Le Pain Quotidien The Le Crookie

One of my favorite places to stop when in the city is Le Pain Quotidien and my last trip was extra special! The baked eggs is one of my most go-to favorites. 

They just came out with what they call a "Le Crookie" which is a cross between a croissant and a cookie. From their website: 

The 'Le Crookie' is made with our airy plain croissants and filled with a gooey-edible choc chip cookie dough, snickerdoodle cookie dough or chocolate cookie dough, twice-baked until perfection.

The desserts here are always to die for and it's a great place to have a light dinner as well. The Le Crookie is in baskets 4 and 5 above.  These had to come home with me. 

I choose the chocolate le crookie and snickerdoodle le crookie 

They are quite amazing, and very large. I cut them in half, and froze to enjoy a few times. They freeze very well. 

The taste was amazing, I felt half at a time was just enough as very sweet. As much as I love chocolate, I felt the chocolate was a bit too sweet. The snickerdoodle was actually perfect for me. They are so flaky as you can see in the photo above. If you are a dessert lover, be sure to stop for these when in the city to try as I am not sure if they are a special item or on the regular menu. It is a good idea to heat them a bit in your toaster oven or convection oven as it really gives them that nice gooey taste. 

Le Pain Quotiden has many locations throughout the city so check their website or Google maps to see if they are near where you will be when visiting 

Please be sure to follow me on Instagram for lots of photos and activity of my travels to NYC. I would be delighted to see you there, be sure to say "hi" 

                             Instagram / Facebook/ Bloglovin/ Pinterest / Twitter  

Nicola's Marketplace Biscotti

I recently had the pleasure of tasting biscotti from Nicola's Marketplace. The website has amazing Italian foods which all look really wonderful and freshly made. Nothing beats Italian cooking, you can use the most simple ingredients and the dish comes out amazing! 

A little bit from their website:

Founded by Chef Nicola, the Marketplace was started in 2021 with a mission to bring customers a delightful experience with every order. Chef Nicola is passionate about high quality and taste when it comes to creating the ultimate culinary experience.

I liked the fact that they were not rock hard, my Mom's recipe is for a very soft biscotti which I love. If I don't want to dip them in espresso or coffee or tea, I can eat them on their own. Lots of cranberry in this one and hint of orange. Just enough. 

I love chocolate in general but when you pair with hazelnut or walnut, it's magic! These flavors were right on point, not too sweet and just perfect. The biscotti is also small size which is nice as well, especially if you want a few for breakfast. They make a very nice light dessert after dinner, 3 of them would be perfect after a heavy meal. 

You can really see them up close in these photos, they are really wonderful and I would highly suggest you give them a try if you are a biscotti lover! 

Just look at all the cranberries and pistachio !!!

Nicola's Marketplace 

Please be sure to follow me on Instagram for lots of photos and activity of my travels to NYC. I would be delighted to see you there, be sure to say "hi" 

**I was sent biscotti from Nicola's Marketplace for the purpose of this review. The opinions herein are based on my own experience and are my own.

 Instagram / Facebook/ Bloglovin/ Pinterest / Twitter  

Afternoon Tea in Felt Art

I had the pleasure of visiting felt artist Lucy Sparrow's exhibit in 2019 Lucy's Delicatessen on 6th and was totally blow away! I must say this post is in no way an ad but I needed to show you the wonderful art she has for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee! I found Lucy on Instagram and was so thrilled to see the exhibit in New York City a few years ago. When I walked through it, I just smiled from ear to ear. I totally feel in this time, with so much going on in the world, we need something to make us smile. Lucy's felt art does just that, and I have been ordering more items from her online store for my collection. 

