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Monday 15 June 2015

My Best Three In NYC

Our travels do not only involve sightseeing, it also involves food, lots of food. I seek and queue just to try a culinary item that is on my radar. I also make a “to eat list” months in advance.  That, my friends, is how much I love my food.
Our recent visit to New York was no exception. Several months before the trip, I was already looking forward to the gustatory delights that we were going to encounter. After all, New York is a foodie haven.
The following are three of the best sweet delights that I have tried. Best in a way that, I think about them all the time and that I would consider going back to New York, eight hours flight and all, just to taste them again.

Sarabeth’s Waffles
Breakfast is my favourite meal of the day. I look forward to my breakfasts even from the night before so Sarabeth’s is one of the priorities on this trip. The Central Park location is very NYC and the ambience and decor is very Upper East Side. The crisp white table linens and silver cutlery is what the Charlotte Yorks and the Blair Waldorfs of this world are used to but let us not dwell on that, we were there for the food after all.
There were a lot to choose from on the menu but for a pancake and waffle lover like our family, we went for the waffles and pancakes, of course. Heavenly was the first word that came into my thoughts the moment I took a bite of the waffles that was served before me. A little bit of crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside and of course, it was very delicious and I enjoyed every bite of it. The coffee is in a league of its own, I have forgotten how many refills I had.



Levain Cookies
I have read a lot about Levain cookies on social media and the photos of massive cookies with melted chocolate inside were enough to get me on a train to the Upper West Side where the bakery is located. Until now, I can still smell the sweet and mouth watering aroma of the baking that was going on inside the bakery while I was on the queue outside. I tried all four flavours and my favourites are  the chocolate and peanut butter  and the walnut. The texture is not like any normal cookie. It was crunchy on the outside but inside was cakey in texture, in a  nice and delicious kind of  way. The melted chocolate or peanut butter (whichever cookie it is) just adds to the awesomeness of this delectable creation. It is what every cookie lover’s dreams are made of.

Magnolia Bakery’s Banana Pudding
Magnolia Bakery was brought to fame by an episode on Sex and the City and since then, fans of the tv series (me included) have trooped to their Bleecker street location which is very conveniently located just around the corner from Carrie Bradshaw’s apartment in the series. The cupcakes were featured on that episode but for some reason, I was really not in the mood for cupcakes that day, having just visited Dominique Ansel’s bakery for some cronuts and DKA’s. Also, cupcakes are so last season and overrated these days.  Then I remember being told that the banana pudding is to die for so I went for it and I was glad I did. Every spoonful was a delight. If there is such a thing as banana pudding heaven then I think I have just been to one. It was highly addictive and tastefully creamy with chunks of fresh banana generously mixed into the concoction.  So, when you happen to be at Magnolia Bakery, pass on the cupcakes and go for the banana pudding. You will thank me for it.