Cookies with your Creams

It’s no secret that Kiehls creates some of the best skincare products on the market. Their facial moisturizers/cleansers are perfect for any type of skin and their customer representatives are some of the most knowledgeable around. It’s also no secret that Milk and Cookies Bakery has some of the best cookies in NYC. Fresh, delicious, and hot out of the oven, the crew at Milk and Cookies love their craft and it shows in every chocolate chipped, oatmeal laden, butterscotch injected morsel.

When I heard that these two born and bred NY institutions were going to team up for a coffee bar in Kiehls flagship store, I got seriously excited. Only Kiehls would give me the opportunity to indulge in warm chocolately goodness while perusing for a new eye cream. Think about this concept for a second, have you ever been shopping and after a prolonged period in time felt that hungry rumble in your stomach start to gurgle? You want to continue to sample and shop but you’ve stopped paying attention to anything at this point. Your stomach has taken over and the rumbles will not end until it’s satisfied. No need to bolt out to grab a cuppa joe and a sweet loaf of something-or-other from the generic Starbucks down the block, now you’ve got fresh java and baked goods at your finger tips! It’s brilliant!

Kiehls, you’ve just given me one more reason to love you.

Visit Kiehls NY Flagship at:
109 Third Avenue
Between 13th & 14th Streets
New York, NY 10003

Cranachan Café

While in Glasgow visiting friends I found myself having lunch at the Cranachan Café in the unlikely (for Scotland) bourgeoisie shopping arcade of Princes Square.  The café’s specialty is as advertised “Coffee & Modern Scottish Fayre” and it is mighty good fare, despite its cutsie Scottish spelling.  

Off their menu I chose to order the Cullen Skink soup ( I’m always attracted to menu items that could easily be misread or mispronounced…I like Poisson) which is a traditional Scottish soup consisting of smoked haddock pieces swimming in a creamy broth with leeks and corn.  Cranachan claimed this was their specialty soup which meant it could either go terribly right or wonderfully wrong, with absolutely no room for anything in between.  Thus, I was anticipating being served a liquid version of Janet Jackson and her exposed nipples, a hit or miss affair depending on mood and timing.

When the dish arrived it had an appearance a bit like that of a  leek and potato soup  and it was also  served with two pieces of hardy looking brown bread.  I could not help but feel I  stepped into a minimal security cafeteria prison where a white collar criminal was about to pinch my credit card details at any moment. My concern thankfully vanished with the first spoonful of Cullen Skink:  the creamy broth had a slightly heavy semi-sweetness about it while the haddock was a melting excursion of meatiness. These flavours made a wonderfully soothing winter soup reticent of a proper New England chowder (found mostly in New York where no actual New Englander is available to perform a culinary massacre).  What made the dish particularly delicious, however, was the brown bread that was served with the soup ( I must admit that if I miss anything by living in the UK it is decent bread). It was flavorsome and absorbent bread perfect for dipping into soup (and perhaps even for some sharp cheddar and Irish butter), the kind of bread one would like to be served for their last living meal. I wish Mary, Queen of Scots, had this delightful bread before her head ended up decorating one of Queen Elizabeth’s front parlors. Imagine the scandal of Elizabeth trying to wipe a smirk of the dead Mary’s face! Alas, even in death Mary disappointed the Scots (and me) but fortunately, back in present times, the bread was a very tasty affair for me.

Unfortunately, however, the combination of the heavy bread and creamy soup meant I was too stuffed to have pudding with my friends, who ended up ordering a sizeable scone (think face, body and stringy limbs of that round headed scientist from the Muppets). I did try the other thing Cranachan advertises, coffee and that happily was a very nice cup of coffee. I highly recommend you visit Cranachan if you find yourself in Glasgow and in need of comfort food, pleasant service and perhaps even some refreshing décor (Timorous Beasties design marks are found throughout the premises).

(For more details please visit Cranachan’s website: http://www.cranachancafe.co.uk/ ).

