The End of an Era

Nearly 4 years ago, on June 22, 2010, I started this blog.  I love chocolate, to a pretty unhealthy degree.  I prided myself on being able to keep up to date with every bakery, frozen yogurt joint and dessert spot throughout the 5 boroughs and beyond.  The moment a new place opened, I was there ready to give it a whirl.  I was literally at 16 Handles the day it opened, before self-serve froyo was a thing that even existed.  People used to come to me, and want to know what their dessert options were in the West Village. What  about the Upper West Side.  Was there anything worth trying in Times Square. And I always knew. Enough people joked around that I should blog about it, and so I did just that.  I started this blog as a way to extend the research I was doing, the places I was finding, and giving others the chance to have that experience.

A lot has changed in these past 4 years.  I've developed many health issues, and currently try as hard as I can to follow a paleo diet.  For those of you who don't know, in a nutshell it means clean eating. No packaged foods. No soy. No gluten. No lots of other things.  Fresh, natural, from the earth is the core foundation. What the cavemen used to eat.  I started this diet primarily because over the years I've developed a ton of allergies.  I did Weight Watchers back in 2005.  And while I lost 33 pounds and was the skinniest I'd ever been (and probably ever will be), I started eating a ton of packaged foods.  Anything that was low calorie, fat free, low fat, low carb.  The lessened version of a normal food, and I was in.  I stopped eating meat. I switched to soy.  Ate a lot of processed whole grains.  A couple years into this, I developed a soy and gluten sensitivity.  What did that mean?  If I touch soy, I feel like I'm going to die. If I eat barley, malt, rye, and most forms of wheat, I don't die, but my body hates me and I typically have to go home, sit on the couch and cry.  For years I've dealt with this, until a few months ago it was getting worse and worse and someone mentioned paleo.  I decided to give it a go, and have never felt better in my life.  I've always paid attention to food labels, but now I was reading them in a whole new light.  The fewer ingredients, the better.  If you don't know what the word on the label means, it's probably something you shouldn't be eating.  I subscribe to pretty much every health and wellness newsletter and blog that exists, and every day Caryn and I send each other at least 5 new articles about ingredients we didn't know were bad for us, vitamins we should be taking, and trends we should be following.  This combined with my last job at SHAPE and current job at MapMyFitness make me feel like I've become much more knowledgeable about health and nutrition than about the latest bakery on Bleecker Street.

Tonight Caryn and I went to see the documentary "Fed Up", about the dangers of sugar and childhood obesity, and it was mind-blowing.  I walked out of the Angelika theater feeling like I've spent the last 31 years in a cloud.  Even with all of the information I've been reading, I still didn't know how bad for you half the foods I still eat are.  We grew up in a generation of packaged foods.  We were at the cusp of it.  I spent my Saturday mornings as a child sitting in front of the television watching the Care Bears and the Snorks, sprinkled between commercials for Fruity Pebbles and Double Stuff Oreos.  Sugar is pretty much the devil, and watching this film tonight (thank you Katie Couric and Laurie David) was terrifying but also educational to a new level.  I've been thinking about becoming a source for my friends in the nutrition space, and have officially decided tonight to put my Chocolate's Why I'm Fat blog to bed, and switch to a new, healthier topic.  I want to share with people the things I've been learning every day, instead of sending an article to Caryn or explaining to a friend why I no longer put any sweetener in my coffee.

So this will be my last entry in this blog.  Thanks to everyone who's been a reader over the years, and to those of you who've accompanied me on my journeys and served as a 'guest blogger of the day'. Now instead you can learn how to eat right, and be healthy, and screw sugar.

To be continued elsewhere shortly....

Highland Bakery - Atlanta Edition

Every time I travel out of NY, I try to hit up a local bakery that the locals love.  Atlanta is most famous for being the birthplace of Coca Cola and the Braves.  Now I have to preface this by saying that having never been to Atlanta before, and not renting a car while I was there, my options for a blog review were limited to spots within walking distance of my meetings and hotel.

