I am lucky to share my love/obsession of food with my sister, Margaret, and her husband Kyle. We exchange recipes, photos, and ideas of the exciting and delicious dishes we create. Though we value cooking on our own, we wouldn’t be true foodies if we didn’t explore the culinary developments around us. And this couple has done just that. Margaret and Kyle discovered their favorite restaurant, so special that they only attend with a good excuse. I was honored to be a good enough excuse to try their beloved tapas and wine bar. I suppose college graduation is a pretty big deal. So, after hearing all about this restaurant and even seeing many photos from Margaret and Kyle, I finally got to try Abigail Street! We walked into this beautiful restaurant, tucked neatly into a row of shops in Over-the-Rhine and were greeted with warm lights, friendly workers, and simple decorations. The waitress, Sarah, welcomed her two familiar guests and immediately helped us choose our wine for the night. After landing on a bottle of light and fruity French wine, we considered the 6 tapas we wished to share. Though I could discuss the unbelievably fluffy gnocchi with a brown butter sauce, maitake mushrooms, and asparagus or the delicate soft-shell crab paired with a chimichurri dipping sauce, this is a sweets blog so I will cut to the chase.
The dessert we chose is one that I wish I could eat at least once a week. It is one that I have dreamt about since the day Margaret described it to me. It is the perfect combination of foods. To end our lovely meal, we ordered the well-known and masterfully paired “Ricotta and Local Honey.” This dish was served to us on a long plate compiled of perfectly grilled bread and a large bowl of the best homemade ricotta I could ask for combined with sweet local honey, all topped with fresh thyme. This dish was out of the world; subtly sweet because of the honey, with a bold flavor kick from the grill marks on the bread and sprigs of thyme. The only way to eat this correctly is to dollop heaps of the ricotta and honey mixture onto your bread and make some uncomfortable noises in order to display your bliss and release that happiness. Thank you, Margaret and Kyle, for an evening of food, drink, dessert, and discussion that I will never forget. Happy eating, everyone!
If I have learned one thing in college, it is that dreams do come true. Not only was I, Beatrice Craycraft, fortunate enough to spend time with amazing company, but I was also treated to a meal most people can only dream about. Okay, now allow me to explain. My sister and her fiancé recently drove my little sister to New York to visit me at the end of my fall semester. The highlight of our trip was meeting our great aunt and uncle at one of New York’s finest and oldest steakhouses. We ended our delicious, indulgent, and decadent steak meal full of appetizers, wine, and of course, meat with an assortment of desserts. Here is the laydown: cheesecake with passionfruit coulis, macadamia, and pine nut crunch, tahitian vanilla crème brûlée with caramel sauce and apple accents, and finally, baked alaska. Now as much as I loved the silky smooth crème brûlée, the baked alaska was what really got my attention–since it was my first one! What is truly special about tasting this dessert at Delmonico’s is that is was actually created by the pastry chef, Charles Ranhofer, at this very restaurant in 1867. It consists of walnut cake, apricot jam, banana gelato, and meringue. I have to admit, I never really felt the need to go out of my way to try this unique dessert, but I am thrilled I was finally able to. The three layers, including cake, gelato, and meringue, meshed so perfectly that it was hard to imagine them individually. Although the meringue was blowtorched, it provided a structured, yet creamy binding for the rest of the dessert. The subtle walnut cake created the perfect base for the smooth and slightly melted gelato. A combination of this fine dessert, fantastic rib eye, delicious red wine, and exquisite company fostered a truly unforgettable evening. Thank you, Delmonico’s, and my incredible family for the night of my life. Happy eating and Merry Christmas, everyone!
Once a month I am privileged enough to get together with an awesome group of people and explore a new restaurant. Because I am always in it for the sweets, I never fail to find us a bakery nearby. This time I landed on a hidden gem that has been on my list for years. Milk & Cookies is an adorable little shop out of sight to anyone walking down the main streets of New York. You really have to know about this place in order to find it. Now I have tried many amazing cookies in the city, including Levain’s famous chocolate chip walnut and my guilty work pleasure, City Cake’s half pounder. Therefore, I honestly did not have very high hopes for this place. My skepticism was completely reversed the second I opened the rustic teal door and was greeted by a delicious warm and sugary scent. Though some of my friends just ordered a single cookie, I never back down from whatever treat a bakery is known for. So, choosing between maybe 12 different cookie flavors, I picked each side of my ice cream sandwich. I landed on vanilla ice cream inside of a peanut butter chocolate chip (surprise, surprise) and a S’MORES cookie. Something about this flavor combination, the slightly under cooked cookies, and the perfectly softened vanilla bean ice cream crafted one of the best desserts I have ever had. I really don’t understand how something so simple could have such a positive affect on me, but man was I in heaven…a moment of silence, please. If you are ever craving an ice cream cookie sandwich, you MUST check out Milk & Cookies and order the EXACT combination that I chose. Absolute perfection. Happy eating, everyone!
Weeks ago my boss sent me a link to one of the best New York festivals that I could ask for. With descriptions like “a week’s worth of calories,” and recommendations to “wear your stretchy pants,” how could a foodie like myself look away from an opportunity like this?! Dessert Fest, actually the first in New York, involves 20 different SWEETS venues from all FIVE boroughs under ONE roof. Even the coffee lovers were treated with unlimited Intelligentsia coffee and demonstrations from Bodum experts. Greeted at the door with giant donut balloons, adorable signs with quotes about the importance of dessert, throwback music, and the most delicious smell of sugary waffles, we could not wait to try our first dessert! We started off in the long line for Taiyaki fish shaped waffles. These masterpieces were soft on the inside and slightly crisp on the outside. Stuffed with sweet red beans and topped with matcha soft serve, this treat was definitely the highlight of my day. The next step in our food lineup was Jae NYC Eats for an “artisanal Twinkie-inspired ‘Cakie.'” After Ashley and I split the Chocolate Baileys’ Cakie, we stopped in the photo garden out back and on the rooftop upstairs, each decorated specifically for taking beautiful foodie pictures. Finally, I ended my hour and a half time slot with fantastic Biscotti rice pudding from the Rice Cream Shoppe. Even though we were pretty rushed, I cannot wait for the next NYC Dessert Fest. Thank you, Miraya and Liang for putting together such an exciting festival. Foodies, unite! Happy eating, everyone!
BeaSweets 