Cakewalk in Manhattan Part 1: Upper East Side

Not long ago, I heard about a group of artists who do the most wonderful thing to keep themselves inspired: they will navigate that city with a map of a different city. The idea, of course, being that sometimes, removing yourself from your natural element can help you see the world through new eyes. Well, to say I was enamored of this idea would be a bit of an understatement, and I have since tried to incorporate this idea into my pastry-eating and adventuring.

So when I was headed to NYC, to create an adventure to rival my pastry half-marathon, I knew I'd have to think of something good.

And then it came to me: a literal cakewalk. Here's the 411:

• How: I took a map of Manhattan, and on both the upper east and west sides, I wrote the word “Cake” and transcribed it into a walking route (can you see it on the map above?)
• Why this route: Well, because it was going to involve a lot of backtracking, I realized that choosing these neighborhoods, which bookend Central Park, would result in not only an interesting comparison, but would also ease up the physical amount of walking.
• But what if I missed a good bakery? Well, I made a few side trips, but the idea in general was to have a route that might take me by places I might not otherwise have heard about and to possibly make some new discoveries.
• Total Miles Walked: Many.

What did I find? So many sweet discoveries. Read on for the chronicle of the Upper East Side trek:

Bonus coverage: because I couldn't NOT, I did veer off of the grid slightly for a small side adventure before starting the east side cakewalk:

First, Breakfast at Tiffany's: I drew a little Audrey Hepburn-inspired croissant to kick off my journey.

And now, on to the Cakewalk. Here are highlights from the love letter I sweet-walked across the grid of the Upper East Side (click here for the West Side tour):

59^th Street: Macaron Cafe. A cafe dedicated to la belle macaron—what could be sweeter?

60^th Street and 3^rd Avenue: slightly off of my C route, Dylan's Candy Bar was worth the block diversion, because, after all...

59^th Street and 3^rd Ave: Financier Patisserie. A cute-as-a-button bakery featuring all manner of Frenchie Sweets.

Sidebar: I headed over to one of the little parks that dot the side streets off of Sutton Place, where you can see the view of the Queensboro bridge made famous in Woody Allen's Manhattan. Sweetness!

63^rd and York: Sweet serendipity! De La Vega is an NYC artist who is very prolific with sidewalk chalk—it was a delight to discover some of his work. I kept on finding it around the east side, which made me feel like I had a sidewalk chalk compatriot.

73^rd and York: Sugar Loaf Cafe. Gawd, isn't that just the best name you've ever heard?

75^th and York: The best of the Delavega art I came across, wherein “become your dream” was “become your ice cream”. I left a little response. xo.

78^th and 1^st Avenue: Bagel and Appetizing. I always love the crumb cake at places like this.

Between 79^th and 80^th Streets on 1^st Avenue: Anneliese's Pastries. Featuring row after row of cupcakes, cookies, and a very surprising variety of roulades, this place gave the entire block a nice, buttery scent.

80^th and 1^st Avenue: Agata & Valentina. This gourmet grocery not only had great produce but a nice array of treats obtained from various local wholesale bakers.

81 st Street: Gracie Mews Diner. Sweet tip: on the Sunday I walked by, their brunch menu featured something so magical it almost brings a tear to my eye: Brownie Waffle Sundae. I did not try it, but it evoked such sweet fantasies that I couldn't not share.

80^th Street and 2^nd Avenue: H+H Bagels. Complete with a second entrance for tiny people! (Kidding—it is where the flour is pumped in, I believe). 

82^nd and 2^nd Avenue: Sweet Temptations, Nut City: It was closed, but the sign did make me smile.

76^th and 2^nd Avenue: Caffe Noi. For when it's Gelato o'clock!

76^th and 77^th and 2^nd Avenue: Pick a Bagel. Once again, the crumb cake!

75^th and 3^rd Avenue: Citarella. This gourmet grocer always has some nice sweets, generally from nicer local bakeries.

79^th and 3^rd Ave.: Crumbs Bake Shop. I've had hot and cold experiences at this cupcake chain, which has proliferated around NYC and now beyond. If I am going to tell you the complete truth, I have enjoyed their cookies more reliably than the cupcakes.

