Astoria & LIC Hot Cocoa Time

With 2014 really feeling like winter, I love having any kind of excuse to indulge in something warm, sweet and comforting.  That's why I wanted to put together this short but sweet hot cocoa round-up for your viewing and tasting pleasure.  What's your favorite place in the nabe to enjoy a hot chocolate?

Martha's Country Bakery is always a treat when you're looking for fancy hot chocolate.  I love that they boast some inventive flavors such as peanut butter (pictured above), red velvet, and even a spicy Mexican hot chocolate.  36-21 Ditmars Blvd, Astoria.  718.545.9737

Speaking of fancy hot cocoa, Leli's Bakery also comes to mind, as they feature four fun flavors such as French, Raspberry, Caramel and Vanilla Hot Chocolate.  35-14 30th Avenue, Astoria.  718.626.8090

Image by Time Out NY

Il Bambino isn't just one of my favorite places to get a panini, they feature pretty decadent hot chocolate options such as peanut butter and nutella - my We Heart Astoria comrades and Time Out New York agree, too!  34-08 31st Avenue, Astoria.  718.626.0087

Image via Yelp by Amy S.

When I think of quality, The Queens Kickshaw naturally comes to mind, which is why I was happy to see they've got a Mast Brothers Hot Chocolate drink.  For those of you familiar with this Brooklyn-based chocolate purveyor, you'll know that you're getting something really top notch.  40-17 Broadway, Astoria. 718.777.0913

Sweetleaf, one of my favorite LIC haunts is another place you can hang with a warm cup of joe or a hot cocoa.  I love that they showcase Jacques Torres' hot chocolate and add their own special touch with homemade marshmallows.  10-93 Jackson Avenue, LIC.  917.832.6726.  46-15 Center Blvd, LIC.  347.527.1038

Martha's Bakery Continues to Bring Out My Sinful Side

On the same day that Peter, Fiana and I went to BareBurger, we also ventured into Martha's and did quite a job overdosing on dessert.  While I've been to this bakery many a times and continue to be a loyal supporter, I had my eye on some new things that I've been meaning to try like the bread pudding.  Peter and Fiana were intrigued by the hot chocolate options and tried those out, with much success.  Here are the highlights:

Apple Bread Pudding - Admiring the large pans of fluffy bread pudding in their display case, I just couldn't refuse.  Not knowing that there was more than one variety, the apple bread pudding caught my eye so I decided to go for it.  The result was stupendous and the portion is quite large and therefore perfect to share with one (even two) people.  Reminding me of zemlovka, a homestyle Slovak bread pudding recipe made in any proper Slovak kitchen, this had similar qualities, including the soft, sweet apples, tender on the inside but crispy on the outside bread dough, and some familiar flavorings of cinnamon and brown sugar.  It was a delight to eat, and while my brother helped me out, it felt so light that I could've very well polished it off on my own.

PBJ and Regular Hot Chocolate - With up to 5 different varieties of hot chocolate, it was hard to choose, but Peter and Fiana each got something that pleased them.  Peter ordered the peanut butter hot chocolate, which was just fantastic - a velvety concoction of dark rich hot chocolate kissed with a hint of peanut butter that left you with a nostalgic aftertaste after each gulp.

Fiana went with the more traditional classic hot cocoa, which was also lovely, and topped with fluffy whipped cream.  I liked that it didn't feel too rich to go down but it was also far from watery, creating a perfect dessert elixir.

Service and Cost:
Even though the cafe offers table service, I've never taken advantage of it until now.  I'm happy to say that the service was relatively responsive, but we didn't feel rushed either, especially on a busy night.  The servers tend to be quite young and maybe a little green, but overall they're very sweet and do a nice job.

Costs are moderate and totally justified for all that deliciousness.  The above  mentioned treats set us back about $22 with tax and tip.

Martha's Country Bakery - 36-21 Ditmars Blvd, Astoria, NY 11105

 718.545.9737

N/W Train to Ditmars Blvd (last stop)

Martha's Country Bakery - 41-06 Bell Blvd, Bayside NY 11361
 718.225.5200
LIRR to Bayside
www.marthascountrybakery.com  

Who Wins the Crown for the Best Hot Chocolate?

