Posts Tagged ‘sweet’

Something Sweet from Across the Pond: The London Candy Co.

Monday, October 14th, 2013

I had just gotten done with my 11 AM Fiction Lit class. My brain hurt, my eyes were starting to close on their own, and I hadn’t had my coffee yet. It was one of those mornings, and it felt like it would last all day. So, I decided to escape my collegiate walls at the New School and make the short walk to Bleecker Street. A visit to the London Candy Co. might provide just the turn around I needed for this caffeine-less, homework ridden day.

Barely ten minutes went by and I was standing at the front door of a new culture entirely. Spelled out in blue, neon wire was the word “LONDON,” and with a quick glance inside, no further explanation was needed. The store was so colorful! Decked out with bright reds and blues, everything seemed lit up and fun. The shop itself was filled—absolutely, floor to ceiling, filled—with everything and anything English. Don’t be deceived by the title of the store: while there was just about every piece of English candy I could ever imagine, The London Candy Co. is so much more than an ordinary candy shop.

Ready to enter an English candy paradise!

Wall to wall English treats!

Howie, the incredibly friendly manager, who walked me through the ins and outs of the Candy Co, likes to think of this hidden West Village gem more as a British convenience store. “What’s different is that no one else sells this much of a range, we have more stuff than shops you’ll find in England. There’s just so much to offer.” And he isn’t kidding. At a glance, I saw chocolate, gummies, chips (or as the English say, “crisps”) candy bars, mallomars, or the English equivalent, an assortment of English beverages, gift boxes of sweets, and English greeting cards as well as calendars and the like. In addition, this candy/convenience/ English awesomeness store carries Stumptown coffee—they even have cold brew, both a French Roast and a House Blend, on draft, something I’ve never even seen in my multiple years living in New York. As said before, this was at first glance, and I was impressed.

Give your someone sweet, something sweet!

If the actual products of the store weren’t enough, the staff on hand were extremely friendly, helpful, knew their customers, and knew their supply. It was nothing but smiles from the moment I walked in and why shouldn’t there be, we were surrounded by European chocolate! But Howie does prove a point as to why the staff are so lighthearted, “People get excited to come into the store. There’s always positive energy, you don’t get many frowns, always smiles. People are happy to be here and we share that as well, we provide that.”

Meet the gents at The London Candy Co!

And this is what helps to make The London Candy Co. unique. No one does exactly what they do with the attitude in which they do it. Plus, let’s be honest, there can never be too much chocolate. Howie gave me the low down on some of the best and most popular items in the store, including his personal favorites. First was the Cadbury Flake Bar, a chocolate bar with ribbons of deliciousness inside. Then I learned one of the most popular chocolate bars is the Cadbury Crunchie bar: chocolate on the outside, with a honeycomb and toffee center. Howie’s personal favorite happens to be the Galaxy Chocolate, creamier than Cadbury with a crunchy cookie inside. The shop also has a variety of “higher end” chocolate, for those with a more “advanced pallet,” such as Willie’s cacao. In fact, The London Candy Co is the only store in America to even sell Willie’s.

Like I said though, the store has much more than chocolate. Known for their Maynard’s wine gums, jelly babies, unique flavored crisps, such as T-Bone steak, full line of beverages, such as Irnbru—as Howie describes a drink that resembles liquid bubble gum—and so much more, one could spend hours in The London Candy Co and still find new items that tickle their fancy. Whether we Americans like it or not we’re all Anglophiles at heart, infatuated by the accent, the customs, and of course the divine chocolate. Indulging on our curiosity of English culture is definitely worth doing, especially if the indulgence is spent at the Candy Co.

I think the photo explains itself.