79^th and 3^rd Ave: Corrado Pastry. This bakery has a location in Grand Central Terminal too, and I was delighted to see a bigger cafe. Good cookies.

80^th and 3^rd Ave: Eli's. Now, this place is kind of like heaven for foodies. Let's pause to see just a few of the sweeties on offer (a mix of baked in-house and outsourced). The picture above really does not show how extensive their baked-good and sweet offerings truly are--candy, confections, cakes, pastries, pies, cookies...the works. It is like heaven.

Necessary side trip: Wm. Greenberg's, for some of the most celebrated black and white cookies.

83^rd and 84^th at York: Yorkville Creperie.

86^th and 2^nd Avenue: Dunkin' Donuts. If you believe it, this is the first one I ran across (unless I missed on along my route previously?)

Necessary side trip: Two Little Red Hens, where you can get your cupcake on, old school style. Just walk over to York Avenue.

86^th and 3^rd Avenue: This isn't necessarily sweet, but I totally saw Emeril filming at Gray's Papaya at this corner. Cool.

86^th and Lexington: Tim Horton's. Just donut. Also, Shake Shack--anyplace that has a Custard Calendar is just fine with me.

93^rd and 3^rd: Corner Bakery. Featuring fauxtess cupcakes, cookies, and more, this spot was packed.

3^rd Ave at 95^th: Zesty's Pizza, one of my guilty pleasures, has delightfully greasy zeppole.

96^th and Park: Gourmet Garage. Another good bet for baked goods wholesale from some of the city's nicer bakeries.

101^st at Park: A sweet heart on the street.

102^nd and Lexington: Delicious Bread House. Believe it or not, I used to live on this corner. But when I lived on this corner, this place wasn't there, just a friendly guy who would stand in front of this empty storefront and, I think, deal drugs. Maybe I wouldn't have moved away if this place had been there. The place is roughly the size of a postage stamp, and baking is not done on premises—instead, they receive their baked goods from a variety of wholesalers—but the two workers there during my visit, who were adorable, told me that their goal was to bring artisan bread and delicious pastries to Spanish Harlem. I told them I loved them. Everything was stupid-cheap: I picked up a three-pack of cakey Lemon drop Italian cookies for $1.50. More info here.

110^th and 1^st Ave: La Tropezienne. This was the jewel gilding the lily of the E on my final turn. Unmarked and unassuming from the outside, I probably wouldn't have looked twice but for the crowd and the singular, heady scent of butter and sugar that I know signifies “Bakery”.

Inside, I discovered a sweet spot indeed: cases and cases of delicate french pastries, cakes, tarts, and even cream puffs shaped like swans. More info here. 

Click here for the West side companion Cakewalk.

Oh Fudge: Chocolate Covered Cherry Fudge by Fields of Cake

Images: Fields of CakeCheck it. So, a week or two ago, I went to Vermont for the Maple Open House weekend. Which was awesome. You'll totally hear more about it soon. But.

Right now, I want to address a beautiful diversion from said Vermont Maple Weekend. 

So, I have been bloggy BFF's for, like, ever with Fields of Cake. Carrie Fields, the talented proprietress of this blog and Portland, Maine-area home-based baking business, has not only been a customer of mine for years, but has wowed me with her baking prowess on many occasions.

So when she sent me a message that basically amounted to "You're this close, come to Maine!"...I listened.

And I went to Maine, where I was treated to sea, sunshine...and the most delicious fudge I have ever, in my life, tasted.

And I have tried my share of fudge varieties, let me tell you.

This chocolate-covered cherry fudge is extremely sweet in the up-front, assertive way that only fudge can get away with. But Carrie's was a gorgeous variety: completely smooth, none of that "chocolate sand" gritty texture business, and in spite of the sweetness you could still taste the flavor of real cherry shining through.

Basically, this was the type of fudge that could make you swear off chocolate covered cherries forever.

And--happy dance--she posted a recipe, here. But I'll bet she'd also sell it to you if you sent her an email through her great site.

