| SOHO | Bakery Description |
|---|---|
Cookies  | |
| Jacques Torres | A New York City staple, Jacques Torres has been making fantastic chocolate and pastries since the 1980's but launched his namesake stores in 2000. At Jacques Torres you'll find a variety of supreme chocolate treats in a variety of creative creations. In addition to his fine chocolates, customers can indulge in one of NYC's best chocolate chip cookies. These 4oz jewels are loaded with delicious Jacques Torres chocolate and baked to absolute perfection. Their chocolate-to-dough ratio leans heavily towards chocolate making it a chocolate lover's dream. Also try purchasing the cookie mix and package of chocolate discs to make your own. You'll blow away just about anyone with your new "cookie-baking skills" -- making this the perfect ingredients for all you cheaters. |
| Dominique Ansel Bakery | Dominique Ansel Bakery is the first of two location opened by famous pastry chef Dominique Ansel. Here, and only here, at the Dominique Ansel Bakery will you find the famed Cronut. The Cronut is a sweet and flakey pastry that is a cross between a doughnut and croissant. The Cronut comes in one flavor that changes monthly. To get your hands on these you'll need to go early and stand in line. However, if you're a forward thinker you can preorder them online (minimum of 2 or maximum of 12) two weeks ahead by logging onto this website (https://nyc.cronutpreorder.com/products-page/cronuts/cronut/) every Monday at 11am EST sharp! On your scheduled day DO NOT wait in the Cronut line. There are two lines. Skip the long line. Go inside and pick up your pastries. After all, you're a cheater. Ansel, a James Beard Award winner (Outstanding Pastry Chef) and 2017's World's Best Pastry Chef opened the Bakery with its motto being creativity (Ansel Kitchen's motto is "Time is an Ingredient"). When you walk into DA Bakery you'll see a long narrow bakery with nice patio seating in the back. The food here is true to the creative motto. You'll find a lot of amazing looking treats but if it's cookies you seek then order yourself a chocolate chip cookie. These cookies have good size and are truly delicious. They are baked until perfectly golden brown and chewy until the last bite. If you're an insatiable cheater that needs to skip ahead to the best stuff then order yourself a DKA or two. The DKA is the best pastry you'll ever have in your life. It's undefeated in the game of delicious. It has a flakey, chewy texture with a sweet, buttery bite that is toe curling at its finest. Next order a Frozen S'more. This torched, frozen treat is served on a stick and is mind blowing in its own right. You'll find many other amazing options at DA Bakery which is why it's considered one of the best bakeries in NYC. |
| Maman SoHo | Maman (mother in French) is the creation of Benjamin Sormonte and Elisa Marshall. It offers both savory and sweet foods inspired from the south of France and North America. Their high quality, locally-sourced ingredients are the root of their delicious menu. The French-American bakery sells a selection of savory baked goods, breakfast and lunch options. But what really makes Maman sensational is that damn chocolate chip cookie they call the Nutty Chocolate Chip Cookie. It's made of almonds, macadamias, walnuts, sea salt and a “top secret” French dark chocolate. While they won't tell you what chocolate they use my money is on Valrhona. This cookie made the list of Oprah's Favorite Things 2017 and it's easy to see why. They also offer homemade Oreos and Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. |
| Smile to Go | Smile to Go is an offshoot of the popular downtown cafe Smile. With an emphasis on takeout, Smile to Go offers savory foods from chicken to sandwiches. But what you're here for are the baked goods which are made on premises at their in-house bakery. The cookie you will be after is their wonderful Dark Chocolate and Sea Salt cookies. You'll recognize them by the chocolate discs and glistening salt flakes. These cookies are as good as they look. Buttery and chewy with a little kick of salt, they're a sure bet to give you flashbacks of grandma's kitchen. If you're a cheater that wants to go big or go home then get their giant heart chocolate chip cookie. This cookie is massive and baked with the same chocolate discs and sea salt that its miniature cousin. You will have to preorder this cookie, however, because they don't have them on hand. |
Cupcakes  | Description |
| Georgetown Cupcakes | Sisters Katherine Kallinis Berman and Sophie Kallinis LaMontagne started Georgetown Cupcake in 2008. The sisters traded in their careers in fashion and venture capital to open Georgetown Cupcake in Washington, DC. Since 2008, Georgetown Cupcakes has expanded to locations in Bethesda, New York City, Boston, Los Angeles, and Atlanta. Georgetown Cupcake also ships its cupcakes nationwide. Popularized by their TV show DC Cupcakes, their original location in Georgetown would have lines wrapped around the store almost every single day. So how good are these cupcakes? Amazing! They were great in DC and they are great in NYC. Truth is, you'll be hard pressed to find another cupcake better than Georgetown. It should easily make your top 3 of all time. What makes the cupcakes so special is, like Molly's Cupcakes, they are seductively moist and not overly sweet. Their Red Velvet is a favorite among most, but, like the Cheaterie crew, if you're not a Red Velvet lover then you'll have plenty more amazing options to choose from. The day of the week dictates what cupcakes they have available so check ahead and plan accordingly if you don't want one of their Everyday Classics. Some of their best Everyday Classics are Chocolate Ganache, Vanilla and -- surprisingly -- Bubble Gum. Other great flavors you'll find throughout the week are Lava Fudge, Lemon Blossom, Mint Cookies & Creme and Key Lime to name a few. |
