I can’t believe I haven’t written about Maison Kayser yet. I mean, I gained like 5 lbs in one week from carbing it up at their bakery. Maison Kayser is a chain bakery. There are locations all over Europe and Asia, and recently they opened up their first American location in the Upper East Side of NYC. When they first opened, you could see people all up in that neighborhood toting around Maison Kayer bags. Myself included.

Make sure to skip eating at the café. I went a couple of months ago and the food was not very good and the service even worse. However, the bakery became a second home to be for about a month. My credit cards were not happy. I would find any excuse to go.

“Oh, Maison Kayser is only 25 blocks away. I’m gonna head over.”

“Oh, it’s 10:30 P.M. only? Maison Kayser is still open, let’s head over.”

Each visit to that damn bakery would lead me to leave with on average, 5 treats at a time. Some were small and some were big. One time I left with three baguettes and five loaves of cheese bread. It was all gone within a few days. The cheese bread has been my favorite purchase there so far. Just beware. The amount of cheese can be inconsistent. Sometimes you get the tiniest bit, other times a good amount. I like to eat them ripped off in chunks and stuffed in my mouth.

Also a big fan of their baguettes. The first time I tried one, instead of waiting to bring it home, P and I finished an entire one at the theatre. Of course it tastes lovely plain, with butter or dipped in olive oil. But for lunch I loved putting on tomato sauce, Muenster cheese and throwing it under the boiler and getting the cheese bubbling. Heaven.

The sweet treats are great as well. Pictured above is a pistachio financier and an orange cake. Both were very good. The financier found its way into my belly as I walked through a Barnes & Noble. I liked it better than the orange cake. One minute it was there and one minute it was gone and I was a pound heavier with butter all over my fingers.

I remember also enjoying their croissants and chocolate chip/pecan cookies, but it’s the bread that always bring me back.

8 out of 10

Maison Kayser Bakery, not café

1294 3rd Avenue  (between 74^th str. And 75^th str.)

New York, NY 10021
(212) 744-3100

-Joyce Huang

Sometimes it’s the simple things in life that can make people happy. Like when I walked into Corner Bakery and spotted a shimmering, whole pineapple upside down cake on display.

Me: How much is that?

Baker: The whole thing?

Me: The whole thing.

As she tied it up for me, I was informed that it had just come out of the oven and it was still warm. I think I felt a tear form in my eye.

So rich, but not heavy, and so hard to stop eating that I had to pack it away and put it in the freezer. This is a simple cake, but a classic and utterly good. My friend who hates pineapple upside down cake is now a changed man and devoured it. He met his match.

Corner Bakery has other tasty baked goods, I’ve been told that their cobblers are to die for. You know what I’m trying next .

7 out of 10

Corner Bakery

1645 3rd Avenue

New York, NY 10128-3626

(212) 860-8060

-Joyce Huang

courtesy of levainbakery.com

Levain bakery sells my favorite cookies. It feels so weird to say something like “favorite” when there are so many tasty places to go in New York City, but these cookies are just so amazing.

First off, these are some massive cookies. Each one is about 6 oz  and extremely filling. Just look how big they are compared to my fist. The owners came up with these cookies because they would do triathlons all the time and needed something to fuel their bodies, but wanted that fuel to taste good as well. Their creations are best when eaten slightly warm because the outside has a nice crunch, but the inside is so thick and chewy. While they are a bakery and sell other items like brioche, sandwiches, buns and doughnuts, it’s their cookies I always crave. When you get near their store, you can’t help but go in because this fantastic smell wafts down the block and you just start following it. They sell four cookies, chocolate walnut, oatmeal raisin, dark chocolate peanut butter chip and dark chocolate chocolate chip. The funny part is that you can feel how hefty each cookie is the second that you lift them. I couldn’t probably eat one a day and never tire of them. If you have never been, you must go. I’m serious. Go right now.

10 out of 10 (just the cookies). Can I just say that I think this is the first time I’ve ever given a 10 to anything? If I were to judge the whole bakery, it would probably be like a 7.5 out of 10.

Levain Bakery

167 West 74th St # A

New York, NY 10023

-Joyce Huang