Sweetness by the Bay: Cake Gumshoe Charlotte's San Francisco Picks

CakeSpy Note: My readers are totally sweet. Case in point: Cake Gumshoe Charlotte, who recently took a holiday to San Francisco and was kind enough to report on some of her sweet finds!

Just returned from San Francisco, fully loaded with sweetness. Walgreen's had big bags of M&M's 2 for 4 dollars!

I also got to sample some totally sweet treats. During a rainy walk through Telegraph Hill and into North Beach I came across this Italian French Baking Company--that's what it was called. The Nonna working the counter was on two phones getting the low down on the previous night's events and there were two older gentlemen on stools in the window, this place had a very local feel. I was there in the afternoon, so a lot of their sweet treats were sold out. I was really hoping for an almond croissant but was informed that I was too late for those. Must be a hot item.

I picked up an Almond Lemon scone, which I had for breakfast the next day. Delicious, perfect balance of the two flavours.

The next morning I walked down Market Street to the Ferry Building. I had it on good authority that I would find stalls and vendors with 'artisanal baked goods'. And I did. There was a lot to choose from but when I saw Pebbles Donuts my mind was made up.

Super friendly service from the vendor, who was not one of the bakers. She told me there are two bakers, sounded secretive. I chose a Meyer Lemon for my man, and the cinnamon sugar because the vendor said it was her favorite. They were delicious. Soft and moist, not a bit greasy at all. Yum!

That afternoon I went to the SF MOMA and when it was time for a sit down break I headed to the 5th floor cafe and found Humphrey Slocombe! They didn't have a choice of flavours, but an art inspired desert based on a work by Tony Cragg. One scoop of blood orange, one scoop of malted milk and a sugar cone. The blood orange had a bit of a salty taste to it with subtle orange flavour and the malted milk was amazing!! Just like a Malteaser, (or a whopper in the U.S.). So yummy!

Sounds like a sweet adventure!

Places mentioned:

Italian French Baking Company

Pebbles Donuts

Humphrey Slocombe

Cakewalk: A Sweet Jaunt to London with Cake Gumshoe Lauren

CakeSpy Note: You know what rules? Getting bakery tips from readers. Here's a great round-up of sweet spots that I know I'll be trying next time I'm in London, thanks to Cake Gumshoe Lauren H.!

I definitely do not purport to know all of the lovely bakeries in London – it is chock full of them, as one might imagine given Britain’s reputation for afternoon tea and all of the sweets that it entails. Still, my trips to the city have left me with a couple of favorites that I thought other Cakespy readers might enjoy exploring next time they’re in London!

First, Konditor and Cook, which has several locations throughout London, largely south of the Thames.   

Konditor and Cook is very much a “drop in to grab a treat” type of place: while a couple of locations have tables, the majority are counters for tea, coffee, savories, and sweets.

I love Konditor and Cook because you can visit for everything from a breakfast treat to lunch to take-away pastries to cakes. A few highlights from many visits:

Traditional Millionaire Shortbread – Konditor and Cook is one of the only places that I’ve been able to find it in London, and it is more than delicious!  

And, of course, it wouldn’t be a proper English bakery without a collection of cakes and tarts…(pictured top of post; clockwise from the top left: Coffee Walnut Cake, Bramley Apple Tart, Chocolate Raspberry Fudge Tart, and Almond Fruit Tart.)

Konditor and Cook is perhaps best-known for its “Magic Cakes,” which are small lemon sponge cakes that are, quite honestly, almost too adorable to eat.

If you’re looking for a more sit-down, proper-English-tea experience, Bea’s of Bloomsbury is likely to be a better fit. Bea’s has been open in Bloomsbury (relatively near The British Museum) since 2008 and recently opened a new location at One New Change, just across the street from St. Paul’s Cathedral. New Change is intended to be the “hip, younger sister” of the original location, and this intention is clear in the décor. Still, the sweets and service are the same at both locations.

Like Konditor and Cook, Bea’s does coffee, breakfast, and lunch, but afternoon tea is truly the best reason to visit Bea’s. The Bloomsbury location serves it from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. Monday – Friday, and One New Change serves from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Monday – Friday. Both locations do weekend tea from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Afternoon Tea at Bea’s takes on one of two forms. If you’re not too hungry or are looking to stay in the savory range, there’s the Cream Tea option, which consists of lovely, lovely scones and, of course, a pot of tea!