Pichet Ong’s New ‘Spot’

 If you werent looking for Pichet Ong’s latest venture ‘Spot‘, you might not find it. Nestled in what looks like a basement at first glance is a dessert bar whose products are a mix between Asian street food and American Comfort. Upon entering the cafe, I immediately fell in love with the faux grass on the floor. Ong tries to replicate a barn with his grass floor, raw wood furniture, and stone accents. Its really cute and kinda comfy too.

Onto the desserts, the wide array of sweets at this joint made deciding difficult: cupcakes, cookies, puddings, ice cream, bubble tea, coffee floats, and even dessert tapas. I decided to go with the cupcakes and a Thai milk coffee since I was in a semi-hurry and wanted a treat I could eat on the train.

Here’s the taste rundown:

Mocha Maldon Salt Caramel cupcake has mocha buttercream, salt caramel middle, and a moist chocolate cake base. This cupcake was a delicious salty/sweet mix with a hint of slightly bitter mocha. The frosting itself isnt really super out-of-the-ordinary BUT it did have edible glitter ontop of it: HUGE PLUS. Verdict: enjoyed this one quite a bit!

Chocolate Green Tea Fruit Jam cupcake has an apricot jam, soft green tea icing, and again a moist chocolate cake base. This frosting was much different in consistancy than the Mocha cupcake. It was softer, smoother, and much more interesting plus it had the same edible glitter ontop. The fruit jam paired wonderfully with the hints of green tea and chocolate. Verdict: He’s got himself a winner here! Possibly Ongs best cupcake.

Vanilla Caramel Vietnamese Coffee cupcake has a coffee-ish type buttercream frosting with a salty caramel liquid middle and a moist vanilla cake base. This is a great cupcake for those of you who like vanilla since the actual cake is so delicious. My only problem is that is tasted very much like the Mocha Maldon Salt cupcake. I think they are the same cupcake with different cake bases - which is fine with me, just change their names. I was expecting a real punch of Vietnamese coffee in this one and was sorely disappointed. Verdict: Very good, but probably wont be back for this one.

My only real issue was with the container holding the Thai Milk Coffee. Out of the few sips I was able to get while walking to the train station, the coffee was very good.  But by the time I got off of the train and to my final destination half the cup had leaked out and all over my bag! Ugh!! I couldnt even pinpoint where the coffee leak was coming from! I threw out the rest out of  anger. If you are getting coffee at Spot - get it to stay. Or if you dont mind getting coffee all over yourself and your clothes  then by all means get it to go.

Fika Coffee: The Perfect Drug

FIKA [fee:ka] = Swedish verb that roughly translates into “take a coffee break”

I love a good cup of coffee and in a world filled with Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts this can be hard to find. Now before I come off as a pretentious douche let me explain something. I go to Starbucks and DD all the time. I’m not above it. In fact, I use to drink about 3 cups of SB’s addictive gruel a day when I worked at Morgan Stanley due to an insane work schedule (mental note: never work for an Investment Bank again). But just because I drink their coffee out of necessity, doesnt mean I love it.

I decided to make my way over to Fika after sampling some of their fine chocolates at this months NYC Chocolate Show. The chocolate was so delicious, the coffee HAD to be at least a knotch above medicore. I walked into the somewhat small cafe and ordered myself a mocha.I had planned on ordering a sandwich but the lack of a bathroom in this cafe made me change my mind. With one sip I was sold. It was smooth, creamy, and hot without being scalding. Finally! A cup of java that doesn’t initially burn my tongue. The coffee needed no other added ANYTHING and had the most lovely layer of ‘crema’ ontop of it. Divine. The only thing that might turn someone away (besides the lack of a bathroom) is the price. A mocha is about $4.25 - which I’m sadly ok with given NYC prices for..uhh…anything. Think it’s too much money? Think of it this way: a Starbucks grande mocha is the same price.

I Want Macaroons!

The best part about NYC is how easy it is to walk around and find a gem. One day while I was wandering around West 36th street looking for a decent cup of coffee and I found the Macaron Cafe. Here’s my review:

They have dozens of macaroon flavors:  Vanilla, Bourbon Vanilla, Dark Chocolate, Pumpkin, Caramel, Pistachio,  Raspberry, Strawberry, Apple Spice, Lavender, Earl Grey, etc. The flavors change for the season and can be either fruity, floral, citrus, nutty, and/or chocolately.

