| Upper East Side | Description |
|---|---|
Cookies  | |
| Insomnia Cookies | Cookie chain in NYC that delivers cookies and milk to your doorstep until 3AM. Flavors include: Chocolate Chip, S'mores, White Chocolate, Snickerdoodle, Oatmeal Raisin, Sugar, Peanut Butter, Chocolate Mint, etc. |
| Two Little Red Hens | This charming red-brick, vintage-themed American bakery is beloved by New Yorkers and all its visitors. It is relatively small in size but made up for by its comfy-kitchen setting that's equipped with retro hens and ridiculous recipes. Their cookies are displayed in a classic see-through cookie jar that you would find at grandma's house. Flavors include: chocolate chunk, oatmeal raisin, snickerdoodle, M&M, ginger snaps and chocolate crinkle. All their cookies are classically sized, crispy and full of homemade flavor. |
| William Greenberg Desserts | Opening in 1946, William Greenberg was known for several fantastic desserts: butter cookies, dark chocolate cake, rich brownies and schnecken (sticky buns). Their apple pie and cheesecake also turned some heads. The ownership and recipes have changed over the years but today this New York City staple still sells classic treats, in addition to many other American and eastern European pastries. If it's cookies you seek then the butter cookies are a must try. The three classic are thumbprints, orange and pecan. Their black and whites are also worth cheating on. |
| Orwasher's Bakery | A New York City institution serving a variety of fantastic, freshly-baked artisan breads. Almost everything will please the palate. Their chocolate chip cookies, black and whites and rainbow cookies are classic and tasty. |
Cupcakes  | |
| Two Little Red Hens | This charming red-brick, vintage-themed American bakery is beloved by New Yorkers and all its visitors. It is relatively small in size but made up for by its comfy-kitchen setting that's equipped with retro hens and ridiculous recipes. Their cupcakes are large and full of magic. Flavors include vanilla, chocolate, key lime, coconut, Brooklyn blackout and red velvet to name a few. |
| Sprinkles Cupcakes | This California company is known as "the world's first cupcake bakery." I don't know if that's true or not but they opened in 2005 and have been a hit ever since. Their sophisticated and sleek cupcakes include: banana, carrot, strawberry, lemon, cinnamon sugar, cuban coffee, sprinkle, red velvet, etc. Oh yeah, and they have the Cupcake ATM. Cha ching! |
Cakes and Pies  | |
| Two Little Red Hens | This charming red-brick, vintage-themed American bakery is beloved by New Yorkers and all its visitors. It is relatively small in size but made up for by its comfy-kitchen setting that's equipped with retro hens and ridiculous recipes. Their cakes and pies are top notch. Everything from the blackout to every seasonal flavor -- all delicious. But I personally love their pies. The apple pie is great but your main objective when visiting is the freakin' cheesecake. It's the best I've ever had and continues to trump all the cheesecakes I've tried. The thick, creamy texture melts in your mouth with a perfectly sweetened and crispy crust that could have only been created by bakery gods, unicorns and fairy dust. |
| Lady M Confections | French and Asian inspired creations, these crepe layered, pastry cream and whipped cream filled cakes are tasty and unique. Their most popular dessert is the Mille Crepes cake, made from twenty paper-thin handmade crepes, layered with a crème filling and topped with a sugary glaze. They are pricey but delicious. |
| William Greenberg Desserts | Opening in 1946, William Greenberg was known for several fantastic desserts: butter cookies, dark chocolate cake, rich brownies and schnecken (sticky buns). Their apple pie and cheesecake has also turned heads. The ownership and recipes have changed over the years but today this New York City staple still sells classic treats, in addition to many other American and eastern European pastries. Their apple pie was once voted best in NYC by The New York Times and their cheese cake has also received glowing reviews. |
Doughnuts  | |
| Orwasher's Bakery | A New York City institution serving a variety of fantastic, freshly-baked artisan breads. Almost everything will please the palate. Their doughnuts are loaded with filling and are as soft as a pillow. Flavors include: strawberry, blueberry, raspberry, black raspberry and sour cherry. |
