bookstore Kitchen Arts & Letters (1435 Lexington Avenue, New York NY 10128; 212-876-5550; map), he unleashes his love for cookbooks. My favorite string of Chang words: "I mean, this is just crazy. Look at this guy. Come on—he's the fucking man. Look at that. Dude, check this out!" Like a kid in a candy store. Watch the video at men.style.com.
Related
Do You Agree with Frank Bruni's Three Stars to Ssam Bar?
Momofuku Bakery & Milk Bar: It's Damn Good, Damn It!
Meet & Eat: David Chang, Momofuku's 'Overrated Pseudo Chef'
Posted by Kerry Saretsky, October 24, 2008 at 6:00 PM
Editor's note: Every afternoon we like to post a short Sugar Rush to end your day. Think of it as the dessert to your daily blog reading. Plus, as an added bonus, every day between now and Halloween these Sugar Rushes will all be pumpkin based. It's the only way we could think of covering the enormous number of pumpkin sweets being offered in the city right now. Enjoy!
I've expounded before on how the Upper East Side seems to be devoid of all things fabulous and delicious. I have this idea that people in other neighborhoods can step out, round the corner, and return with baguettes worthy of France's national baguette subsidy and cakes as dreamy as those that populated the salon of Marie Antoinette. But there is one gem that I brag about to anyone who'll listen: Two Little Red Hens. I order my birthday cake from there every year (chocolate cake, raspberry filling, white icing, chocolate buttercream flowers), but for Erin's birthday, I brought in their seasonal Pumpkin Cake. She promptly exclaimed that it was the greatest pumpkin baked good she'd ever tasted, and she should know. Ed nodded, "Not at all cloying." The pumpkin cake and pumpkin frosting result in autumn-leaf-embellished layers of pumpkin perfection. Cupcake versions are also available.
Two Little Red Hens
1652 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10028 (at 86th Street; map)
212-452-0476
twolittleredhens.com
Posted by Kathy YL Chan, October 21, 2008 at 6:00 PM
Editor's note: Every afternoon we like to post a short Sugar Rush to end your day. Think of it as the dessert to your daily blog reading. Plus, as an added bonus, every day between now and Halloween these Sugar Rushes will all be pumpkin based. It's the only way we could think of covering the enormous number of pumpkin sweets being offered in the city right now. Enjoy!
There's an abundant variety of scones at Alice's Tea Cup. From buttermilk chocolate chip to strawberry cream cheese, the traditional British-style scones are shunned in favor of large and sweet American takes on this beloved baked good. Fall months usher in the return of Alice's famed pumpkin scone. It's addictive, with its buttery crust and easy-to-love crumb that is gentle and moist. Spices are noticeably light, but a deliciously shiny pour of sticky caramel glaze makes for a scone that is more childish than classy. If Alice's scones are no longer hot from the oven, the sweet gals and guys behind the counter are more than glad to warm it up for you.
Alice's Tea Cup
156 East 64th Street, New York NY 10021 (near Lexington Avenue; map)
212-486-9200
alicesteacup.com
