restaurantgirl

Wine Cellar Sorbets
Whole Foods Market
4 Union Square South
New York, NY 10003
Sophisticated sorbet lovers can also fulfill their love of wine with these potent frozen desserts. For spring, a great choice would be the crisp Riesling, which has the taste of apples and citrus fruits and a sweet yet smooth finish. Wine Cellar Sorbets suggests serving it with croissant French toast and caramelized apples – a great brunch idea!

Cones
272 Bleecker Street
Btwn Jones St. and Morton St.
New York, NY 10014
(212) 414-1795
This shops makes thick, luscious Argentinean ice cream, but also offers a variety of refreshing sorbets for patrons to eat while strolling down Bleecker Street. Ginger is refreshingly zingy, while cantaloupe makes for a more unusual, ripe-tasting treat.

Yolato
120 MacDougal St.
Btwn Bleecker and West 3rd Sts.
New York, NY 10012
(212) 228-6303
www.yolato.com
This explosive franchise has managed to rise above the competition and provide customers with low fat frozen yogurt that is actually creamy and rich. The sorbets never fall short in consistency or variety either. Try the kiwi banana topped with mango and chewy rice cakes for a fun tropical twist, or embrace more traditional flavors like green apple and strawberry.

Blue Marble Ice Cream
420 Atlantic Ave. btwn Bond and Nevins St.
Brooklyn, NY 11217
(718) 858-1100
www.bluemarbleicecream.com
This popular ice cream shop, hailingfrom the Hudson Valley, has a small but potent list of flavorful frozen delights. There are three sorbets on the menu, two of which are tropical mango and coconut.  However, the mora (Andean blackberry sorbet) is by far the most exotic and intriguing.

Uncle Louie G’s
517 Henry St.
Brooklyn, NY 11231
(718) 246-5300
http://www.unclelouieg.com/italian-ices.html
Located in Carroll Gardens, Louie G’s churns out a surprising array of sorbet flavors, all of which possess a creaminess not unlike ice cream. “Holy Canoli,” peanut butter and jelly, and “Root Beer Mug” are all great choices.

Whatever Café
150 Centre Street
New York, NY 10013
Hidden away at the edge of Chinatown is this spacious, tranquil spot with countless varieties of exotic sweets.  If bird’s nest soup or double boiled papaya sound a bit too adventurous, try the mango pudding with mixed fresh fruit. Topped with strawberries and kiwis, and doused with a sweet mango sauce, fresh mango and airy coconut sorbet, it’s an unusual, refreshing ending to a meal on nearby Mott Street.

Until we eat again,
Restaurant Girl
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Balthazar
80 Spring St., at Crosby St.
(212) 965-1785
This classic French bakery brims with exquisite breads, cakes, pastries and other treats.  But the sleeper here is the splendidly moist bread pudding ($4.)  Made with the bakery’s own cherry focaccia, this cake can be eaten like a fruit-filled muffin, but far creamier and denser with an unbeatable cinnamon essence. 

Fat Witch Bakery
Chelsea Market
75 9th Ave. @ 15th St.
New York, NY 10011
1-888-41 WITCH
www.fatwitch.com
You'd be hard pressed to find a denser brownie in the city. These insanely  decadent squares are worth every calorie.  If you're not a chocolate person, there's also a stellar blondie.  Described as a chocolate chip cookie in brownie form, it’s a cube of chewy perfection ($1.40.)  The white chocolate Snow Witch, Red Witch (cherry), and Breakfast Witch (oatmeal, nuts and coffee) are other unusual takes on the classic brownie for $2.75 each.

Tisserie
857 Broadway @ 17th St.
New York, NY 10003
(212) 463-0847
www.tisserie.com
Stacks of flaky puff pastry and heavenly cream are the key parts to making an exquisite napoleon, a dessert that this corner patisserie does to delicious proportions.  Surrounded by toasted almonds and topped with a web-like pattern of vanilla and chocolate icing, this napoleon commands to be eaten for $5.50 a slice.

Chikalicious
203 E. 10th St.
New York, NY 10003
(212) 995-9511
www.chikalicious.com/
Dishing out sweets with grace and precision, this tiny dessert bar is beloved for its $12 prixe-fixe menu, which includes an amuse bouche, petit fours, and a choice of a main plate. Go with the tangy fromage blanc “island cheesecake,” which pairs perfectly with a Sauternes.

Otto Pizzeria e Enoteca
1 5th Avenue @ 8th St.
New York, NY 10003
(212) 995-9559
www.ottopizzeria.com/
Gelato is the definitive dessert at Otto, and there are a plethora of flavors to prove it. Ranging from hazelnut straciatella to fresh ricotta and olive oil, the pistachio, which has a mellow beige color without the fake green hue, may be the best.  Rich and incredibly creamy, it has the intense flavor of roasted pistachios and a hint of almond, and is even better served on a thick and sweet brioche bun ($3.50).

Amai
171 3rd Avenue btwn. 16th & 17th Sts.
New York, NY 10003
(212) 863-9630
www.amainyc.com
Tea and the flavors of Japan are incorporated into the light desserts at this serene café and bakery. One of the most interesting products is the seasonal fruit brownie, with lychee being a particular favorite. Moist, fudgy yet cakey, the dark chocolate brownie is decked with pieces of real fruit, which add a floral sophistication to the classic treat.  Have a bite in the secluded seating area with a cup of one of the café’s many teas, especially the fruity Fiji green tea.