Ice Cream  | |
| Tasti D-Lite | Soft serve ice cream shop that promotes its ice cream and healthy living with smaller portions and less calories. It also offers a nutritional statement for each of its products. With a ton of options and toppings their flavors include: vanilla, creamy cocoa, peanut butter, marshmallow, strawberry, Oreo, rocky road, etc. |
| Emack and Bolio's | This hippie-themed ice cream shop started in 1975 in Boston. Founder Robert Rook started the shop as a side project but has since expanded to multiple cities and countries. Known for its funky creations you'll find options like Grasshopper pie, S'moreo, Stoney's Dream, Deep Purple Chip, Space Cake to name a few. Emack and Bolio's is also home to the ice cream pizzas which is described as a “Sundae in a Slice." It's made with a rich brownie crust, creamy vanilla bean speck ice cream with their famous hot fudge and marsh ‘mellow.’ |
| M'O IL Gelato | Owners Massimiliano Galeano and Marco Vighi opened up M'O IL Gelato when they realized real, authentic gelato was getting harder and harder to find. With locations in Bologna, Italy and New York City, M'O gives us top quality gelato that is 100% natural with no artificial flavoring, coloring, preservatives, or emulsifiers. Each and every scoop is creamy and concentrated with deep, rich flavor. If you want a real Italian gelato M'O Gelato is your place. Flavors include: vanilla, chocolate, stracciatella, zabaglione (custard with Marsala wine) and amarcord (mascarpone with chocolate fondue) to name a few. Also, try their Gelato Panino. It's a warm brioche filled with gelato or sorbet of your choice. |
| Pinkberry | Starting in California in 2005, this large frozen yogurt chain offers up tasty and consistent cold treats throughout the country. Their smooth, tart froyo is perfected with fresh, hand-cut fruit toppings or sugary-sweet confections. |
| Sedutto | One of New York's and Staten Island's most iconic ice cream shops, today Sedutto is but a shell of it's former self. A larger than life presence for almost a century in Staten Island, this ice cream giant was once purchased by Pillsbury in 1984 for $10 million, then sold again to Schrafft's in 1987. In 1995 Schrafft's closed to doors to Sedutto after filing for bankruptcy. After a few attempts to resurrect this former New York institution, 1498 1st Ave is all that remains of the iconic Sedutto ice cream shop. Fortunately, although decades have past, Sedutto's rich history and delicious ice cream have found a way to survive the test of time. If you want a taste of vintage NYC ice cream head to Sedutto for flavors such as butterscotch, cookie dough, banana fudge, apple pie, pirate treasure, Milky Way, rocky road, etc. You can also get your wine fix with several wine ice cream options like Riesling, chocolate Cabernet, sangria and mimosa to name a few. And yes, each wine ice cream has 5% alcohol. Salute! |
| CoolMess | Make your own ice cream, order a meal, have a coffee. CoolMess offers a fun, ice-cream making experience in a clean, bright setting. It attracts kids and teenyboppers but a fun experience nonetheless. |
| 16 Handles | With more than 25 locations in New York, 16 Handles -- inspired by 16 Candles and 31 Flavors -- offers up 16 core frozen yogurt flavors and 50+ toppings to add to your own unique experience. Flavors include: Strawberry Shortcake, Cold Brew Mocha, Vanilla, Pistachio, Peanut Butter Cup, Orange Dreamsicle, Honeydew, Dutch Chocolate, Oh My, Pumpkin Pie, etc. Your frozen yogurt is priced by the pound. In addition to froyo, 16 Handles also offers frozen yogurt sandwiches and cakes in various flavors. |
Bagels  | |
| Russ & Daughters | Joel Russ started his business in 1907 by peddling and selling herring from a pushcart. He opened Russ & Daughter on East Houston St in 1920 where it stands today on its fourth generation of ownership. Having no sons, Russ aptly named his store Russ & Daughters after his three girls Hattie, Ida, and Anne, who helped run the business. Russ & Daughters has been an historic NYC deli ever since. They are known for exceptional bagels and lox which are famously adored by celebrity chef Bobby Flay. Their lox bagels are loaded. The ratio of lox to bagel is the best in the city. At Russ & Daughters it's all about the fish and they make that known in their lox and cream cheese bagels. If you're searching for the best bagels and spreads in NYC you have found yourself one of the top contenders. This particular location is located in the Jewish Museum. Bon appétit. |