For the slightly more hungry (and cake lovers among us!), there’s the Sweet Afternoon Tea, featuring scones, cupcakes, brownies, blondies, meringues, homemade marshmallows, and other treats. I’m not entirely sure how it’s possible for one person to eat everything that comes on the tea tray (though I’ve seen people try!), but the Bea’s staff is wonderfully flexible in terms of allowing sharing and extra treats.

Here’s a peek of the Sweet Afternoon Tea at the Bloomsbury location (above)...

And one from One New Change...

And so ends my rather short cake walk – hopefully it will be helpful to the next Cakespy reader who has a bit of time to spare (and a sweet tooth!) in London!

Places mentioned:

Konditor and Cook, online at http://www.konditorandcook.com; Bea’s of Bloomsbury, online at http://www.beasofbloomsbury.com.

It's All About The Cookie: Sweet Dreams Cookies from Baker Street Bread, Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia

Only a professional Cake Gumshoe would walk into a place known for its bread and pass right by the heavenly carbohydratey display of loaves and go right for the cookies.

But oh, am I glad I did.

I'd like to introduce you, friends, to the Sweet Dreams Cookie from Philadelphia's Baker Street Bread. It's fairly standard cookie fare at first glance, but one bite tells you why this cookie has been elevated from mere chocolate chip to "sweet dreams" status. It's comprised of the usual suspects, upon first taste: buttery cookie base. Chocolate chips. Nuts. And then...cinnamon. A simple addition, but one that adds so much to the end result, and makes you look forward to each following bite until the cookie is gone.

It's one smart and well-spiced cookie.

Sweet Dreams Cookies, Baker Street Bread, 8009 Germantown Ave., Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia.

Totally Swede: Cake Gumshoe Nicholas Shares Sweet Finds from Cafe Saturnus, Stockholm

CakeSpy Note: So, I have a totally sweet customer named Nicholas. He's basically the ideal customer: he comes in and buys stuff, and then tells me all about the delicious sweets he eats when he travels the world. Just looking at his pictures is bound to evoke some seriously sweet wanderlust. Here's where he's been recently:

I tried a new cafe here in Stockholm and check out the size of these buns:

Pretty delicious! Cafe Saturnus is a small cafe in the middle of Stockholm which has a pretty strong French theme (although all the pastries are Swedish). I haven't tried the savory food, but it looks very very good.

This is the "kanelbulle" (CS Note: here's a link to a recipe for these Swedish cinnamon rolls!), which is a cinnamon bun. This one was enormous and had a little more vanilla than usual.

Not that this is such a bad thing. Oh, and btw, Nicholas included another picture for good measure:Yeah, that's right. Get yourself to Stockholm! Curious to learn more? Find Saturnus online here.

My, My, My Delilah: Banana Nilla Wafer Pudding from Delilah's, Philadelphia

On our recent trip to Philadelphia, emerging at 30th Street Station after an epic journey from the Jersey shore, both Mr. Spy and myself were unified in one singular feeling: HUNGER.

So when we spied Delilah's (OMG! As seen on Throwdown with Bobby Flay!), we were some very happy cake gumshoes.

But we passed right by the famous mac and cheese (next time!) and went for the sweet jugular: the banana nilla wafer pudding. Now, anyone who has ever eaten banana nilla wafer pudding knows what an ambrosial foodstuff it truly is. And at Delilah's, we were treated to a particularly fine example: it was simply full of bananas ("I think this has a whole banana in it!" was Mr. Spy's reaction) smothered in creamy custard with a smattering of nilla wafers, and the flavors had reached a point of perfect fusion, making each bite a deliciously creamy dream.

I'm not saying that you should skip a first course, because with a menu full of fried chicken, mac and cheese, and barbecue, there's plenty to keep you fat and happy--but I am saying don't get so full that you have no room for dessert.

Delilah's, Philadelphia; for locations and information, click here.

