Levain Bakery: Soufflé in cookie form

It is hard to do a review of a neighborhood icon but at the same time this is one of those icons that is still a hidden gem in many ways. This tiny hole-in-the-wall place has emerged from obscurity thanks to the continued reporting of the New York Times back in 1997 when their most remarkable creation was first discovered. Since that time they have succeed in establishing themselves as a destination location. Now as one who has spent his entirely life on the Upper West Side, I am well aware of the fact that our neighborhood has (for some reason) begun attracting numerous tourists to our “destinations” and I am sure that at this point following all the press, Levain Bakery has seen its fair share of these tourists, and yet I feel it remains a hidden gem to most neighborhood residence. I didn’t hear about it until two years ago for example.

So what makes this bakery worthy of being called a gem, a destination, and just simply a remarkable bakery? This little shop has created what I can only describe as a soufflé in cookie form. Their cookies are huge (and expensive) and remind you of what a perfect cookie can actually taste like. The outside defends its fragile interior with a hard crusty shell that, when penetrated, reveals a moist and gooey consistency that reminds you of a soufflé with every additional bite.

This bakery is not for the patron who when decorating their home chooses the paintings that match the interior rather than choosing the paintings that inspire the owner. This bakery is for the patron seeking the cookie, the cookie that will define the moment it is enjoyed. I have yet to visit this bakery and consume a cookie without discussing its consumption afterward. Therefore it comes down to the simple fact that this hole in the wall place tucked away on the north side of 74th just off of Amsterdam has, for $3.75, a rather large piece of heaven that you will not soon forget. Were I ever to produce a superlative for best cookie in New York City if not America if not the world, this cookie would win it.

The Run-Down:

What I usually get:

Drink: Plan on getting water or milk or immediately after because this cookie will take a lot out of you.

Eat: Any of the four cookie options: Chocolate Chip Walnut, Dark Chocolate Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal Raisin, and Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip. (There is no one cookie better than the others).

Stay or To Go: I have done both, there is some seating opposite the counter but it is not exactly designed for long visits.

Mood when going: You cannot leave without a smile on your face after trying one of these cookies.

The Ranking (for an explanation, see “Ranking Key”):

Food: 4 Straws (Despite the fact that these might be the best cookies in the world the rest of the food is in need of evaluation).

Price: $$$traw: Expensive ($3.75 for a cookie is no bargain).

Atmosphere: Casual and welcoming (the literal fact that it is a hole in the wall place structures it in such a way as to be very welcoming and neighborly).

Overall: 4 Straws (These cookies are themselves a destination when visiting New York and for that the establishment deserves 4 straws. It does not get 5 straws and because it is not a once in a life time experience due to the reality that the establishment does service other culinary interests in a less than perfect (doesn’t mean bad) way and has a less than perfect decor).

The Details:

Website: http://www.levainbakery.com/

Location: 167 West 74th Street, New York, NY 10023, just off of Amsterdam.

Phone: 212.874.6080

Reservation: No need.

Dress: Casual.

Hours:

Monday- Saturday: 8:00am- 7:00pm

Sunday: 9:00am- 7:00pm

Cupcake: n. A small cake baked in a cup-shaped container.

From Sprinkles in Beverly Hills to Magnolia in NYC, Cupcakes have taken over. Wait, wait, let me clarify: not just any old sort of cupcakes, but designer cupcakes.

Now, I’m not one to turn up my nose at designer things, especially designer bags (as my friends know), and when it comes to cupcakes, just like bags, the more expensive ones tend to look nicer, and most often, taste better (or in the case of bags, feel better). In St. Louis, where the Coffee Straws team lived for 4 years, there were two cupcake places: Jilly’s Cupcake Bar and The Cupcakery. I started my STL cupcake repetoire with Jilly’s, where the cupcakes are overly large, with plenty frosting, and come in a rainbow of colors and shapes. Although appealing visually, I don’t think they taste very good. The cake is dry and the frosting overpowering. I then was introduced to The Cupcakery, and went with my parents. The cupcakes there were perfection. Moist cake, appetizing size, perfect ratio of frosting to cake, and most importantly, they tasted great. These cupcakes were more plain looking, however, I took it on as my own personal mission to espouse the benefits of The Cupcakery and tried to get as many people as possible to go there and try what I thought to be the better cupcakes.

After finding The Cupcakery, I was excited to returned home to Phoenix and find Sprinkles. I tried their cupcakes last week and they were good — they had a moist cake and the frosting was delicious; yet they were too sweet for me. I’ve heard that there is one more cupcake place in town, and I’ll be trying that soon. I think it’s easy to have a cupcake that looks great but much harder to create one that tastes great. But of course, no matter what, I’ll eat any cupcake and want to talk about it later. So here’s the question for any coffeestraws visitor, tried any good cakes lately? Or, bought any good bags?