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Two Little Red Hens[/caption]
To the first time visitor, the city of New York is large and difficult to manage. But to a resident, NYC is a city made up of many smaller towns or neighborhoods each with its own character. For example, on East 86th where I lived for two weeks fashion tights are the de rigueur uniform for young professional women headed to the store or one of the gyms that seem to populate every corner. For men you can still find examples of what I thought was the finally extinct "WASP" look, polo shirts, docksiders, and chinos. Even though I'd rather stay further downtown, I'm not going to look a gift horse in the mouth.
There are some great gems in my temporary neighborhood, Luke's Lobster, Prime Butcher Baker, and Naruto Ramen are just a few. Rent for businesses in the city is insane. The linen store just next door to my apartment pays $10,000 per month for each window that faces the street. With real estate at such a premium, throughout the city coffeehouses tend to be really tiny. Just large enough to grab a cup to go with an interesting croissant, pastry or cupcake. Two Little Red Hens is one such place just around the corner from my temporary home.
Many consider Two Little Red Hens' cupcakes and pies some of the best in the city. There's usually a line but it's worth the wait. On my first visit I ordered a Key Lime Pie cupcake with a cup of Irving Farm coffee. It was one of the best cupcakes I've ever had. It was the perfect balance of tart lime with sweet icing... not too cloying, moist cake filled with lime custard. The coffee is by Irving Farm, a roaster located north of the city in Millerton, Hudson Valley.
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Irving Farm Coffee[/caption]
Going south a few miles, Union Square is a world apart from the Upper East Side. The vibe is trendy without the hipster attitude of the East Village. There's a fantastic farmer's market four days a weeks and over in the Southwest corner you can pick up a chess game for just a few bucks. Just East of the park is Irving Place. It's an upscale residential enclaive, a bit more quiet and quaint than Union Square. Here at 71 Irving Place is the city home of Irving Farm Coffee Roasters founded in 1996 and now with four locations plus wholesale in many other places around the city. Their house is a blend of Peru, Guatemala and El Salvadoran beans, each roasted separately then combined to form their signature house style, bold, rich and robust without being overroasted.
On East 13th Street David Chang's Momofuku Milk Bar offers up a taste of dessert and Stumptown coffee from an ever-expanding culinary empire (last count was 15 restaurants around the world). My expectations were high as I've read so much about Chang, the "bad boy" of New York cuisine and watched him do guest stints on Treme, Top Chef and Anthony Bourdain. I'm sad to report that my experience was underwhelming. Although it was a quiet Monday just after 1 pm and the sign outside announced that "it's raining treats", the guy in front of me was told that they were out of their Kimchi Croissant a treat he went there specifically to try for the first time. It sounded so interesting that I could help feeling his pain. I ordered a "Crack Pie" with a well made Stumptown Hairbender espresso. How could I resist such a promise? Unfortunately, the taste was cloying and dense, and reminded me not so much a food crack then a not so interesting riff on Pecan Pie. If you're looking for pastry "crack" try Doughnut Plant's mind-blowing offerings (at two locations, Lower East Side and Chelsea), which I'll blog about in a few weeks.
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Two Little Red Hens: http://www.twolittleredhens.com
Irving Farm Coffee Roasters: http://www.irvingfarm.com
Momofuku Milk Bar: http://milkbarstore.com
Doughnut Plant: http://doughnutplant.com