I came across Highland Bakery, known for their all-day southern brunch (complete with jalapeño cheddar grits!), freshly baked biscuits, and baked goods.  I stopped in to pick up treats for my meeting, and of course a cake pop for myself!

The website highlights the fact that they use chemical-free grains.  Having just completed a 30-day Paleo challenge, I definitely was happy to know that this dessert would be on the safer side.

There were an assortment of muffins, cupcakes, tarts and pies to choose from, but I opted for the cake pops. They had red velvet, rocky road and vanilla.  I got the rocky road and gave the others to my clients, who confirmed that Highland was a good choice and enjoyed their pops!

My cake pop was dense and about double the size of the cake pops I'm used to (i.e. the ones sold at Starbucks).  It was coated in a thick chocolate with a marshmallow on top.  At $2.50 per pop, this was a nice affordable mid-day treat.

There are 5 locations of Highland Bakery throughout Atlanta, in Midtown, the Old Fourth Ward, Buckhead, GA Tech Campus and Emory University.  They all closer at different times but most around 5pm so get there earlier in the day.  I went to the Midtown location at 1180 Peachtree Street, which seemed to be smack in the middle of the city (or at least the places I was going!)

http://highlandbakery.com

Zipadee Do Mah-Ze-Dar - My oh My What a Brownie!

Mah-Ze-Dar can typically be found selling coffee and pastries outside of the High Line Hotel at  Intelligentsia on 10th Avenue and W20th street.  On the day that I ventured over pre-Chelsea Market and West Village brunch, the outdoor area was closed due to rain and cold weather, so inside the hotel I ventured to the coffee bar.  Mah-Ze-Dar makes all sorts of wonderful looking desserts, including coconut bread, chocolate chip cookies, magic dessert bars, croissants, and, what brought me all the way over to 10th Avenue on a rainy day, brownies.

Now when I first walked in and saw the brownie I realized it looked familiar; the 'wichcraft in the office building on 26th & 11th definitely sells the Mah-Ze-Dahr brownies.  I thought I had remembered seeing the name when I was in there, but when I saw these brownies up close they were definitely one and the same, despite the girl behind the counter swearing this was the only place they were sold. Lies!

And here's your dose of chocolate knowledge.  In Urdu, the word mazedar describes the taste essence of food, its flavor and magic that make it delicious.  This one word captures the life of a taste experience, unique to each person but cohesive in its stories. It represents something that one cannot describe but wants to experience over & over again.  Conceived, built and run by lovers and purveyors of food, Mah-Ze-Dahr Bakery transports the curious on a delectable journey of mystery and desire that will elevate the baked good to a piece of comforting decadence that can be experienced every day.  Like the meaning of Mah-Ze-Dahr, the bakery is a culmination of years of traveling the world and experiencing people through their food, decades of culinary and restaurant experience, and the staunch belief that what you eat changes who you are.

Now I will say, this was one of my top brownies.  It was cakey and had giant dark chocolate chunks throughout.  There was a sprinkling of powdered sugar on top, and the edge on the pan side was crisp and delicious.  At $3.50 a piece, between the fantastic taste and large size, this was simply perfect.  Guest blogger of the day Adam and I split it, and we were beyond satisfied.  I would love to go back to try some of their other treats.  I also loved their mission statement relating brownies to travel and experiences, because food is definitely a big part of the travel experience, and to be able to capture a smell, a taste; something that can bring you back to a place....such a great concept.  So if this brownie is what the Middle East is like, count me on the next flight to Agrabah.

Intelligentsia is located outside (or inside in bad weather!) at the High Line Hotel, 180 10th Ave at W 20th street.  Next time you're taking a walk on the High Line, or to Chelsea Market (or at the Wichcraft on 26th & 11th!, fellow Under Armour employees!), or to Artichoke - stop in. Trust me, it's worth it.  Look at Adam's face, he was beyond himself with excitement.  Guest blogger of the day Adam says: "It tasted like a cake! And was sweet but not overpoweringly so."
If you can't make it, you can order them here:
http://mahzedahrbakery.com/shop/

Macaron Parlour - my new East Village dessert go-to

First let me apologize to my readers; I've taken an unnecessary hiatus.  I am going to aim to get back to my once a month review, and I'll probably do two in February to make up for lost time!

