Chocolate Pecan Cloud Ice Cream Sandwich
by Cristy-Lucie Alvarado
August 25th, 2008
JOYCE BAKESHOP
646 Vanderbilt Ave
@ Park Pl
Prospect Heights, Brooklyn
718-623-7470
$
Ice cream sandwiches are summer’s cookies and Joyce Bakeshop in Prospect Heights knows how to do them right. A thick layer of espresso ice cream is sandwiched between two of Joyce’s chocolate pecan cloud cookies for an enormous hunk of indulgence. The ice cream, which is made on site, is subtle in flavor, so the real treat is the cookie. The double chocolate chip cookie with traces of pecans stays chewy even after spending time in the freezer. So after the ice cream melts in your mouth, the dark chocolate chips become a mass of chewy fudge. You could easily share this bad boy with a friend, but what for? These sandwiches give you an excuse to indulge in the summer just a little bit longer.
Posted in American , Cookies , Ice Cream , Prospect Heights
Couscous w/ Pea Shoots
by Celia Cheng
August 25th, 2008
JAMES
605 Carlton Ave
@ St. Marks Ave
Prospect Heights, Brooklyn
718-942-4255
$
James’ seasonal American cuisine and warm atmosphere make for a wonderfully relaxing neighborhood restaurant in Prospect Heights. The couscous with pea shoots may be just a side dish, but it’s not to be missed. Couscous tossed with pea shoots, shiitake and radicchio Treviso might sound a bit dry, but in my mouth, it was an explosion of flavors. I could taste all the freshness of the produce directly from the green market: the sweet flavor of pea shoots, mixed with the meaty earthiness of the shiitake, and the slight bitterness of Treviso. The contrasting flavors and textures fused with the couscous and perfectly accompanied the entrée. I love finding simple treasures like these.
Posted in American , Grains , Prospect Heights , Vegetables
Cousin Leroy & Arlo’s Soft-Serve Ice Cream
by Celia Cheng
August 25th, 2008
MOMOFUKU NOODLE BAR
171 First Ave
(10th & 11th St)
212-777-7773
$
Momofuku Noodle Bar’s soft serve is the perfect low-maintenance dessert solution for this bustling eatery. The rotating flavors, however, reflect careful composition and a departure from traditional (i.e. boring) flavors. Most recently, I’ve been enjoying the seasonal blueberry and smoked peach twist with crumble topping. Thanks to the texture of the fruit, this ice cream is so light that it seems more like frozen yogurt or sorbet. And I love the fact that the cone is almond flavored. I may not have the patience to wait in the long line for a bowl of noodles, but I’m always happy to duck in for a quick soft-serve pick-me-up.
Posted in American , East Village , Ice Cream
Matcha Latte
by Celia Cheng
August 25th, 2008
TAFU
569 Lexington Ave
@ 51st St
212-980-1310
$$
Tafu is an artisan tea house from Japan, but it’s hard to tell since it’s located in a Double Tree Hotel in Midtown, hidden with its own side entrance on 51st Street. But they take their teas seriously, monitoring the temperature and using small traditional teapots for brewing. And their insistence that real matcha be enjoyed in-store and not for take-out shows integrity. They do, however, serve some café style drinks, including my favorite matcha latte. In fact, they have several variations with different add-ons, such as kuromitsu (brown sugar syrup), chocolate syrup or ice cream. But I like the regular latte without any extraneous sweets. The astringent taste of matcha is balanced by the sweetness of the milk, and the texture is silky smooth. Topped with frothy milk, it is also the healthiest choice for a little afternoon indulgence.
Posted in Drinks , Japanese , Midtown East
Veggie Burger
by Cristy-Lucie Alvarado
August 25th, 2008
STAND
24 E 12th St
(5th Ave & University Pl)
212-488-5900
$
I thought I didn’t like veggie burgers because, well, I like real ones, but Stand has me talking, once again. My dinner companion suggested we do a little trade off. I was not excited to sacrifice half of my classic burger for a veggie one, but I gave in and was pleasantly surprised. Their veggie patty is made of quinoa, mushroom, and zucchini and you can opt for white cheddar if you’d like. Every ingredient in this flavorful patty is identifiable, unlike those in some veggie burgers that seem to remind me of cat food. The one downfall was that it was quite crumbly. I ended up having to ditch the great bun and just scrape the remainder up before it really fell apart. My companion was able to eat his half before it turned to crumbs. I would like to have eaten mine as a sandwich, too, but the patty had me so impressed that I wasn’t bothered.
Posted in American , Burger , Greenwich Village , Veggies