| Baked by Melissa | Melissa Ben-Ishay started Baked by Melissa in 2008 after getting fired from her job. A 24-year-old Ben-Ishay showed up to work one day as an assistant media planner and got the ax. That defining moment in her life catapulted her into the mini-cupcake stratosphere. Her first store -- or pick-up window -- opened up in SoHo and now, more than a decade later, she has 14 stores in the NYC area and ships nationwide to all 50 states. These bite-sized treats are fantastic! Don't try and one-bite these little beauts -- they are made to dominate. One bite, melt in your mouth, swallow, cheesy grin, onto the next cupcake. They are small but extremely moist and full of flavor. Each one is like a little party in your mouth. With tons of flavors to choose from you won't have any trouble finding one you like. Popular flavors include: Tie Dye, Cookies & Cream, Peanut Butter & Jelly, Cookie Dough, Red Velvet and Chocolate Chip Pancake. There hasn't been a cupcake I didn't like from Baked by Melissa so cheat your heart out on these little nuggets. |
| Flour Shop | Flour Shop is owned by sprinkle queen Amirah Kassem. In 2012, Kassem left her career in fashion and created a chic bakery concept called Flour Shop. The bakery is known for bright colors and creative cake designs. It opened it's first brick-and-mortar in 2017 and has been drawing rave reviews ever since. The inside of the bakery feels ... magical -- in a unicorn and rainbows type of way. The predominantly white room and clean rainbow lines visually prepare you for what hides the counter holds. You'll find spectacularly designed cakes in the form of burgers, coffee cups or Exploding Cakes. The Exploding Cakes are the core of Flour Shop. You'll also find cake Push-Pops and an assorted variety of Cake Balls. Neither one of these are "cupcakes" but they are just as convenient and enjoyable. If you want to make Flour Shop's cakes at home Kassem wrote a book called The Power of Sprinkles that give the secrets to their creations. |
Cakes and Pies  | |
| Flour Shop | Flour Shop is owned by sprinkle queen Amirah Kassem. In 2012, Kassem left her career in fashion and created a chic bakery concept called Flour Shop. The bakery is known for bright colors and creative cake designs. It opened it's first brick-and-mortar in 2017 and has been drawing rave reviews ever since. The inside of the bakery feels ... magical -- in a unicorn and rainbows type of way. The predominantly white room and clean rainbow lines visually prepare you for what hides the counter holds. You'll find spectacularly designed cakes in the form of burgers, coffee cups or Exploding Cakes. The Exploding Cakes are the core of Flour Shop. These cylindrical beauties have six layers of cake, center-filled with yummy, colorful sprinkles ... They are tailor-made for social media. Regardless of what cake design you choose you'll be treated to a fun-filled cake that is a little messy, a little pricey but worth the experience. If you want to make Flour Shop's cakes at home Kassem wrote a book called The Power of Sprinkles that give the secrets to their creations. |
| Dominique Ansel Bakery | There are two lines. Skip the long line. Go inside and pick up your pastries. After all, you're a cheater. Ansel, a James Beard Award winner (Outstanding Pastry Chef) and 2017's World's Best Pastry Chef opened the Bakery with its motto being creativity (Ansel Kitchen's motto is "Time is an Ingredient"). When you walk into DA Bakery you'll see a long narrow bakery with nice patio seating in the back. The food here is true to the creative motto. You'll find a lot of amazing looking treats but if it's cookies you seek then order yourself a chocolate chip cookie. These cookies have good size and are truly delicious. They are baked until perfectly golden brown and chewy until the last bite. If you're an insatiable cheater that needs to skip ahead to the best stuff then order yourself a DKA or two. The DKA is the best pastry you'll ever have in your life. It's undefeated in the game of delicious. It has a flakey, chewy texture with a sweet, buttery bite that is toe curling at its finest. Next order a Frozen S'more. This torched, frozen treat is served on a stick and is mind blowing in its own right. You'll find many other amazing options at DA Bakery which is why it's considered one of the best bakeries in NYC. |
