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  

Martha's Post-Hurricane Delights

After my little trip to BareBurger Bayside, I also stopped off at Martha's Bakery, which is also located on Bell Blvd, about 3 blocks down from BareBurger.  I was in the mood for one of their legendary cupcakes, so I popped in - and to my delight found them fully stocked, with some new items I hadn't noticed before, including new cupcake flavors.  I grabbed a hazelnut cupcake, and then went back for a peanut butter one and also a brownie fudge pie.  Everything was amaazing!

Cupcakes - Both cupcakes were fabulous, with a really moist chocolate dough and a creamy frosting topper.  The hazelnut was my favorite, sporting a ring of crunchy hazelnuts around the perimeter, and a lightly flavored frosting.  While the hazelnut flavor was really subtle, it was deliciously sophisticated and something I'd love to have again, perhaps with a flute of champagne.

While I also enjoyed the peanut butter cupcake, the frosting was on the heavier side, and it would've been nice to have perhaps some peanut butter chocolate chips on the side to make the flavors more pronounced.

Brownie Fudge Pie - I couldn't resist two helpings of the brownie fudge pie, and it looked enticing, reminding me of a s'mores dessert.  It was really fantastic and oh so chocolatey, with large brownie chunks sticking out the sides.  They were slightly crunchy, which made the dessert really interesting from a texture standpoint, and the melty chocolate middle was a surprising juxtaposition.  Caveat - for serious chocolate lovers only.

Service and Cost:
No complaints about the service at all, as I was helped right away and the staff was really nice.  I've had some issues with this in the past in this location, but it's nice to see that things have improved.

Costs are expensive but totally worth every penny - $2.50/cupcake and $7.95 for a small chocolate pie or $18 for a large one.

3 Mmmms

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