Upon leaving, Howie filled up a fresh cup of iced coffee, on draft, and handed me a palm size treat, wrapped in red foil. Only 50 cents at the Candy Co, Howie claims that this is one of the simplest, most amazing treats they have—a Tunnock’s Mallow. Basically, an American mallomar-turned-Brit. I thanked everyone for their hospitality and made my way back to school to prepare for my 2 o’clock class. Sitting in the New School Café, I unwrapped this chocolate treat and dove in. Even as a writing student, I find it difficult to put into words how heavenly this simple English sweet truly was. Coated in silky European chocolate and stuffed with fluffy marshmallow, I felt I could take on the day. Matched with some of the best coffee New York has to offer, my trip to The London Candy Co was not only a sweet escape to an English haven, but it was a much needed pick-me-up for the hectic day ahead of me.

Everyone NEEDS to try one of these--delish!

 

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Daniela Bizzell, Eugene Lang College, The New School University.

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Sweet Asian Fusion at Just Sweet Dessert House

Wednesday, September 18th, 2013

One banana. One Twinkie. Whipped cream. All stuffed in a sweet, buttery crepe and smothered in Nutella. This, my friends, is the Heart Breaker. A swirl of creamy vanilla, chocolate hazelnut, and fresh banana in one bite—your heart might actually break, and this is just dessert.

Just Sweet Dessert House, a few blocks away from Union Square and only a few steps away from both New School and NYU dorms, is located on the corner of 12th Street and 3rd Ave. Adorned with bright and colorful letters spelling out “Just Sweet,” Just Sweet Dessert House stands out among the various surrounding shops. With roomy outdoor seating, a prime spot in Manhattan’s East Village, and a collaborative menu filled with Asian infused dishes ranging from savory dumplings to sweet crepes, Just Sweet Dessert House is a great spot to sit and have a bite or grab a bubble tea on the go!

I took my trip to the “house” after a long day of classes, no sleep, and no lunch. I made my way to the lovely east end of downtown Manhattan and was greeted with the friendly faces of Just Sweet’s staff. I was quickly handed a menu, seated, and greeted by my server. There was no waiting and no being ignored. As I looked over a fairly large dessert menu and a lunch menu with at least fifteen options to choose from, I glanced around the restaurant. Fun music was playing at an appropriate volume, and the interior was just as bright and energetic as the signs outside. In addition, there was a wide range of people dining: a student working on her laptop, a young girl, still in her school uniform, accompanied by her mother, and a group of twenty somethings sipping on ice cold bubble tea.
“It’s interesting; I see a lot of personality here. Plus NYU basically embodies diversity. I meet folks from all walks of life,” said William Wong, owner of Just Sweet, as he sat at my table for a brief Q&A. And it’s true; Just Sweet seems to meet the needs of just about everyone.

I continued to look down at my menu. . . my dessert menu. While I needed real food, I couldn’t help but look at all of the delectable dessert options—crepes, ice cream, pancakes, and the well-known Korean-style shaved ice, an item featured on the Cooking Channel program hosted by Kelsey Nixon, a finalist in season four of the Next Food Network Star. So I started with bubble tea while I continued to decide on my lunch. I ordered a Mango Peach tea and my friend joining me for lunch ordered the classic Thai iced tea. Both drinks came out great. The tapioca was firm and not falling apart, the flavors blended perfectly and the iced tea wasn’t too strong, but tasty and refreshing. In fact, the owner buys fresh tea leaves for his beverages, so refreshing is an understatement. Even better, the drinks came in cute glass mason jars, a final glimpse of the season as summer begins to fade.

Finally we ordered our food: scallion pancakes, pork and shrimp dumplings, and for dessert, the Heart Breaker crepe. Everything came out in a timely fashion. The pancakes seemed to be made out of phyllo dough and were crisped and covered in scallions. They were precut, so the dish was perfect for sharing, and were matched with a light curry sauce, which was not terribly spicy, but a nice flavorful and cultural addition to add to the classic Korean dish. Then came the dumplings, recommended by the owner himself. The dumplings are homemade, and boy, you can tell. The dough was fresh and thick to hold in the mixture of pork and shrimp. Everything was so filling that by the end of the meal, my companion and I weren’t sure if we could handle the Heart Breaker, dreamed up by the owner’s love of Twinkies growing up. But we endured, and while we couldn’t finish the entire plate, we did our best to indulge on a dish made for the ultimate sweet tooth. We were stuffed and happy.

