Chocdoc Returns to the Big Apple

Kerry Beal · November 9

Sitting by myself in the AC lounge at Pearson - awaiting a flight to NYC. Should have been heading out on Wednesday but the Salon du Chocolate in NYC was cancelled with less than 30 days notice - I'm pretty pissed about that let me tell you. But because (with less than 30 days notice) we had a hotel reservation and flight reservations and plans for after the show to visit some businesses that @Alleguede had lined up - he and B headed down on Wednesday and I'm heading out to meet them today.

The trouble with travelling by yourself - you can't park yourself in a chair and then wander over to the food with 2 free hands. My jacket is wearing most of my tea.

So our plans include a trip to Kereke's (BakeDeco) where we scored really well last time he and I were in NYC, Empire Bakery Equipment and the Rondo NA facility ( @Alleguede has a fancy new sheeter that is almost automatic and wants to learn more about what it can do I believe).

Got a few calls out to folks to see if they are in town for a visit so we will see who we meet up with.

**curls** · November 9

I saw a post about Salon du Chocolate in NYC cancelling and was stunned. Glad that you and the crew are still going. I have a tourist trip to NYT planned for December and hope to get some shopping and dining suggestions from your trip!

Are you going to visit JB Prince too?

Just checked a map and I don't think that you'll be in Manhattan -- looks like Brooklyn, Hicksville, and New Jersey. Lots of interesting places. Thank you for taking us along with you!

Edited November 9 by curls
Updated for new location information. (log)

Kerry Beal · November 9

Likely not JB Prince - I already have everything!

Kerry Beal · November 9

Los Tacos #1 in Chelsea Market

KennethT · November 9

Welcome back! While they don't have much by the way of chocolate, if you would like to try some AMAZING SE Asian (mostly Singapore/Malaysia) desserts, I'd highly recommend Lady Wong. Their flagship store is in the East Village (9th St. between 2nd and 1st Ave) and they have a stall in Urban Hawker by 7th Ave and 50th St. The owners are both Malaysian and have a lot of fine dining pastry experience in Singapore.

If you've never had it before, it's a good opportunity to try durian - I'd recommend the durian serimuka (sticky rice with custard). The pandan serimuka is really good as well. The kuih talam are also really good. One of the owners loves making high end pasty and those are really good too, but I stick with the traditional kuih since I miss it when not in SE Asia.

Kerry Beal · November 9

Walked a little further along the river looking for Frenchette

Picked up Kouign aman and tart au citron

Walked back along the Highline

When we got back to the hotel - dissected the Kouign aman and lemon tarte

This apparently won the Best Kouign amman in NYC - gotta wonder what they were thinking.

Edited November 9 by Kerry Beal (log)

**ElsieD** · November 9

I just had a piece of Kouign Amman this morning with my tea. The piece i had looked different from yours. Mine had discernable layers, I don't see that in yours. I wouldn't mind one of those tarts, though.

**curls** · November 10

Looks like they need to sample some real kouign amman!

How was the lemon tart? It looks yummy.

Kerry Beal · November 10

42 minutes ago, curls said:

Looks like they need to sample some real kouign amman!

How was the lemon tart? It looks yummy.

Ok - but a bit atypical

Kerry Beal · November 10

Dinner tonight at Boucherie

Eggplant gateau for Bianca.

Grilled octopus for @Alleguede

Mesclun salad with chèvre croquettes for me.

Chocolot · November 10

Are you going to go to SWMS?

Kerry Beal · November 10

@Alleguede and I headed out early while B continued to sleep.

passed a one of a kind show setting up - decided that this looked like an art installation

Heres where we were heading - line up yesterday 250 people - at 0730 Sunday - us!

got plain and roasted shallot shmear

they were boiling their bagels in huge rondeaus on top of giant induction hobs - got buddy to take a pic for us

Edited November 10 by Kerry Beal (log)

Kerry Beal · November 10

6 minutes ago, Chocolot said:

Are you going to go to SWMS?

Likely!

Kerry Beal · November 10

Krispy Cream Times Square

Kerry Beal · November 10

Second breakfast at Salswee

Spinach danish for me, ham, chicken and cheese croissants for @alleguede and mushroom and suisse cheese for B

Edited November 10 by Kerry Beal (log)

Kerry Beal · November 10

Over to Brooklyn to Kerekes/Bakedeco

Kerry Beal · November 11

Here's what we picked up at Kereke's - almost all from the bargain bin - one shredding blade for a robot coupe, parts for two rolling cutters, a really big bench cutter, some little card holders that can be stuck in product to identify what it is, and two books for a few bucks a piece.

Kerry Beal · November 11

So carrying all the stuff from Kereke's (as well as the bagels from this morning, and some italian cookies we had picked up) - we headed off to Staten Island for late lunch.

Saw lots of these fresh fruit vendors after hours last night and there were a number at the ferry terminal - and churros vendors as well.

Enoteca Maria is a restaurant that has been open since 2007 - initially only italian nonnas cooked there - then it expanded to include nonnas from other countries.

Some focaccia and giardiniera to start

Lasagna

Oxana from the Ukraine made us these Deruny - grated potato with onion, eggs, flour and herbs with a mushroom sauce. Might have been my favourite of all the dishes.

Japanese nonna Yumi made chicken yakitori and miso eggplant.

And shared what they were calling basque cheesecake - seemed awfully light in colour to us.

Edited November 11 by Kerry Beal (log)

Kerry Beal · November 11

We had planned to head out this evening and have dessert for dinner - but @Alleguede is snoring and we are pretty tired - so B and I broke into the cookies and called it a day.

weinoo · November 11

The most decent Kouign Amman I've had here in the city is from Pain d'Avignon, at Essex Market.

Never wait on line for bagels! Which you probably didn't...at 7:30 AM yesterday. My more liked bagel places (in Manhattan) are Utopia Bagels, with a new branch at 34th and Lex, and Bagel Bob's, kind of in @KennethT's 'hood (University and 10th).

The new hipster bakery is down in my neighborhood...Elbow Bread...but, tbh, it doesn't move me. When I'm looking for what I feel is the best baguette in town, and some other French goodies, I head to Le Fournil, on 2nd Avenue and 7th St.

Los Taco's #1 is a place we hit often when over in that part of town...but even better is its sister restaurant right next door, Los Mariscos #1, where they even make good margaritas!

Kerry Beal · November 12

So today we headed out to Hicksville on Long Island to visit Empire Equipment to get some information on more effective use of the Mimac depositor we bought a bunch of years ago

breakfast on the train - bagels from yesterday

these are additional depositing heads - we came home with one with large brass holes for depositing heavier cookies.

Back at Penn Station we got a quick bite - pickle icecream, fried pickles and these large slabs of dough they were calling biscuits.

Edited November 12 by Kerry Beal (log)

Kerry Beal · November 12

On the long complex way out to dinner - @Alleguede needed some ice cream - so we stopped at Carvel

A little something for each of us for the long walk.

Kerry Beal · November 12

A little further walking around to get to Trader Joes.

We ran across these sights

MetsFan5 · November 12

Carvel is my childhood ice cream. I’d get the 0’Cookie Puss as my birthday is st Patrick’s day

Kerry Beal · November 12

So after a bit more walking - 19,226 steps today (most of them stairs I'm sure) - we arrived in Brooklyn. Doesn't look the same as last time I was there.