Cupcakes-Galore at Magnolia Bakery- West Village (New York City, USA)

Bleeker street...one of the many places that make New York so charming, so unforgettable and so dear to me. Not only are there beloved Marc Jacobs shops sprinkled throughout the street but it is also a foodie haven beginning with Magnolia Bakery. Eating cupcakes while strolling through Marc Jacobs shops and bookstores? A perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon in my books. 

It was my first time visiting Magnolia Bakery, somehow I happened to miss the reference on Sex and the City during my college years (apparently that's what made them so famous?). So, having missed that boat I was not aware that there is usually a line up around the corner. On this particular Sunday the line up only extended to the door. I was okay with the short yet chaotic wait. So the Count and I lined up and took in all the sweet, sugary vanilla aromas permeating the air. 

There were all sorts of people in the line up. The young family with kids swooning over the big three layered cakes, the Asian female tourists with their designer bags picking out their cupcakes, the old man ordering his usual and us, the first timers who were overwhelmed with the choices. Oh the possibilities. 

Okay, so here I go: I don't like cupcakes! Gasp. Yes I said it. There are many other sweets that I would prefer to a cupcake. So is it so horrible that neither of us actually ordered cupcakes? 

I ordered a snickerdoodle tart from the glass display above. And the Count ordered the flour less chocolate cake. 

After we yelled out our order, we waited to pay. The line up was a bit confusing as people were going straight to the cash counter and others were skipping the line. But somehow there was some sort of unspoken order amongst the chaos. 

While waiting I was seduced by the variety of sweets that were calling my name including the three layered cakes in a variety of flavors. "Eat me Hungry Nomad, you know you're hungry" they all said.

After receiving our coffee I got a chance to get up close and personal with the famous cupcakes...only for a short photo shoot. I definitely have to go back and try the cupcakes for I can't really attest to their claim to fame without having tried it. Wonder what flavor I should try next time? 

Miel Patisserie- Rittenhouse Square (Philadelphia, USA)

I discovered a lovely french pastry shop in the Rittenhouse area. What a shame that I didn't find it sooner. Walking through the doors my eyes quickly turned to the pastry counter, the bread baskets and rows of french desserts including my favorite macarons. Having skipped lunch I decided to treat myself to dessert: not one but two. I opted for a latte with a lemon tart and rose water macaron.

 
The latte was great. Went really well with small mouthfuls of the lemon tart.

The rose macaron tasted like many Persian desserts which use rose water. It was also a perfect macaron: chewy inside with a slight crispy exterior. As I sat there indulging myself, many came in to buy their bread and bags full of dessert. Seems like I am the only one in town that didn't know about this place. I will definitely be back for more.

 

Ferrara Bakery & Cafe- Little Italy (New York, USA)

After our meal at Lombardi's, we found ourselves walking through the tourist filled streets of Little Italy. We were looking for dessert. Not just any dessert but that sweet stuff that Italian pastries are made of. Our friends suggested Ferrara Bakery as one of the oldest establishments in New York. We walked in and I immediately felt like I was in Italy. Rows and rows of colorful pastries lined the glass round counter. The Count and I were immediately swooning over the wide selection. How can you choose when there are so many amazing choices to pick from? 

There were tarts! Strawberry, kiwi, berries and lemon meringue tartes. There were eclairs! Chocolate, coffee and vanilla eclairs. There were Cannolis! Chocolate, vanilla and chocolate chip Cannolis. There was the Napoleon, pain au chocolat and an assortment of cakes. The best for me was the mini pastry section. It is meant for people who can't decide on one choice. You can order three mini versions of pastries which is exactly what I did. 

We sat down, made our orders and waited anxiously. Our desserts and coffees were out in a 'jiffy' (Yes! I have decided to use the term 'jiffy'- its fun and should be used more often). Who can guess which one of us ordered the Chocolate cake? 

If you guessed the Count, then you are correct! He ordered the chocolate cake and was unwilling to part with it to try the rest of the selection on our table. Of course, for research purposes I took a bit bite and loved the chocolaty texture and deep dark chocolate flavor. 

Our friends ordered the mini pastry plate and the Napoleon. I tried a bite of the Napoleon which was perfect. Who doesn't love a good Napoleon? Crispy layers of puff pastry with whipping cream oozing between each layer. I have only had such good treats in Italy and France. In fact, while studying in Paris I used to visit the corner pastry shop by my school for my weekly in take of Napoleon or as the french call it 'mille-feuille' (a thousand sheets). 

For my mini pastry sampler I had the chocolate chip Cannoli, chocolate cream puff and a chocolate wrapped pastry. I loved my Cannoli and really battled to finish the other two  (remember I had just finished having endless amounts of pizza at Lombardi's). 

This bakery is the kind of place I could see myself treating my mom (who has the biggest sweet tooth in the world) to every Sunday. Maybe its a good thing I don't live so close. 

Cafe L'Aube- Fairmount/Art Museum (Philadelphia, USA)

I've been in search of a spacious coffee shop in the Fairmount area for weeks. The pickings are slim. There are only a handful of independent coffee spots and one Starbucks that can barely fit ten people. So with the help of Yelp, I found Cafe L'aube tucked away on the corner of Wallace street in the Spring Garden area. 

What is so great about Cafe L'Aube? Well for one, it serves great coffee and pastries. But mainly because it serves delicious and authentic crepes made to order. The employees are francophone and if you close your eyes you may try to imagine yourself sipping away at your cafe and crepe at a french coffee shop.

I started off with a latte and pain au chocolate... a few hours later I found myself hungry again and ordered the ham, mushroom and emmentaler cheese crepe. Delicious and cheesy. 

So far in terms of coffee shops, this is my favorite in the city. Any one have any other recommendations? 

Velvet Espresso Bar- Uptown (New Orleans, USA)

Velvet Espresso Bar is located across from Wholefoods in Uptown. It is a very small eclectic coffee shop offering only about 6 counter seats. The shop uses a more sophisticated method of brewing coffee than your average coffee shop (the vacuum brew method). They use two regular beans: Intelligentsia's and Stumptown.

They also offer breakfast and lunch consisting of small sandwiches and sweets (see menu). New Orleans definitely has a void for good coffee shops and Velvet Espresso is a great and desperately needed addition.  I hope Velvet Espresso Bar motivates others to fill the espresso void and open more solid coffee shops where the staff are knowledgeable and passionate about their coffee.