Only recently have I started getting into these NYC Food Crawls, participating in the last one back in December, where we were on the hunt for macarons.  Well I had so much fun, making new foodie friends and tasting amazing things, that I decided to do it again this month.  The theme of hot chocolate sounded delicious and impossible to turn down, so friends or no friends with me, I decided to just go for it. 

Just like last time, all the crawlers met at an agreed spot, set by our organizer, Amanda.  There we broke up into groups and received our location map, listing 5 intriguing hot chocolate haunts, located in the Soho area.  Luckily, I'm pretty familiar with this neighborhood, so I was able to advise my group about the best order of our hot chocolate route.  They seemed grateful and in the end, we found our strategy worked, as we got ahead of every larger group on the crawl and enjoyed these places without having to wait too long.  

Here's where the hot chocolate route took us...

Ground Support - Realizing I must've passed by this place on many occasions, but for whatever reason failed to go in, I was excited to explore a new niche coffee house in the area.  Although we came for the hot chocolate of course, it has to be noted that they also sell Intelligentsia Coffee, which is devine and originates from Chicago (my friends Kimberly and Jonathan turned me on to it).  But back to hot chocolate...

Ground Support's hot chocolate looked anything but standard, elegant with a beautiful heart shaped foam on top.  Its taste was nice and smooth, and not too sweet, which I liked. Some of my crawl companions noted that it was a little watered down, but I liked that it wasn't overly rich and would go back for another.  399 West Broadway, New York NY 10012.  212.219.8722

Vosges Chocolat - Oh yes...this place again.  Some of you may have read my post a few weeks ago about the spicy hot chocolate I had there, together with my cousin Vicky, but in this visit, I tried the white Bianca Couture Cocoa.  Its taste was unlike anything I've had before, and for something totally unique and un hot chocolate-like, I'd highly suggest it.  Containing a citrus essence from the lemon myrtle (sort of like lemongrass) and a hint of lavender too, it was a sophisticated anti hot chocolate if you will.  132 Spring Street, New York NY 10012.  212.625.2929

Marie Belle - Almost on the same level of sophistication as Vosges, but maybe a little bit more even, Marie Belle's charming chocolate room provided us with a perfect little tasting of their signature Aztec hot chocolate.  We all swooned over the first sip and the next few that followed, as we drained our cups and licked our lips with satisfaction.  This was the real thing, with a deep, dark rich chocolate flavor that tasted almost more like a sauce.  There was nearly no dilution of milk and a small portion went a long way.   484 Broome Street, New York NY 10013.  212.925.6999

Jacques Torres - After Marie Belle, we were off to Mr. Chocolate's place AKA Jacques Torres.  Known for incredibly rich, and excellent quality chocolate, we had high hopes, but at the same time, I knew it wouldn't be as unique as a Marie Belle's, as it's quite commercial.

Upon entering the store, which also has a chocolate factory attached to it, we were astounded by how crowded it was.  No matter, we were already here and we wanted what we came for.  Impressed by all the flavors of hot chocolate they had, we ordered a caramel and a peanut butter hot chocolate.  I'm disappointed to report that both looked an tasted exactly the same, and I simply couldn't detect the peanut butter flavoring at all.  Its taste was very delicious and creamy, however I saw it was made with a lot of butter, as a layer of grease was visible at the top.  My crawl companions loved it though and said some even tasted the peanut putter.  Maybe a placebo effect? I don't know...350 Hudson Street, New York NY 10014.  212.414.2462 

Little Cupcake Bakeshop - I liked that this location was off the beaten path, and like its name suggests, it was a charming cupcake shop with many creative flavors of cupcakes (none of which were small).  There's only one hot chocolate flavor here, and it comes with marshmallows.  It reminded me of Ground Support's a bit, in that it was lighter and not as thick as Marie Belle's or Jacques Torres'.  The marshmallows were lovely and I was glad they finally made an appearance on our tour.  As I took my last few gulps of chocolatey goodness, I concurred it was a good way to end our chocolate journey, with something a little lighter and more nostalgic.  30 Prince Street, New York NY 10012.  212.941.9100

So which one takes the crown, you ask?  Marie Belle hands down!

If you'd like to join a future NYC Crawl, sign up for their Facebook alerts, and I hope to run into you there.  A big shout-out to my new hot chocolate friends Sarah, Ben and Marina!