Macaron Parlour was written up recently for taking the traditional macaron and incorporating unique flavors into our beloved treats.  There are of course the standard macaron flavors, as well as assorted other baked goods, but after a 3-month long hiatus this was my first stop.

Immediately upon entering the shop we were greeted by brightly multi-colored macarons in every flavor you can imagine.  Some of the more interesting ones include carrot cake, red velvet, earl grey, candied bacon with maple cream cheese, honey and cognac and Cheetos.  Cheetos?! Sold!  Other traditional flavors included dark chocolate, dulce de leche, strawberry and hazelnut.  The women working behind the counter was extremely helpful, and helped us select the best choices to try a little of each of their best items.

A sampling of everything we tried

Let's start with the Goodbit, a bar that was recently featured on Serious Eats (Serious Eats article that got me here).  The Goodbit has a base layer of a moist brownie, a layer of caramel, and a thick solid

piece of peanut butter mixed with white chocolate.  Now I'm not a huge peanut butter fan so I kind of cheated on this one and ate mostly the brownie and caramel part, so luckily my guest blogger of the day Todd was there, who is obsessed with peanut butter and was able to provide a subjective opinion. Todd said, "My range of interest in peanut butter is somewhere between unlimited and....wait. Can't finish comment.  Too good."  So there you have it folks.  Todd Cohen, peanut butter connoisseur gives approval of the Goodbit bar.

I was able to weigh in on the Cheetos macaron.  Now when it comes to traditional macarons, I'm a Lauderee girl through and through.  But I thoroughly enjoyed Macaron Parlour's macarons for being able to create unique and tasty spins on traditional treats.  The Cheetos macaron had Cheetos infused into white chocolate ganache, with a sprinkling of Cheetos powder on top.  It even had that neon orange flavor down pat.  It was a perfect blend of salt from the Frito-Lay snack we all grew up on, with the sweet from the ganache, and we were major fans.  We also tried the Elvis cupcake, which consisted of peanut butter and caramelized bananas.  Again due to my lack of love for peanut butter I was more impartial, but Todd ate it with no complaints so we're going to go with it was enjoyable as well.

We also tried the S'more doughnut, which is apparently what put them on the map, selling this amongst other items down at the Hester Street weekend market.  There was an abundance of soft, mushy marshmallow that oozed out immediately upon cutting into it.  Somewhere in the middle was dark chocolate ganache, surrounded by a yeast doughnut and sprinkled with graham cracker crumbs on top.  I learned this is only available on weekends, so I sure am glad we stumbled in there after Sunday brunch.  We also tried the hazelnut cookie, which I evidently forgot to photograph,  Compared to everything else it wasn't as exciting, but it was a solid cookie.

Sadly I forgot to jot down prices, but upon research I learned the doughnut was $3.  So knowing my total was around $13, I'm going to assume the macarons were $2 each, the Goodbit was $3 and the cookie was $2.  Mas o menos.

Posing next to the macaron display

Macaron Parlour is open Sunday & Monday 11AM-8PM, Tuesday & Wednesday 11AM-10PM, Thursday 11AM-11PM, and Friday & Saturday 11AM-Midnight.

They are located at 111 St. Mark's Place between 1st Avenue and Avenue A.

(212) 387-9169

Macaron Parlour

A second location just opened up on the Upper West side, at 560 Columbus Avenue & W87th street.

Upon reviewing their website I discovered they also have macaron-making classes!  What a fun idea!

Treat House - Rice Krispie treats enjoyed by all

Who doesn't love Rice Krispie treats?  As a child of the 80s and someone whose parents were of the first to obtain a 'Price Club' membership before Kirkland was a household name, we had those shiny blue Snap, Crackle and Pop wrappers by the dozen - chocolate drizzle, rainbow, chocolate chunk - I have a special place in my heart for RK treats.