| Pick A Bagel | Traditional bagel spot in NYC. Bagels are fine but average. You won't be disappointed or blown away. |
| Bagel Bob's | A New York neighborhood staple for over over 21 years, Bagel Bob's makes hand-rolled, kettle-boiled bagels the old fashioned way. Bagel Bob's is a Kosher location that also offers up a variety of tasty coffee options. Their bagels are a little smaller than most but the quality of the actual bagel is very good. Bagel Bob's bagels have a nice soft chew to them and good flavor. Their spreads are also good and come in a large variety of options. Bagel Bob's is as safe a place as any to get a good quality bagel. The one catch here is that it's CASH ONLY. They do have an ATM in the location but it's good to know that ahead of time. |
| Bagelworks | Prototypical New York bagels with a chewy texture. Bagelworks offers a variety of standard flavors, sandwiches, soups, etc. |
| Tal Bagels | Robert Weiner is the owner of Tal Bagels. He focuses on the tradition creating bagels by boiling them because that's how bagels were originally made (and they taste 100 times better that way). Tal Bagels don't get a lot of pub but they definitely make some really good bagels. Their bagels, like most great bagel companies, are made in-house. Their dough is made the previous day and then left to rest in the refrigerator for a day. They then throw on the toppings and bake the bagels at 550 degrees until the bagel is nice and crispy. That's how you get the crispy exterior with a chewy, delicious interior. Throw on your preferred topping and you have one tasty bagel. |
Coffee & Hot Chocolate  | |
| Two Little Red Hens | This charming red-brick, vintage-themed American bakery is beloved by New Yorkers and all its visitors. It is relatively small in size but made up for by its comfy-kitchen setting that's equipped with retro hens and ridiculous recipes. Milky, creamy Mexican hot chocolate with a spicky kick. |
| Birch Coffee | Jeremy Lyman and Paul Schlader met in a 12-step recovery program in 2005 and opened Birch Coffee in 2009. Lyman, who worked for a mortgage company, and Schlader, an actor/bartender, now run 10 locations in New York. Their idea for Birch is to not over complicate things by serving too many drinks but rather to make great coffee and give customers a memorable experience. The cold brews, lattes, flat whites, cappuccinos are all good. They also carry baked goods from local bakeries. |
| Joe Coffee Company | Jonathan Rubinstein opened Joe Coffee Company in 2003 after being burnt out from his job as a talent agent. Since then, Joe Coffee has popped up around the city and gained quite the following. What you'll get at Joe Coffee are smooth lattes, good tasting coffee and a relaxing atmosphere. Whatever your preferred coffee drink, Joe's will make them well. All around good coffee shop that you'll enjoy. |
| 16 Handles | With more than 25 locations in New York, 16 Handles -- inspired by 16 Candles and 31 Flavors -- offers up 16 core frozen yogurt flavors and 50+ toppings. In additional, they also offer their signature hot chocolate that consists of a blend of Artisan Fudge Brownie and Tahitian Vanilla Bean yogurt. The hot cocoa is topped off with whipped cream. |
| Bagel Bob's | A New York neighborhood staple for over over 21 years, Bagel Bob's makes hand-rolled, kettle-boiled bagels the old fashioned way. Bagel Bob's is a Kosher location that also offers up a variety of coffee, good lattes, and specialty brews. |
Other  | |
| William Greenberg Desserts | Opening in 1946, William Greenberg was known for several fantastic desserts: butter cookies, dark chocolate cake, rich brownies and schnecken (sticky buns). Their apple pie and cheesecake has also turned heads. The ownership and recipes have changed over the years but today this New York City staple still sells classic treats, in addition to many other American and eastern European pastries. The schnecken at William Greenberg's was so epic and addictive that Martha Stewart would regularly stop in for these tasty treats. Since being sold in the 1990's the schnecken (sticky buns) no longer have that original-Greenberg flavor but they still make a really good one that is a must try. |