Memorable Birthday Treats from The Chocolate Swirl

This past weekend, my family celebrated their trifecta of birthdays with a big shin-dig at my parents' house.  Aside from all of our favorite people coming out to celebrate, the food (and the dessert especially) is always a big highlight.  I'm usually the one that takes care of the latter, as I typically call on the experts to create something special and interesting.  This year, I engaged Lisa from The Chocolate Swirl in orchestrating these fabulous personalized cupcakes.

Chocolate Swirl's Birthday Cupcakes - Being able to customize virtually anything at the Chocolate Swirl, I wanted to create three unique cupcakes, tailored to the likings of my Mom (Mira), Dad (Paul), and Brother (Peter).  I thought it'd be cool to display everyone's ripe old age on fondant as well, which luckily no one objected to.

In terms of flavors, we went with three varieties including: Mira (banana cupcake with mocha frosting), Paul (chocolate cupcake with vanilla chocolate chip frosting), and Peter (Guinness/chocolate cupcake with peanut butter frosting).  All three looked beautiful and festive, but one stood out the most in terms of uniqueness and flavor, which was definitely the Peter.  I loved the deep chocolate flavor of the cupcake with slight hints of that smoky, coffee essence from the Guinness.  Devouring the peanut butter frosting, it was soft, creamy and really peanut buttery, which was awesome.

Service and Cost:
Since the Chocolate Swirl is available solely online, you can contact Lisa directly or you can message her on Facebook.  Responsive and very accommodating to all sorts of preferences, I have confidence that you'll get a great experience and that you'll love your order.

Cupcakes range between $3.50 - $4.50 a piece, which is a decent price for a truly customized treat.

The Chocolate Swirl 

Hubby's Chocolate Swirl Surprise!

Today was a lot of fun, as we celebrated Dan's 35th birthday - a few days early, but still special, as we got together with the whole family and indulged in comforting Italian food and some pretty tasty birthday cake courtesy of The Chocolate Swirl.  It's no secret that Dan loves his Miami Dolphins, so the cake took on a fun dolphins design, incorporating his semi crazy obsession with designer sunglasses too.  


This beautiful birthday cake was made up of a rich dark chocolate dough filled with Dan's two favorite flavors of peanut butter and oreo cookies. I loved how The Chocolate Swirl incorporated two types of flavors into the filling, which made the cake unique and special. It was fun to watch the expression on everyone's faces as the cake made its grand entrance, especially our little Maddie.
If you like what you see, you can custom order your cake from the Chocolate Swirl and infuse the design and flavors of your choice. Happy Birthday, Dan!

Delightful Pancake Brunch at Sanfords

It's literally been years since I've visited Sanfords, and not because I didn't want to, but because it's always so hard to get in.  Well luckily, my friend Jennifer and I seized the opportunity at the right moment, as we went in on a Saturday after 2 p.m. when the brunch crowds were dying down.  We had a hankering for pancakes and made out quite well.

Atmosphere:
Even though I've been here before, Sanfords has gone through a major transformation, so it's worth describing the atmosphere a bit.  While the actual size of the space hasn't changed, the layout has become a lot more modern and open with contemporary furnishings such as leather booths, oversized lamps with muted lighting and a sleek bar.

Despite it being past prime brunch dining hours, the place was still full and buzzing, and we waited about 10 minutes to be seated.  The overall vibe felt very fast paced and almost clubby, as the dim lighting and candlelight gave off the perception that it was much later in the day.  In terms of the clientele, it was mostly a younger 20 and 30 something hip crowd of brunch lovers.

Food:
Jennifer and I were both pretty set on having pancakes and were delighted that we could choose between four different ones.

Pancakes - The minute I spotted peanut butter and banana pancakes on the menu, I couldn't look at anything else.  As you can see here, the portion was generous, but I told myself that I wouldn't totally pig out by eating the whole thing.  That wasn't an easy task, as the pancakes were soft and fluffy and glazed with a thin layer of peanut butter and a little bit of honey as well.  Nestled right into the pancake batter, the bananas were a fun little surprise you got with each bite, and they made the pancakes that much more moist.