Until they started making me sick.  To be fair, a lot of things were making me sick before I was aware of my gluten/soy/life allergy.  But who would think that Rice Krispie treats WEREN'T gluten-free?!  After all, rice is the preferred carb of choice by celiacs everywhere.  Well, sorry Kellogg's, but you're not getting any love from me on this one.  When I learned that malt flavoring was one of the ingredients in Rice Krispies cereal, and soybean oil was thrown in as a binding ingredient - they were wiped from my list of snacks that I can eat guilt and pain-free.

So you can imagine my excitement when I first heard about Treat House opening up on the Upper West Side.  Treat House makes Rice Krispie treats in dozens of flavor combinations; and nearly all are gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free and Kosher.  So basically, unless you're allergic to rice or marshmallows, you're good to go!

Each mini square is flavored, colored and topped with a different theme: birthday cake, chocolate mint, M&Ms, cookies and creme, pink bubble gym, chocolate peanut butter - they were all beautifully decorated and I couldn't decide which to try.  I tried to elicit a recommendation from the woman behind the counter, but she wasn't super helpful.  She seemed annoyed that I asked for a recco, and unfortunately even though I mentioned I was writing for the blog, she didn't seem to care to help me find the best RK treat.  Her attitude aside, I opted for the M&M and the chocolate mint.  At $2.25 apiece, two was just the right amount - the squares were on the small side, and the cost was definitely more than I was expecting.  But once you label something gluten-free, you know how it goes.

They came boxed in mini containers that perfectly fit each square.  The M&M was a bit bland; it didn't stand out with a thin layer of marshmallow and a sprinkling of mini M&Ms.  The chocolate mint was much better though; there were little pieces of mint chocolate chips throughout the rice krispies.  With a layer of chocolate on top and a wedge of York peppermint patty completing the treat, this was absolutely excellent.  I wish they were a bit larger, since it was gone in 3 bites, but I suppose that means I'd just have to get more next time.

Treat House is located on 452 Amsterdam Avenue between West 81st and 82nd street. They're open Monday-Wednesday 7:30am-9pm
Thursday-Friday 7:30am-10pm
Saturday 9am-10pm
Sunday 9am-9pm

http://www.treathouse.com/

A General Store in Queens with not so general baked goods

Long Island City - the new area in Queens that Bloomberg has focused on as of late, looks nothing like it did the last time I was there a few years ago.  Full of luxury high-rise buildings, waterfront dining and parks, and artisinal gourmet coffee beaneries, LIC looks like Williamsburg did just as it was becoming gentrified.  As always, I wanted to go there not to see the new glass of the Citibank building, but because I read about a cafe with an awesome brownie.  Once I heard they were also featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives I knew I had to hurry over there quick!

Biking over the Pulaski bridge from Brooklyn to Queens, I was let out just a few blocks away from Sage.  We pulled up in front of a cozy little restaurant, and in we went to seek out this double chocolate brownie.  There was a glass jar full of dessert to choose from, including assorted flavors cupcakes, cupcakes that resemble Drakes Ring Dings, and Valhrona chocolate brownies.

We of course opted for the brownie, because when do we not go for the brownie.  There were chocolate chips spread throughout, and crisp edges all around.
Each bite was soft and filled with an outburst of chocolate.  It was definitely on the sweeter side; a couple bites and you can put it away and save for your next sugar craving.
It was up there on our list of great brownies, and judging from the crowd inside, it looks like their food is pretty good too.
So the next time you're in Long Island City and craving some Valhrona chocolate, give Sage General Store a go.

Sage General Store can be found at 24-20 Jackson Avenue
Sage's website
718-361-0707





Check their site for updates before heading there because their hours are pretty all over the place - as of 9/20/13, the hours are:
Sunday 3-8
Monday 3-7
Tuesday - Saturday 4-12

Ladurée - an international macaron delight - special Hong Kong edition!