| Eileen's Special Cheesecake | Eileen Avezzano opened Eileen's Cheesecake in 1975. It quickly established itself has one of NYC's best cheesecakes and has since becomes a destination for locals and tourists alike. Eileen's cheesecakes are light and cream compared to other heavier, more dense NYC cheesecakes. Their cakes are coated with a crumbly cookie crust and come in a variety of different flavors. These flavors include Plain, Strawberry, Cherry, Rocky Road, Dulce De Leche, Marble, Salted Caramel and Chocolate Mousse to name a few. If you like a lighter, fluffier cheesecake that is full of flavor then Eileen's Cheesecake is your jam. |
| HARBS | HARBS, a derivative of the word "herbs," is a cafe chain from Japan. Its layered cakes are similar to that of Lady M's, but they have their own unique style and flavors. A favorite among locals, HARBS list of cakes include but are not limited to White Peach Cheesecake, Berry Berry Cake, Mille Crepes, Royal Milk Tea Cake, Strawberry Mille-Feuille and Banana Cream Pie. |
Ice Cream  | Description |
| Dominique Ansel Bakery | Dominique Ansel Bakery is the first of two location opened by famous pastry chef Dominique Ansel. Here, and only here, at the Dominique Ansel Bakery will you find the famed Cronut. You'll also find the great DKA (described below) and with it the option of the DKA ice cream sandwich. This tasty treat is made by slicing a DKA in half and loading it up with your choice of ice cream. The DKA ice cream sandwich is a great balance of creamy ice cream and fresh pastry with a crisp caramelized bite that is flaky and chewy. |
Coffee & Hot Chocolate  | Description |
| Maman SoHo | Maman (mother in French) is the creation of Benjamin Sormonte and Elisa Marshall. It offers both savory and sweet foods inspired from the south of France and North America. Their high quality, locally-sourced ingredients are the root of their delicious menu. The French-American bakery sells a selection of savory baked goods, breakfast and lunch options. They also offer a selection of tasty drink options. Their drip coffee and lattes are spot on. Iced coffees, americanos and espressos are tasty as well. You'll also find kombucha, matcha drinks and very good hot chocolate that has a nice balance of flavor and thickness. |
| La Colombe Coffee | In 1994, Todd Carmichael, who worked at one of the original Starbucks, and JP Iberti opened the first La Colombe café in Philadelphia. After studying the art of coffee in Europe, Carmichael brought his passion to Philly and the rest is history. In 2015 La Colombe sold the majority share of the company to Hamdi Ulukaya, founder of Chobani yogurt, for an undisclosed amount. When making a trip to La Colombe try their excellent Draft Lattes, Pure Black and Tans, cold brews, lattes and espressos. Once you go there you'll see why Philadelphia loves them so much. |
| Mariebelle | Maribel Lieberman opened MarieBelle in 2001. This charming chocolate boutique screams elegance from its interior design to its chocolate creations. While they're known for chocolate, a chocolate lover -- or hot chocolate lover for that matter -- shouldn't leave without a cup of hot cocoa. Often referred to as "the best hot chocolate in the world," this super thick hot chocolate is rich and decadent, yet not overly sweet. If you're into the thicker hot chocolates then a cup from MarieBelle is right up your alley. |
| L.A. Burdick | Larry Burdick opened L.A. Burdick Chocolates in New York City in 1987. You can now find L.A. Burdick in five different cities. L.A. Burdick offers top-notch chocolates from bars to bonbons to their famous chocolate mice. You'll also find terrific hot chocolate that is perfectly balanced with the right amount of thickness and rich hot chocolate flavor. L.A. Burdick is chocolate haven that is always worth the trip. |
Other  | Description |
| Dominique Ansel Bakery | Dominique Ansel Bakery is the first of two location opened by famous pastry chef Dominique Ansel. Here, and only here, at the Dominique Ansel Bakery will you find the famed Cronut. The Cronut is a sweet and flakey pastry that is a cross between a doughnut and croissant. The Cronut is loaded with flavor but can quickly become sugar overload. Its texture is soft but each bite is tasty, chewy pull. The Cronut comes in one flavor that changes monthly. To get your hands on these you'll need to go early and stand in line. However, if you're a forward thinker you can preorder them online (minimum of 2 or maximum of 12) two weeks ahead by logging onto this website (https://nyc.cronutpreorder.com/products-page/cronuts/cronut/) every Monday at 11am EST sharp! On your scheduled day DO NOT wait in the Cronut line. There are two lines. Skip the long line. Go inside and pick up your pastries. After all, you're a cheater. Next up is the DKA! It stands for Dominique's Kouign Amann. A kouign amann (pronounced queen a-mahn) is -- in one word -- INCREDIBLE. It also happens to be the fattiest, and highest caloric treat ever (that's a guess). But it will be one of the greatest, most memorable pastries you'll ever eat. The kouign amann orginated in Brittany, France and is made with loads of sugar and butter. If you can get past that what you're left with is a pastry that is glassy and crunchy on the outside, yet chewy and flaky. It has out-of-this-world flavor and is quite possibly the best cheat treat in New York City. |