Maybe it’s my unfamiliarity with the French language but there might be a typo on this place’s name; in any case this is what I’m having for lunch today. No celery is a plus, but too much salt, hair in the salad, and slightly annoyed waitress are, well, minuses. So there.
Macadamia White Chocolate Cookie
Alright, I don’t want to be mean. But given the bounty of excellent cookies in my neighborhood – Levain Bakery’s and Jacques Torres’ are my two absolute favorites — why would anyone go get cookies at Insomnia?
So to be nice I’ll say, 1. Because they are cheap at $1 a piece; 2. Because they are open late until 3am; 3. Because they have a significant variety of flavors (Chocolate Chunk, Double Chocolate Chunk, M&M, Oatmeal Raisin, Peanut Butter, Sugar Cookies, White Chocolate Macadamia, Snickerdoodle, Coconut Pecan, plus some “premium” flavors); 4. Because the owners are entrepreneurial (started the company as juniors at UPenn); 5. Because they are so healthy (“You don’t have to order a heavy meal or a greasy pizza when you get hungry anymore. Order fresh baked cookies and milk instead.”)
Alright, you annoyed me there. Cookies are not much better than pizza. And Insomnia cookies are ok, but far from great. We had three cookies — oatmeal raisin, coconut pecan, and white chocolate macadamia. I had had half of the oatmeal raisin cookie thinking it was coconut pecan when I asked my daughter for a taste of hers and realized that hers was coconut pecan. Maybe it’s me. Maybe it’s because they are just not that distinguished or distinguishable. But I am glad I don’t have 3am sugar cravings.
Alice’s Tea Cup, on 73rd and Columbus, is a girlie place. Girls (and I guess boys as well) can borrow fairy wings and get a sprinkle of glittery fairy dust as they enter the windowless basement for a feast of tea and sandwiches.
Personally, I am not much of a fan of ATC. Tea is not my thing, although I can certainly enjoy afternoon teas at fancy places, especially in England. But this being America, the concept just turns big and overwhelming. Instead of little delicate finger sandwiches, the sandwiches at ATC are whole handful — overstuffed concoctions, rather bland and dry to me.
But oh, the scones. Big and overwhelming, yes, a truck-full of butter and whatever flavor you choose that day. Continue reading
The Time Warner Center is strategically located about 16 blocks away frommy house in New York. Too close to take the subway, but too far for me to go there everyday. Had it been closer, I would get a macaron a day at Bouchon Bakery.
Peanut Butter and Jam Macaron
The macarons at Bouchon Bakery are exactly as they should be. The cookies have this thin, crunchy crust that give way to a nothingness of almond-flavored meringue. They collapse as you bite into them and somewhere in the middle your tongue finds the grace of the filling, contrasting not only intexture, but sometimes also in flavor.
In addition to four regular flavors Bouchon Bakery offers two rotating flavors. My favorite ever was a Kir Royale — champagne filling encased in cassis cookies — but lately they impressed me with a peanut butter and jam macaron. The cookie was chocolate, and the peanut filling was topped by a layer of raspberry jam.
Let’s say Bomboloni are the Italian cousins of the jelly doughnut; and while I don’t care for jelly doughnuts, I am somehow crazy about the Italian version. I am not sure it’s because of the dough. I’ve had (unfilled) doughnuts that were even lighter and tasted better. What makes bomboloni different is the filling.
Coconut and brown sugar bombolone
SeriousEats: New York — Kids Welcome: Kefi
Every other week I will be publishing Kids Welcome on SeriousEats:NY — a column that will recommend great, cool restaurants in New York’s five boroughs to please both parents’ and children palates.