Queen Elizabeth II has celebrated her Platinum Jubilee this weekend, 70 years on the British throne, more than any other British monarch. I do follow the royal family and it's history which I find fascinating. Lucy's current project is that of an Afternoon Tea in felt art. I was totally blown away so had to order immediately! The items are just so sweet and make you smile from ear to ear! After I had ordered, I found out she was going to be having an exhibit at the grand entrance of Buckingham Palace which is open to the public July 22, 2022 to October 2, 2022. If you happen to be in England during this time, I highly suggest you visit. You will not be disappointed. Now on to the inspect the art !  

The lovely little guys are sitting on a 3 tier cake plate from Royal Albert. The top consists of a Victoria Sponge Slice, quiche and French fancy yellow. 

Does this not make you smile ?? Sausage rolls, half scones with cream/jam, bakewell tart bottom layer: salmon sandwich, cinnamon roll (from another of her collections seemed to fit in here), Viennese swirl, jammie dodger and a black and white cookie from another collection. 

The tea cup with saucer is actually a real tea cup and saucer that the felt has been molded around. It is just so lovely and I added a lemon slice on the side. The tea cup comes off the saucer. 

I hope you have enjoyed seeing these wonderful pieces of art that are made with such love and detail. I will be adding more of Lucy's art to my home as it just really makes for a pleasant day! You can check our her website and follow her work on Instagram. If you do not purchase anything, but just look at the art work, it will still bring you so much joy. I think that is so what is needed in the world right now. I must thank Lucy for her wonderful work and her talent that we all have the privilege to enjoy!! 

Instagram / Facebook/ Bloglovin/ Pinterest / Twitter  

2020 NYC Foodie Gift Guide

This is not a sponsored post 

I know so many of you are total foodies, and I just love the idea of sending friends and family food gifts especially from NYC! I really love giving gifts, I like to really surprise people with unique items. I really feel with the internet, there is no reason for a boring gift. It shouldn't exist! Here are some items for the foodie friend or family member that will make them very happy Christmas morning. All of these places SHIP their items, so in this year of COVID, it is very easy to send someone a fabulous gift right to their front door! 

Our friends at L.A. Burdick have the most amazing chocolates, including these mice! For the chocolate lover, they will be thrilled to receive any gift from this shop. They ship from their website, along with some chocolate penguins and snowmen! A very unique gift! 

Eataly is the Italian dream for the foodie lover. Even if you cannot get there in person, they offer gift baskets online. Another fun idea is to purchase one of the cooking classes for someone as a surprise. The big thing lately is not purchasing "things" but "memories" and that would be something very memorable. Eataly does have an online shop which I have purchased from and is very easy to enjoy authentic Italian foods! 

Veniero's is a fantastic Italian bakery which is in business since 1894. I was lucky enough to visit a few times and their cannoli is some of the BEST I ever enjoyed. They sell quite a few items online and in 2011 I ordered one of my Mom's favorite, Struffoli, which is fried dough covered in honey. My Grandmother used to make it, but my Mom never attempted but loved it. I also got a box of their rainbow cookies which were just so darn good! Wonderful way to support a small business and have tasty items delivered to your door or friends/family! 

My favorite, New York Gourmet Coffee, which has every flavor of coffee available in Decaf. It is so hard to find lots of flavored coffee in Decaf, and these folks do it right! They do have non-flavored coffee and flavored regular coffee available. Josh, the owner, is the nicest guy and I am always happy to recommend his coffee to everyone! This is the only coffee I drink! 

Our friends at Fat Witch Bakery ship most of their items from their website. Their brownies are like fudge, what a great gift for your friends and family! Gift boxes and gift tins (which are great keepsakes) are available,  logo mugs are fun and you can even send a Fat Witch cookbook! The brownies also freeze very well if you purchase in advance of Christmas to serve on the holiday. 

Fishs Eddy is a most excellent and fun shop! Whimsical designs, vintage pattern kitchenware at very affordable prices. Very unique gift ideas, great for the hard to buy person, and will give them a good laugh as well! I prefer purchasing online so I don't have to carry the items all through the city. This is one of the small businesses that has been really hurting with no tourists in the city. A wonderful way to support them and give totally fantastic gifts to your loved ones! 