I had a bite of Jennifer's Banana Chocolate Chip pancakes as well, and those too delivered.  The texture was as lovely as on my pancakes, and the flavor was more classic since they weren't embellished with anything on top.  I almost liked them better than mine, as they represented something very familiar and comforting.  While it was nice to pour a little maple syrup on top of them, you didn't even need it.

Bloody Mary - Now usually my go-to brunch cocktail, I was curious about how this one would stack up.  I'd say it was standard but nothing too exciting, as the tomato juice was pretty ordinary and the seasoning didn't have much kick.  I'd also recommend a bigger (and crunchier) piece of celery for the garnish.

Service and Cost:
Because they were quite busy, I think the service was just so so.  There wasn't anything particularly wrong with it, but it wasn't overly personal or impressive.  Let's just say that the service isn't what's making me want to come back here.

Costs are moderate but slightly on the higher side for brunch.  We paid about $20 each with tax and tip for pancakes and one drink.

3 Mmmms

Sanfords - 30-13 Broadway, Astoria, NY 11106

718.932.9569

N/W Train to Broadway

www.sanfordsnyc.com

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  

More Sugar! From The Treats Truck

Mobile food is very in right now, and that means all sorts of food trucks that carry anything and everything from gourmet lunch food to good ol' fashioned cookies. The Treats Truck, which specializes in the latter is one of my favorites, and I recently tracked it down to satisfy my sugar fix.

Besides ordering a couple of the cookies that you see above, I also tried the nibbles that were set out at The Treat Truck's sampling tray. I've always found their samples to be generous and full of variety.

Peanut Butter Sandwich (pictured above) - Although I'm not a peanut butter fan and didn't try this cookie, Dan said that it was spectacularly chewy and rich. He mentioned that it had intense flavor and that the cookie overall provided a gooey, magnificent bite. There are 3 filling options - peanut butter and jelly, peanut butter and chocolate. Dan's tip - have a glass of milk handy.

Caramel Creme Sandwich (pictured above) - I just had one of these today and it was delectable. The chocolate sugar cookie is slightly crunchy but still a little chewy, while the vanilla cream frosting on the inside is silky and melts on your tongue. This is a big step up from an Oreo cookie. Dan called them "Super Oreos."

Mexican Chocolate Brownie - Kim, Treats Truck's owner gave me a sample of this and it was love at first bite. It's a soft cinnamon brownie with large chocolate chunks, leaving you with a decadent taste in your mouth. I relished in the warmth and spice that the cinnamon brought, and once again, it was a step up from a traditional brownie. Just like with Dan's recommendation about the peanut butter cookie, have milk or water nearby.

Pecan Butterscotch Bar - Another one of Kim's generous samples, I popped one in my mouth and immediately reached for another. It was super soft and caramely, with a slight crunch from the nuts. Although it was excellent, it was so sweet that eating it in small quantities is probably best.

Service and Cost:
The service at the Treats Truck couldn't be better. Kim was so welcoming and accommodating, that I felt like I was served by an old, trusted friend. I bought some Treats Truck Dollars for my friend Crystal as a gift. Not only did Kim package these nicely, she also suggested that the bills can be further broken down, based on Crystal's future purchases. For example, if she didn't spend a $5 Treats Truck Dollar in its entirety, Kim would give her change in Treats Truck money. So awesome!

Prices are affordable and range between $.50 for a simple sugar cookie to $3 for a brownie.

The Treats Truck cruises around the city (and Brooklyn) daily. You can find their current schedule here. I've tried to get them to come to Astoria and so far haven't had success. If you'd like to see them in our 'hood, drop me a comment and I'll make sure to pass it on to Kim. Astoria needs some Sugar too!

The Treats Truck - Various Locations in NYC and B'klyn (check website for schedule)

212.691.5226

www.treatstruck.com
www.twitter.com/TheTreatsTruck