maman

 
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For a a quick and easy, but healthy and flavorful meal, I love stopping by Maman. It's basically the bakery and cafe of my dreams, featuring high quality, locally-sourced ingredients with a always evolving and inspired menu. Pop in for coffee (how cute are their cups?!) and freshly baked breads and pastries, or take a seat and enjoy housemade quiches, seasonal salads, and hearty sandwiches. I'm a huge fan of their unique and flavorful baked goods, including the nutella babka loaf, spiced carrot cake, white chocolate blueberry & lavender loaf, chunky monkey brioche, and the signature 'famous' nutty chocolate chip cookie.

One of my favorite things ever is Maman's cookie dough ice cream sandwich! It uses two slabs of melt-in-your-mouth cookie dough instead of baked cookies, wrapped around tasty McConnell's ice cream. Heaven! I recently stopped in for their new brunch service at the Brooklyn location, and both the waffle-iron hashbrowns (with smoked salmon, avocado & egg) and the roasted cauliflower salad (with kale, dates & egg) were super flavorful and satisfying. I'm looking forward to trying a matcha white hot chocolate this winter!

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oddfellows ice cream co.

Oddfellows Ice Cream Co. is a local Brooklyn spot from former wd50 pastry chef Sam Mason that makes some seriously tasty ice cream. I love the old-school ice cream parlor feel, but they mix things up with modern and innovative offerings. Oddfellows pasteurizes their own ice cream base, using locally-sourced, hormone-free dairy, right in their Brooklyn kitchen. This attention to detail allows them to produce some of the highest quality and freshest ice cream around. Their scrumptious flavors range from reinvented classics, like PB&J and S'mores, to totally creative and unconventional, like Miso Cherry and Chorizo Caramel Swirl. Sample several flavors before you decide, and then come back again soon to try out even more. Their menu changes seasonally, and always includes some somewhat crazy-sounding flavors! While I'm typically not one to choose sorbet, Ants on a Log (celery sorbet with peanut butter & raisins) is one of my all-time favorites! Banana Puddin' and Cornbread (can you tell I'm Southern?) are also ridiculously good, with such a great depth of flavor. I also just noticed a new flavor on their menu- Salted Coconut Sticky Rice- and cannot wait to try it out soon. If you post a picture of your treat, don't forget to use their signature hashtag: #errbodylovesicecream!

meyer's bageri

 

Meyer's Bageri is a cute little Danish bakery in Williamsburg that turns out some truly delectable baked goods. Danish culinary entrepreneur Claus Meyer is behind it, along with new restaurant Agern and Great Northern Food Hall in Grand Central Terminal. Although the bakery started as just a pop-up, their popularity soon became clear, and Meyer's returned as a full-time brick and mortar a few months later. They offer several traditional Danish pastries like kanelsnurre (cinnamon swirl buns), spandauer (round puff pastries with fillings), and tebirkes (poppy seed danishes), and also bake hearty loaves of bread daily. Ølandbrød, a native speciality made from heirloom whole wheat flour which they will mill in house, is a definite must-try. 

I'm a huge cinnamon-lover, so my order always involves kanelsnurre. The morning buns, marbled with rye and topped with sunflower seeds, are chewy and delicious as well, and even better topped with avocado or hummus. On another trip I got to try the beet & cassis muffin and raspberry pop tart. These creative takes on classics blew me away- the muffin was slightly earthy and not too sweet, with a moist crumb and crunchy streusel topping, while the pop tart had a perfectly flaky crust. I'm excited to return soon to devour the new, seasonal danish: pumpkin spice spandauer with brown butter glaze and pepita brittle! Yum!

 

paulie gee's

 

When a pizza craving hits, you can't do much better than Paulie Gee's. This Greenpoint, Brooklyn institution makes wood-fired, Neapolitan-style pies, served with both classic and unique toppings. Owner Paul Giannone uses locally sourced ingredients when possible, plus fior di latte and Italian tomatoes, of course, creating some of the most mouth-watering pizzas around. Bing cherries, prosciuitto di Parma, baby arugula, orange blossom honey, beef brisket, and kale pesto are all possibilities you'll find on the menu, and Paulie Gee's offers several vegan pies as well.  I love the atmosphere here- you enter through big barn doors, and the interior feels like a rustic cabin. Although the restaurant doesn't take reservations (so get there early), they are in the process of opening a slice joint nearby for all your quick, on-the-go pizza needs, which is super exciting news! Definitely stop by next time you're in Brooklyn!

 

lilia

 
 

Ever since Lilia joined the New York dining scene, I'd been trying to find the perfect time to go indulge in a what I'd heard was a fantastic Italian meal. Chef Missy Robbins is bringing the best of Italy, think handmade pastas and wood-fired seafood, to Williamsburg, Brooklyn (in a converted auto shop, no less!). Reservations are almost impossible to attain, but my husband and I figured we'd test our luck right when they opened one rainy holiday weekend. No dice. The restaurant was already packed, but they have a lovely caffè with aperitivi and snacks to wait until your table is ready. We were seated pretty quickly, and soon began an Italian feast to remember. My husband got the opportunity to speak to Chef Robbins, as the vast, beautiful kitchen is open and on full display to diners. Her passion and creativity are truly evident in not only her words, but in each and every dish presented. Everything was so fresh and well balanced, not to mention cooked perfectly. As a starter, the cacio e pepe frittelle (think cacio e pepe pasta in a light & flaky beignet-type dough) were literally melt-in-your-mouth delicious. The handmade pastas, specifically the popular & uniquely shaped mafaldini, which is served simply with pink peppercorns and Parmigiano Reggiano, are some of the best I've ever had. Lilia has an amazing wood-fired oven, so it would behoove you to order a meat or fish dish cooked in this way. The grilled swordfish and veal flank steak were both cooked to perfection, with that slightly crisp, charred finish you can't get from other methods. As always, dessert was a must, and I loved the playful, yet sophisticated version of a build-your-own soft serve gelato bowl! We went with vanilla gelato, topped with lemony walnuts and amaretti cookies, however, I can imagine chocolate gelato with salted hazelnuts, chocolate stracci, and candied citrus would be to die for as well. Keep in mind that the caffè is open all day, so stop by for a cappuccino and pastry in the morning, or a sandwich and gelato in the afternoon! The fact that Lilia garnered three stars from Pete Wells, the New York Times food critic, is no surprise to me. I'm thrilled to add another highly impressive spot to my list of neighborhood regulars.

cafe mogador

Cafe Mogador is probably my husband's and my #1 go-to neighborhood spot. Although it's always super packed on the weeknights and for weekend brunch, we love going for a quiet weekday breakfast. Due to my husband working in a kitchen himself, which usually consists of very long hours and late nights, we get to go out for breakfast dates more often than dinner dates. It's quite nice to have the random Tuesday morning free together, and we love nothing more than indulging in breakfast at Cafe Mogador. We literally don't even look at the menu anymore, either. It's always the Middle Eastern eggs, poached, for me, and the Moroccan Eggs with a side of Merguez sausage for him. Plus a cappuccino and Americano, or two, of course. It really never lets us down, and is always so filling and satisfying. The fluffy za'atar pita bread is the perfect accompaniment for cleaning up every last drop from your plate. We love sitting in the enclosed "backyard" area, which has a bit of a jungle feel with all the greenery, and is the perfect temperature year-round!