Batch
150B W 10th St. @ Waverly Pl.
New York, NY 10014
(212) 929-0250
The take-out offspring of p*ong, this beautiful pink and gold bakery offers treats that combine Eastern and Western flavors, particularly the mango chai tiramisu pudding ($4.50.) A foundation of pureed mango is topped with angelic sponge cake, chai-flavored cream, and fresh whipped cream with chocolate shavings.

Lady M Confections
41 E 78th St. btwn Madison & Park Aves.
New York, NY 10021
(212) 452-2222
www.ladymconfections.com
This French pastry boutique features photogenic and classically pleasing confections.  While Lady M is known for its milles crepe cake, a combination of twenty crepes layered with vanilla custard, it does a particularly enticing mont blanc for $7.50.  Packed in a white box, it’s a white chocolate cup filled with real whipped cream and surrounded by a sweet chestnut puree, topped with a soft marron glace.

Vosges Haut-Chocolat
1100 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10028
(212) 717-2929
www.vosgeschocolate.com
Vosges is known for folding unusual flavors, like wasabi and bacon into its chocolates, and the same goes for its exotic cookies. Caramel, toffee, and chocolate chip adhere to the classics, but go for the most unique: the Naga cookie.  With an orange hue, the cookie is chock full of coconut, milk chocolate chips, pumpkin puree and sweet curry.  It’s the perfect mate for a warm cup of tea.

Insomnia Cookies
50 W 8th Street
New York, NY 10011
1-877-63 COOKIE
www.insomniacookies.com/index.php
This is a dangerous newcomer for anyone with late night sugar cravings (pictured right.)  For a mere ninety nine cents, you can pick from seven delicious varieties of cookies, delivered directly to your door - freshly baked, warm, and gooey until 3 AM.  We're partial to both the peanut butter and oversized, "triple chocolate cookie " for $2 a piece.  The $11 Sugar Rush deal is perfect for groups of cramming NYU students, which comes with six cookies and six brownies.

Panya
10 Stuyvesant St. btwn 11th & 12th Sts.
New York, NY 10003
(212) 777-1930
This tiny Japanese bakery has a variety of unusual takes on classic Western desserts.  Not really a cookie at all, the "green tea cookie" ($2) is a chewy bun filled with a sweet and addictive green tea cream. A layer of green-colored cookie dough is spread on top and then baked in the oven, making for a compelling combination of crunchy, crisp, and soft.

Levain Bakery
167 W 74th Street
New York, NY 10023
(212) 874-6080
www.levainbakery.com/
We have no qualms about picking favorites when it comes to these colossal, cookie-meets-scone at this Upper West Side gem.  Levain boasts the densest and most decadent cookies in Manhattan.  From oatmeal raisin to chocolate chip with walnut, every variety features a crispy outer shell and a warm, soft, and inescapable center.  The dark chocolate peanut butter chip cookie is arguably the best.

Otto Enoteca and Pizzeria
15th Avenue and 8th Street
212-995-9559
If you haven't already noticed, olive oil gelato is currently seizing its moment in the restaurant limelight.  But Otto's rendition is the real deal: Sprinkled with sea salt and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil, its subtly sweet and mellow.  Likewise, the hazelnut stracciatella harkens Nutella, and the pistachio proves itself profoundly creamy.

Levain Bakery
167 West 74th St, nr. Columbus Ave.
(212)874-6080
A permanent fixture on our “Favorite Desserts List”, we’re humbled in the over-sized presence of this UWS bakery's cookies.  In a nutshell, you’re simply not going to find a better cookie – chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, dark chocolate chocolate chip, or dark chocolate peanut butter chip – in New York City.   Just yesterday we learned by way of Eater, Bobby Flay couldn’t Throwdown with these talented bakers.  Every scone-sized variation proves exceptionally moist and divine.  Levain also peddles fresh-baked breads, including ciabatta and black & white sesame-studded semolina. (It's a shame we don't own stock in this spot.)

Something Sweet
177 First Ave., at 11th St.
(212)533-9986
This old school East Village bakery has been around for ages, but it still stands up to more youthful competition.  Our favorites include the raspberry macaroons, creme brulee cake, banana cookies and truffle buttons.

Chinatown Ice Cream Factory
65 Bayard Street btwn. Elizabeth and Mott Sts.
212-608-4170
Though this bustling shop offers traditional flavors, opt for the exotic, Asian-inspired varieties: Black sesame boasts hundreds of crunchy seeds; lychee evokes floral aromas and a creamy texture; while the honeydew pearl tea is dense, sweet and stocked with chewy tapioca balls.

Cendrillon
45 Mercer St. btwn. Broome and Grand Sts.
212-343-9670
This Filipino restaurant offers a medley of ethnic desserts, but your first stop should be the Halo-Halo, an exotic ice cream sundae of sorts. Topped with taro ice cream, the combination of shaved ice, red beans, toasted rice, coconut flan, and jackfruit is luxuriously fruity and defiantly light