AlwaysPartying: Madeleine’s Macarons
The Gluttoness — May 29, 2009
It’s National Macaron Day on Sunday (May 31st), and when we think of these traditional French flourless pastries, Madeleine Patisserie in Chelsea, automatically comes to mind. On any given day they have up to twenty variations of these meringue-like, sandwich cookies, ranging from your standard Vanilla, Chocolate and Pistachio, to Nutella, Lavender, Pear Brandy and Caramel Fleur de Sel. At $2.50 a pop, they’re pricey considering they’re really just egg whites, almond powder and sugar but their crisp exteriors and rich, creamy centers make them hard to resist.
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(from left: Lemon Confit, Lavender, Chocolate, Raspberry, Pistachio, Passion Fruit, Strawberry—Lavender, Cassis, Chocolate, Lavender, Pistachio, Orange/Chocolate, Lemon Confit, Mango/Lychee)
In case you haven’t been to Madeleine Patisserie, they make everything homemade in the windowed bakery visible at the rear of the store. You can also find excellent macarons further downtown at Bouley Market or uptown at Bouchon Bakery.
Madeleine Patisserie is located at: 23rd Street, b/n 6th and 7th Avenues
AlwaysInvestigating: Hot Mini Cakes
The Gluttoness — April 28, 2009
On a weekend afternoon, it is not uncommon to find a long line forming behind a tiny street cart labeled Hot Mini Cakes at the southeast corner of Bowery and Grand. The aroma alone could stop you in your tracks. The recession-proof menu clearly helps this crowd-pleaser. Twenty of these pop-able pancakes only sets you back one dollar. Mini cakes can be found all over Hong Kong, but New York City was first introduced to these Asian sweets by a stand aptly titled “Hong Kong Cakes.” Since it closed, Shao Chen has taken to the streets to satiate Chinatown locals, tourists and mini cake addicts alike, with his own heavily populated outpost. Chen worked in Hong Kong for many years, where he honed his secret mini cake recipe and fortified the perfect technique.
On this particular day, the cart was manned by David Chen, an adorable elderly Asian man who is not a direct relative of Shao, even though they share a last name (apparently, it’s a “very big family in China”). David Chen, like Shao, is in his late 70s. He operates the cart three to four times a week, weather permitting, and has been doing so for the past five years. The all-natural mini cakes are made with flour, sugar, eggs and water, but only Shao knows the exact proportions of ingredients. The batter is even delivered premade so you can’t watch him and try to figure it out either. Shao’s double-sided griddle is heated over an open flame until all thirty holes are piping hot, then both surfaces are brushed with butter. Once the batter is added, it takes about 1-2 minutes for the mini cakes to be ready. The griddle is flipped repeatedly so that the cakes cook on both sides.
The results are bite-sized morsels: crisp and golden on the outside, sweet and airy on the inside. When ready, they’re dispensed into a metal bowl, quickly separated (some stick together) and packaged in little wax paper bags. Before these steaming packages can even be closed, customers are eagerly waiting, dollar in hand. Or in my case, $5 for a quickly consumed 100.
Location: Corner of Bowery & Grand (view map)
AlwaysInvestigating: Bagel Boss Invades Manhattan
The Gluttoness — April 23, 2009
We know, there are plenty of places to get great bagels in New York City. You’ve got the famed H&H, Ess-A-Bagel, Pick A Bagel, the under-appreciated Bagel Bob’s (near NYU), and a slew of Murray’s Bagels and its spinoffs. So what’s the big deal about Bagel Boss coming to New York City? Well, many Strong Island natives claim these as New York’s best. (The fact that it did not get a shout out in DJ Lubel’s life-changing power ballad Ode To Murray Hill can only be attributed to human error.) The argument isn’t entirely crazy. If you’ve ever had a Bagel Boss bagel hot from the oven with a schmear of cream cheese, you know the deal. Even the structure of these crusty bad boys is impressive— they scream homemade. A quick twist breaks open the outer shell revealing a moist, soft center.
These archetypal bagels are worth a trip to 15th and 1st Ave., just don’t look for the Bagel Boss sign you’d find outside any one of the twelve Long Island locations. Bagel Boss has taken over what was once La Bagel and the awning hasn’t been changed yet. Loyal Bagel Boss devotees will instantly spot the store’s standards: the heralded Mushroom Egg Salad (peppered with fried onions like Sammy’s chopped liver), their creamier-than-thou Baked Salmon Salad, and a fabulous Tuna Salad, chock-full of dried cranberries and chunks of apple. Sure, you can enjoy your bagel just as much with Cream Cheese on a Cinnamon Raisin or Scallion Spread on an Everything, but at Bagel Boss the top-notch salads are as integral to the overall experience as the bagels themselves.
Though business would have probably already been bumping had they opened up in Murray Hill, as word spreads, this Kosher establishment will quickly gain steam amongst Long Island imports and city folk alike. Weekend mornings are sure to be dating gold if you’re looking to meet a nice Jewish girl with an affinity for Smoked Salmon on Pumpernickel. We wouldn’t say it’s the new boss of New York City bagels, but the bagelry’s Egg Salad is definitely throwing elbows and it is a welcome addition to the East Village.
Bagel Boss is located at: 263 1st Avenue
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