Just Sweet Dessert House is a friendly, inexpensive, quaint Korean-American restaurant that has a lot to offer. They even take NYU Campus Cash! Upon leaving, everyone waved us goodbye and never stopped smiling. The atmosphere was relaxed and the food was great. While I may have to wait a couple weeks to try another Heart Breaker, there’s a full menu of desserts waiting to be tasted, and on another stressful day of school and work, a nice place to sit and a tasty dessert is just what I need.

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Daniela Bizzell, Eugene Lang College, The New School University.

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Going French with Vive la Crêpe!

Thursday, August 9th, 2012

My dream has always been to travel Paris to indulge in the art, culture, and food of France. But with school and work currently dominating my life, my plans of traveling will have to wait until I’m able to squeeze in some vacation time. When that time comes, I’ll be committed to trying all of the delicious food that France has to offer. But in the meantime, I’ve found a small local café that specializes in one of France’s most popular delicacies, crêpes. Vive la Crêpe! brings French street culture into the streets of New York.

Upon entering Vive la Crêpe! in Union Square, I met with with the social media manager, Kate, who gave me information on the popular eatery. Focusing solely on crêpes and café drinks, Vive la Crêpe! aims to exude an aura of “authentic French coffee shop.” It succeeds: small yet homey, with wooden walls and chairs throughout the café, each employee at Vive la Crêpe! has been trained to perfectly create the signature delicate dessert in order to provide diners with an original French crêpe experience rather than turn it into something Americanized. The unique presentation of the crêpes is something to be admired: served in a cone, the crêpes, which are considered street food in France and served in food carts and small storefront windows for a quick eat, are easily portable and resemble over-sized ice creams that just as easily melt in your mouth.

My partner for the day, Maria, and I ordered one savory crêpe and one sweet crêpe to see if Vive la Crêpe! could tackle both worlds.  From the extensive menu, we chose the spinach, goat cheese, mushroom and basil crêpe, as well as the Nutella crêpe. Soon after we ordered, we were holding two large cones of hot, freshly-made crêpes. The ingredients of our savory crêpe were fresh and clearly designed to be a healthier option with creamy goat cheese. The fresh spinach and basil, mixed with the distinct taste of goat cheese, gave this savory crêpe a light yet satisfying meal-like quality. According to Kate, this is one of the most popular crêpes on the menu. Our Nutella crepe was amazing as well, the soft crêpe sheets covered in nutty and chocolatey Nutella. Sweet and simple, the Nutella crêpe would be great as a light dessert or a snack to satisfy a sweet tooth. The layers of crêpe that encased these delicious ingredients were extremely soft and fluffy while still maintaining the traditional thin texture. None of the edges were crusty or over-cooked, and the crêpes were evenly chewy throughout.

Spinach, Goat Cheese, Mushroom, & Basil Crepe

Nutella Crepe

Vive la Crêpe! is the perfect place to grab a quick bite to eat, as well as a place in which you can find a great cup of espresso — all for an affordable price. Better yet, Vive la Crêpe! has a smartphone application with a QR code so that diners can redeem a free crêpe with their first Vive la Crêpe! receipt (with no expiration date!). A hot spot in NYC, Vive la Crêpe!’s Union Square establishment has sister locations in NoLIta, the West Village, and the Upper West Side so that people all over Manhattan can indulge in a great crêpe experience. Maria and I had a wonderful time at Vive la Crêpe!, and I can confidently say that you can grab the best crêpes here, right on the streets on New York City.

Visit their website, download the app for free crêpes, and check out their menu here: http://www.vivelacrepe.fr/

Get a great discount at Vive la Crepe using this coupon from the Campus Clipper

Vive la crêpe! on Urbanspoon

Becky Kim, Queens College, Read my blog and follow me on Twitter

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