Get Sconed: Strawberry Jam Filled Scone, The Night Kitchen Bakery, Philadelphia

Next time you're in Philadelphia, I have a suggestion. Get sconed.

You heard me. Get good and sconed, and do it at the Night Kitchen Bakery in Chestnut Hill.

This is no ordinary scone. A bit denser than typical coffee-shop varieties, this one comes closer to pie crust consistency than to that of cake, in the best way possible. Because well, sometimes dense, flavorful, buttery carbs are necessary to really get the morning going.

When served with a generous dollop of strawberry jam,as was the one we obtained on a recent visit, it makes for a sort of acceptable-to-eat-in-the-morning strawberry shortcake variation.

Of course, if you hit up Night Kitchen at other hours, the scones are still delicious at any hour, but they also have a bevy of other delicious-lookin' offerings, including chocolate chess tarts:

as well as a full menu with cakes, cookies, pies, and more.

The Night Kitchen Bakery, 7725 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia; online at nightkitchenbakery.com.

Bred and Butter: A Sweet Visit to Bredenbeck's, Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia

How does this sound to you: a banana pound cake cupcake, covered in peanut butter mousse frosting, topped with salted peanuts, a wedge of peanut butter cookie, and drizzled with honey?

Well, this cupcake--the "Elvis"--was as delicious as it sounds, and it was just one of many delectable items obtained at Chestnut Hill's Bredenbeck's Bakery.

Now, as you probably aready know, CakeSpy has had a bakery crush on this place for the longest time--recipes for ghost cupcakes and dude-friendly beer and chip cupcakes have been featured on the site. So it was an absolute joy to visit the actual bakery--open in Philadelphia since 1889 --in person and sample some of their sweets for ourselves.

Other than aforementioned Elvis Cupcake, what did we sample? So glad you asked.

We tried a bit of their seasonal Eggnog ice cream--similarly deliciously decadent.

After that, why not follow up with a seasonal sugar cookie (but obviously a  2 and 0, because seriously, the 1s looked like they had far less surface area). Buttery. Sugary. Good.

We finished with one of their slices of buttery pound cake. Simply awesome.

Of course, due to limited time, some of the things that sadly were not sampled included:

The "Chestut Hill" Torte (a sort of rich chocolatey confection);

...or the cannoli, brownies, or other delicious looking cakes.

But there's always something for next time, right?

Totally worth a visit: this bakery was chock-full of unfussy, but totally buttery, baked goods that will make you smile.

Bredenbeck's Bakery and Ice Cream Parlor, Philadelphia; online at bredenbecks.com.

Sweet Holiday: Cake Gumshoe Stephanie Shares Sweet Finds from Central Highland, Mexico

CakeSpy Note: If we took a holiday, it would be--it would be so nice! And recently, Cake Gumshoe Stephanie escaped chilly Seattle for sunny Mexico--and had some super sweet eating experiences! So what could you expect if you were to visit yourself? Read on, and dream just a little bit:

A couple of cold Seattle residents escaped the Seattle November snow storm by heading to the Central Highlands of Mexico. Warm days, cool nights, colonial architecture, and great food.

The bakeries in town open onto the narrow sidewalks and present racks of goods of sweet doughs, sugared twists, laminated pastries, shortbread cookies, and sweet and savory empanadas.

Ice cream abounds in flavors from tequila to guanabana, pinon, and sweet corn. Paletes (popsicles) range from fresh strawberry to vanilla with dried fruits and nuts to mango chili.

Fried dough, candied yams and sugared squash are sold from street carts and hand carried baskets.

And then there are the traditional sweets of Morelia (pictured left) - crystalized fruits, fruit leathers, cajeta - goat cheese caramel, tamarind with chili (or not), coconut haystacks, coconut stuffed candied limes, candied flower blooms - rose and jamaica (hibiscus), and sweet bars of amaranth with fruits and nuts.

Dessert menus feature variations on flan and cheesecake (limon cheesecake, pictured below), and in new kitchens, they riff on traditional favorites, like chongos zamoranos, a sweet milk/honey/cinnamon dessert (pictured below cheesecake).

Find out more about the Central Highlands of Mexico here!