Jacques Torres is known as Mr. Chocolate for a reason! His chocolates make a fantastic holiday gift. The hot chocolate and wicked hot chocolate are most memorable drinking by the fireplace on a winter night. The chocolate chip cookies are to die for as well as the mudslide for the chocolate lovers. My favorites are the chocolate covered cornflakes and cheerios. They make such a unique gift for folks young and old! There is a wonderful selection online for shopping safely. 

Baked by Melissa is just a really fun, fun gift for anyone! They make fantastic mini cupcakes, muffins and french macarons! They offer shipping on their website, and whomever receives these will be very happy, and will probably not want to share! My faves are the cupcakes and macarons, but the muffins are tasty too! 

Afternoon Tea is a wonderful experience especially in New York City. You can give your family or friend a gift card to take them to Afternoon Tea! This falls into the "experiences" part of a gift, which I feel are so much better than "things" because it is a memory they will have forever! I cherish the monthly teas my Mom and I attended as they bring back such happy memories. You can check out my top 10 Afternoon Teas in the city to make your choice. The Plaza and The Peninsula are my two absolute top favorites! In this year of COVID, you can provide a gift certificate for folks to use when it is safe to do Afternoon Tea in person. 

Momofuku Milk Bar birthday cake truffles are one heck of an experience. These make a fabulous gift, and you can have them shipped direct from their website. The assorted cookie tin is a good pick as well, and for the chocolate lover they have chocolate malt cake balls. Goldbelly has many items from New York City available for shipping to make a food lover so happy on Christmas Day! 

This is for sure not going to be like any other holiday season we have celebrated. But we need to enjoy as best we can and with a special food gift to family and friends, or yourself, it gives us something to smile about. I hope I have given you some ideas you may not have thought about for the upcoming holiday season. If you have any questions about shopping in the city for your favorite foodie or gourmet, feel free to send me an email. I will gladly help out any way I can. 

Please stay safe, wear a mask and social distance when you need to. We will get through this year stronger than we ever were before. 

To be assured not miss a post, sign up for each one to be emailed to you HERE. Be sure to check for your Feedburner confirmation email, or your subscription will not be processed. Your email is not sold or shared with anyone. Thank you so much for visiting! 

Instagram / Facebook/ Bloglovin/ Pinterest 

Venchi

861 Broadway, New York, NY

A new year means a new visit to a chocolate shop! I found this wonderful spot strolling around Union Square (the BEST way to explore NYC) and actually went back when it was less crowded. I am not one for standing in line for anything, but I did here for about 20 minutes for the best gelato of my life! 

Venchi chocolate opened around November 2018 and this was my first visit (but not my last). This amazing shop boasts a 45-foot-long, 10-foot-high chocolate waterfall within the store. Other than gourmet chocolates, the 140 year old, Turin-based chocolatier sells gelato, crepes, and coffee. 

Love the gelato cone decor! 

Italians know gelato, and the display of this store was beautiful 

How do you choose ? 

I see a chocolate waterfall ! The smell in here is pretty fantastic as well 

What a happy gift this would make for someone ! 

I felt like Willy Wonka was going to show up at any time 

If you are looking for a wide chocolate selection, look no further 

How amazing does this gelato look? I had a hard time deciding on a flavor 

Gelato is healthier than ice cream, did you know that ? 

 

This had to be the BEST gelato I ever enjoyed! I went with the Tiramisu flavor 

I need to get back here in the off season when the crowds are not so full to enjoy one more time! 

 
Beautiful gift packaging 

It doesn't get any better than this, does it ? 

Venchi is open daily from 10am till late for your chocolate/gelato fix. Be sure to try the gelato as you will be very, very happy!! 

To be assured not miss a post, sign up for each one to be emailed to you HERE. Be sure to check for your Feedburner confirmation email, or your subscription will not be processed. Your email is not sold or shared with anyone. Thank you so much for visiting!