Vosges - Haut Hot Chocolate

After lunching on those delicious hand pulled noodles I told you about last week, Vicky and I headed over to Soho's Vosges Chocolat for another indulgent treat - chocolate!  Recently paying a visit to this amazingly sophisticated sweet shop with my friend Wanda, it was still very much on my mind and I couldn't wait to actually sit down at their communal table and enjoy a gourmet hot chocolate.

Atmosphere:
Located on the busy part of Spring Street, not far from Mercer Street, Vosges enjoys nice foot traffic from busy shoppers and of course from chocolate loyalists.  And though I've feasted on Vosges' truffles and chocolate bars in the past, I haven't visited the actual store until recently.

I love that the interior is decked in deep purple colors and overall, feels very girly.  Unlike some other haut chocolatiers, it feels chic but not stuffy and you'll find all sorts of clientele browsing its shelves. As I've hinted above, the Soho boutique doubles up as a little cafe, where you can sit down at the lovely marble table and enjoy a freshly made hot (or haut) chocolate.  That's exactly what Vicky and I chose to do, and aside from drinking our indulgent elixirs, we also feasted on amazing samples of truffles and bark.

Treats:

Hot Chocolate - We each ordered different flavors of hot chocolate - me going for the spicy Aztec and Vicky choosing the sweet Parisienne.  Aesthetically, both looked the same, being served in long tubular glasses that reminded me of oversized test tubes.  Once we took a sip of each respective drink, we fell in love - me really digging the spiciness of the ancho & chipotle chilies that warmed the back of my throat, and Vicky indulging in the dark chocolate with Madagascar vanilla flavorings.  Both drinks were rich and sophisticated, and a definite step up from your ordinary hot chocolate drink.  I also liked that even though saturated in chocolate flavor, they weren't heavy and weren't hard on the tummy like other versions that only taste good at the time (and which you pay for later, if you know what I mean).

Truffles - Seeing a handful of beautiful dark chocolate truffles, resting on an old fashioned scale at the communal table, we couldn't resist trying them.  Looking gorgeous, with a dark red dried cherry on top, they were irresistible.  Consisting of Kirsch, velvety dark chocolate and the tart Michigan cherry on top, popping this into our mouths felt like we went Paris and back.  All we had to do was close our eyes.

Service and Cost:
Even though I won't rant and rave about the service, there's also no reason to complain.  I felt that overall, the staffed lacked some general enthusiasm and umph that would've been nice to see from such a magical place, but they by no means faulted us in any way and provided satisfactory service.

Costs are expensive and are about $4 for each hot chocolate.  Truffle prices vary and you can check out their site for the specifics.

3 Chocolatey Mmmms

Vosges - 132 Spring Street, New York NY 10012
212.625.2929
6 Train to Spring Street
www.vosgeschocolate.com 

L.A. Burdick - Boston's Handmade Chocolates

L.A. Burdick - 52-D Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA 02138

617.491.4340

Red Line T to Harvard Square

www.burdickchocolate.com

I went to Boston this weekend to see my brother and to go to my cousin Miriam's baby shower. It was nice to revisit my college town and reminisce about my favorite things and places in Beantown. A culinary highlight of my trip included an amazing handmade chocolate shop called L.A. Burdick. I've tried their confections before at a wedding and was amazed at the richness and purity of the chocolate. But being in the actual Burdick shop and cafe was the ultimate sweet treat.

The Chocolate:

Burdick offers handmade chocolate confections in various forms--they have two adorable animal options: penguins and mice, more traditional square truffles, chocolate dipped fruit and of course their famous hot cocoa. They offer great options in terms of party favors for weddings, baby showers or any other special occasions. Something that I especially liked were their chocolate cigars--masculine yet decadently sinful.

What I Tried:

The Burdick locale that we tried in Cambridge-Harvard Square was a shop and a cafe. And while I admired their pastries such as The Burdick (almond wafers and rum ganache topped with white chocolate and pistachio) or the giant Linzer Torte, what I really wanted was their hot cocoa.

I heard about the intense richness of the Burdick chocolate potion but simply had to witness it first-hand. The cocoa came in a small mug and once the thick liquid hit my lips I understood why--it was like drinking the best quality chocolate in its purest form. The cocoa needed no additional dessert to go with it, it was that filling. Its presentation was lovely and included a foamed silhouette of a woman--or at least that's what my chocolate addled brain was telling me.

My experience at Burdick left me utterly satisfied and impressed. I'll think back on it fondly and will certainly consider buying it next time I want to reward someone with a special treat.