Ladurée, a french bakery originally from Paris had opened up a location on the Upper East Side back in the summer of 2011, and it's been on my list ever since.  I've either been lazy or just not on the UES all that often, and when I am up there I either forget or it's 2am and the shop's been closed for hours.  But here I am, wandering around one of the most amazing cities I've ever visited, Hong Kong, thinking how I could really go for a nice sweet treat since Asia is mostly lacking in chocolate and bakeries and I hadn't had anything chocolately other than a Twix bar in weeks!  

All of a sudden, as I'm strolling through one of the many shopping centers near the water, up rises before me a pyramid of pastel-colored macarons.  It looked vaguely familiar; I'd seen this windowfront before.... and sure enough, as I get closer, I saw the name etched in gold on the window - Ladurée. Famous for being one of the most renowned bakeries in Paris, with a double-decker flagship shop and 4 locations throughout Paris, I was thrilled to see they were now expanding not only to New York, but to Hong Kong as well (but only because I was there and in dire need of sweets).  From reading their Wikipedia page, since the main site is in French, I learned this was Blair Waldorf of Gossip Girls' sweet of choice.  All the more reason to give it a try.

There were a rainbow-full of colors worth of flavors to try, but at 23 Hong Kong dollars apiece (around $3 USD), and being on a bit of a budget since leaving my job, I could only justify buying one $3 cookie; a price equivalent to half of my hostels in Thailand and Laos.  (Sidenote - the condition of the cookie was way better than the hostels.)  I had read a review from an expat living in Hong Kong describing the salted caramel macaron as one of her top 5 sweets in the city, so I went with that one.  Now I should probably take a step back and explain what exactly a macaron is.

A macarOn, not to be confused with a macarOOn, is a meringue-based confection made up of two almond meringue discs filled with a layer of buttercream, ganache or jam.  Ladurée is credited with creating these sweets interestingly enough, so what better for me to write my review on. A macaroon, on the other hand, is originally a small cake made up of mostly almonds, although throughout time the macaroon has transformed to include more of a cake-like substance, made with egg whites, and affiliated with coconut and often covered with chocolate.

Ladurée also sells chocolates, chocolate cream, pastries and merchandise including scarves, mugs and key rings.  You can create your own assortment of macarons and have them gift wrapped in a fancy pastel box.  Sadly, my povery-stricken self went up to the counter to request my sole macaron, which I ate immediately upon leaving the shop and running out with humiliation at not being able to afford all of the pretty colored-cookies.  Since there's no specific chocolate involved I wasn't sure how much of a fan I'd be.  I've tried macarons in the past and thought they were just OK.  However, Laduree products no ordinary macaron.  This was a sugary sensation!  The cookie crumbled in my mouth; the sweetness of the salted caramel filling blended perfectly with the soft meringue of the cookie casing.  I couldn't believe how good a macaron could be!  And then I wished I could try more. And more.  Luckily, when I got back to New York I made a trip up to the UES with my co-blogger Cjap and we got to try a few more flavors.  The iced mint, one of the seasonal flavors, tasted exactly like mint chocolate chip ice cream!

Some of the flavors can be seen here
<-- span="">

But in case you can't see, since I can't really make out the writing in this photo either, I will list some of the classics for you:

Vanilla
Orange Blossom
Rose Petal
Pistachio
Chocolate
Raspberry
Lemon
Licorice


And some of the seasonal flavors in NY right now are iced mint, gingerbread, Venezuelan chocolate, and coconut.  There's a separate section listed as the Incroyables, including a chocolate coconut macaron, which I tried and was also delicious, however I am clueless as to what the word Incroyable means.  If anyone goes to Paris anytime soon, please investigate and get back to me.

They are expanding to more locations internationally; currently besides Paris, NY and Hong Kong you can find Ladurée in Singapore, Dubai, South Korea, Morocco, Sydney, Japan, Brazil and many locations throughout Europe including Switzerland, Germany, England and Italy.

The New York location can be found at 864 Madison Avenue.
Open Monday - Saturday 9AM - 7PM; Sundays 10AM-6PM.
(646) 558-3157
Laudree main site