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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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!

 

gjusta

Gjusta has been on my must-visit list for a while. It's owned by the same team as Gjelina, the ridiculously popular and delicious veggie-focused, Mediterranean-inspired spot in Venice, so you know it's got to be top notch. Their beautiful pastries, pizzas & veggies frequently pop up on my Instagram feed, and never fail to make my mouth water. On a recent trip to LA, I was staying in Venice and decided to take myself out to dinner and finally cross it off my list! The choices are endless, and everything is tantalizingly displayed in front of you (although you can order off a menu as well), making it tricky to narrow it down. After talking to an employee behind the counter, getting his input and suggestions, I decided on a nice mix of healthy (and not) delights. First, a slice of pizza smothered in braised greens and fresh mozzarella, was thin with a nicely charred (but doughy!) crust and a great proportion of toppings. I also got a combo plate of the day's fresh salad offerings- marinated fennel and grilled broccolini- both super well-seasoned. The star of the show for me is always dessert, and I had been dying to try their baklava croissant. I know- baklava fillings (think nuts & honey) all rolled up in a perfectly flaky croissant! Sadly, and not surprisingly, they were sold out of this popular item, but I ended up with something equally satisfying. The miso date cookie was super unique and I adored the sweet & salty flavors it boasted! I definitely plan to return to Gjusta on my next trip to LA, and I can't wait to check out what new, seasonal offerings that have available. Hopefully I'll have better luck snagging the famed baklava croissant then as well!