The sandwiches are also really delicious. The ‘Paris’ has thick slices of ham, homemade mayo, gruyere, and cornichons. Add 2 macaroons and a cafe latte and you’ve got an amazing lunch for under $15.  If you’re lucky, you’ll arrive right when they’re making a fresh batch of the delightful namesake cookie. Watch them while you’re waiting for your java.

 

161 W 36th St (between 7th Avenue and Broadway)
New York, NY 10018 

The Best of the Coffee Drink World

Coffee and I have always had a rocky relationship. We hang out everyday for months, spend way too much time together, then I get physically sick and we go our separate ways for a short period of time…but I cant stay away too long. Seriously, if I make a 6 cup pot of coffee – I’ll drink all 6 cups of it. The aftermath is disgusting but I just can’t help myself! This is why I’ve recently turned to coffee drinks – if I buy one, I drink one and have a much harder time overdosing. Here’s my review on the drinks I’ve tasted so far.

The Stars

The Chocolately One:
Nescafe Mocha – this is serious mocha ladies and gentlemen. It’s brew is strong, the liquid itself is thicker than most (but not unpleasant at all), and the chocolate taste is delightful. It’s not sugary chocolate mind you - this is semi-sweet cocoa. Mmmmmmm….

 I really like this drink but I’ve only seen it in Eastern European markets around my neighborhood. Am I wrong? Does anyone else see this in their local supermarket?

 
The Creamy One:
Starbucks Double Shot – this is cream central. It’s also one of the most caloric given the small dosage. However, if I want something small and super creamy I reach for one of these.

Another plus? It’s in just about EVERY supermarket and bodega. Thats what you get when Starbucks and Pepsi work on a joint venture.

 

 
The Perfect Combo:
Café Bustelo Café Con Leche – this is my favorite coffee drink by far. It’s not as watery as the Starbucks Iced Americano but its not heavy either. Known as the ‘poor mans gourmet coffee’, its’ creamy without being too milky and has a hint of sweetness. Who doesn’t love a nice café con leche??

 I find these in local bodegas in my neighborhood but that might be becuase Cafe Bustelo was started in NYC in the 20s.

 
The No-Frills One:
UCC Coffee - this one is light, sweet, and delicious. It’s a fantastic alternative to regular coffee because it doesn’t have any extras. No mocha, no heavy cream, no super sugary aftertaste: just a delicious iced coffee.

The only problem is this isn’t as easy to find - unless you’ve got a large Japanese population in your area. If you do - these will be everywhere!

 

 
The Organic One:
Adina Coffee Drinks – these are the organic green version of Starbucks Frappucinos – except without the cloying sugary aftertaste StarB tends to give you. They are all pretty delicious but the caramel is too sweet for my tastebuds…in fact, it doesn’t even taste like caramel. I suggest a do-over on that flavor Adina, think about it.

These are very popular in the organic market. Go to your local health food store

 

The Rest…

Dydo’s Demitasse: this drink has a pretty dark brew but it’s not half as pleasing as the Nescafe Mocha. In fact, one could say its super watery. Watery, dark, not milky, and not too sweet. Blech.

Then there’s the Starbucks Frappucino line, a total miss in my opinion. They dont even remotely resemble coffee.  Am I alone on this? Does anyone actually like these?

Coca -Cola is doing their best to compete with Pepsi’s Starbucks in 2 ventures: Caribou Coffee and Illy. Caribou’s iced drinks have been out for a while and are ok…but I rarely pick them up when I’m out buying. They are too dark for me with a real bitter aftertaste.

The latest partnership with Illy had better results - but then again they were working with Illy. The Illy Issimo coffee drinks have a much smooter aftertaste. The cappucino one has a delightful hint of chocolate but I have to admit I wanted more from an Illy canned coffee line which is why I cant put these in my ’stars’ category. Its like they arent even really trying here. C’mon Illy!