Food Highlights: New York City [Cupcakes]

I had two important (personal) goals while in New York City--for the first time--for work the other week -

1. Eat pizza
2. Eat cupcakes
3. Bonus: Be on the Today Show (check!)

Upon arriving in the big apple, my co-worker and I's first stop was a pizzeria for lunch. Recommended by the hotel's concierge, we ate to John's Pizzeria, located just off Broadway. It's situated in what we were told was a church; the presence of a stained glass ceiling and a balcony made the rumor believable. Two brick ovens were situated against both sides of the restaurant's back wall, which allow you the pleasant experience of viewing the pizza masters at work. Seeing as money wasn't much of an object (oh the small luxuries of business travel), we both ordered our own pizzas. Mine was half traditional and half pizza bianca (white). The traditional was NYC-pizza-perfection...the white side had a ridiculous amount of ricotta, which honestly made it somewhat unappetizing.

Pizza, check.

MAGNOLIA BAKERY

Flavor: Vanilla cake, vanilla icing

Immediate following our pizza feast, we went on an adventure walk SLASH we needed to walk off some of our meal. From our hotel, we went straight down 49th Street and came upon Magnolia Bakery on our way to Rockefeller Center. The small(ish) corner bakery was slightly overwhelming: lots of people and lots of baked goods! I spotted the cupcake display with only a few cupcakes remaining and decided that, out of the three or four flavors, I was in a vanilla mood. I loved the sprinkles and colored icing; however, the cake itself was spongy and sadly on the dry side...I wanted to like it. But it just wasn't very good. Next!

BILLY'S BAKERY

Flavor: Chocolate cake, mint icing

Out of the 3 bakeries I made it to, this was the winner. I wouldn't have even known about it, if it hadn't been for where the studio we were working at was. Around 2PM on the first day of the video/photo shoot (the purpose of my being in the city), I found myself with extreme cabin fever. Since about 8AM, we had been confined to 2 small black (and green) studios, with flashing lights, uncomfortable director chairs, and small talk. Luckily, I found myself this bakery (via my Android) and an excuse (my co-worker needed a diet Coke) as a means to escape for 20 minutes. Billy's is a quaint and welcoming sweets shop on 9th Avenue in Chelsea. On their website, they featured a chai cupcake, along with a maple pecan flavor, oh myyyy. Upon arrival, I was informed that the flavors were switched out daily and I had missed those, along with the banana nutella (AH!). The chocolate mint cupcake was next in line, and, importantly, present. The cake was a perfect moist chocolate, topped with a mint buttercream (of which you could taste both of its namesake ingredients...LOVE). It reminded me of my mom's creme de menthe brownies, which are to die for BTW. Complete with that strange icing "sinkhole swirl" (why have I only seen this in NYC?), nothing could've made it better.

CRUMBS BAKE SHOP

Flavor: Chocolate cake, peanut butter icing, peanut butter filling

On my final evening in the city, I decided to find one more cupcake to "test". It was between Crumbs and Baked by Melissa, and I happened to stumble upon Crumbs first. (As always) I did some research before walking into the shop...so I knew that the majority of their cupcakes have their signature cream cheese icing. Gah. WHY? They had so many tasty flavors, but I was limited to 3. It wasn't too much of a concern, seeing as the chocolate peanut butter cupcake was on my list of "enjoyable" options. I proceeded back to my room before dinner, where I had two bites...so good...and vowed to save the rest, determined to drag it back to Virginia with me (my tummy truly hated me at this point--a week of vacation and traveling = anything goes...in my mouth!). Of course, it didn't survive the night. The chocolate cake was good (definitely not dry), I liked the added texture of the nuts and chips on top, and the icing / filling differed from one another but still screamed peanut butter...but not in an overwhelming way. My only cons were that it was a rather large cupcake and the filling definitely made it, well, filling. In a country where large is the norm and cupcakes are overpriced, I know I shouldn't be complaining that I got a large cupcake for my $3.00, but aren't cupcakes supposed to be a mini-dessert? Just saying...and, really, I loved eating it all the same :)

Lastly, it wouldn't have been New York if I hadn't ended my final evening with pizza, specifically: a slice of cheese to go from Famous Original Ray's Pizza.

I loved the time I spent in New York and can't wait to go back...so many more landmarks to see and restaurants to try! I didn't make it down past Chelsea (Billy's Bakery is the farthest south? I made it on the island), so that's on the next agenda. Along with shopping :) Unfortunately, it'll be at my own expense.