Lady M

Lady M is a cake boutique located on the Upper East Side just in the middle of designer stores and renowned museums. So it’s a must visit if you are around that area. The ambient is clean and modern; it reminds of a jewelry store where the cakes are displayed like precious pieces of art. Their signature cake, the Mille Crêpe Cake, is made with more than 20 hand-made crêpes layered with a light and creamy custard, delicate and marvelous. Each season, they have a special version with different ingredients like coconut, chocolate or chestnut. They also serve sandwiches, salads and a good variety of teas and coffee.

Lady M

41 East 78th Street

212-452-2222

www.ladymconfections.com

Back to the beginning: Magnolia Bakery’s Story

The most celebrated cupcakes in the city were born in 1996 at Bleecker Street. Magnolia's bakery was opened to offer breads and rolls, but owners changed their minds when they realized that the space was far too small for that and began to make cakes instead. The batch of the cakes became their famous cupcakes, now made in different colors and flavors. Originally the store was open from 8 to 6, but it's open hours had to be adjusted, since cakes where made at night when the store was closed and people would pass by and beg for cupcakes. The lines got bigger and bigger as the shop was featured in Sex and The City and the film The Devil Wears Prada.
In 2000 co-owner Jennifer Appel parted ways with partner Allysa Torey and opened Buttercup Bake Shop, which now has two stores in the city. Later on Magnolia was sold to Steve and Tyra Abrams. Nowadays, both locations (Midtown and Downtown) gather large lines, with customers eager to taste their sweet treats.

Magnolia Bakery
401 Bleecker Street
200 Columbus Avenue
1240 Avenue of the Americas
http://www.magnoliacupcakes.com

Butter Cup Bake Shop
973 2nd Avenue(Between 51st and 52nd Streets)141 West 72nd Street(Between Amsterdam and Columbus)
http://www.buttercupbakeshop.com

Minetta Tavern

Keith McNally, who has brought Balthazar, Pastis and Morandi to life, succeeds yet again in his new venture, Minetta Tavern. This fully restored mix of tavern/restaurant was opened this spring. If you are not a model, make reservations; otherwise the bouncer (yes there is a bouncer) will not let you in. The menu is not too extensive, but offers good options, like the lobster salad, bone marrow and a succulent veal chop. Of course, if you look at the dessert menu first (just like us), try the Soufflé, Grand Marnier or Chocolate, both are delicious. It is definitely a place to see and to be seen, but the good food is not forgotten.

Minetta Tavern
113 MacDougal Street
212-475-3850
www.minettatavernny.com

Recession Free Sweets

These tough times are no excuse to stop indulging yourself, family and friends with special delicacies. You can save a lot by doing it yourself at home. All you need is a good pastry cookbook and a little professional equipment. First, buy the bible: Desserts by Pierre Hermé and choose your preferred sweets to bake (making sure you start with the ones with low level of difficulty if you are a beginner). Then run to NYC’s amazing stores such as New York Cake and Baking Distributors, Williams-Sonoma and Broadway Panhandler to buy different shapes of cake pans, baking cups and everything else you need to bake a truly professional dessert!
New York Cake and Baking Distributors
56 W 22nd St
Broadway Panhandler
65, East 8th Street New York NY
http://www.broadwaypanhandler.com
Williams-Sonoma
http://www.williams-sonoma.com

wd~50

Back to chemistry class! This was how I felt dining at wd~50. The awarded chef Wylie Dufresne applies his cutting edge culinary techniques playing with ingredients textures and flavors. So many dishes to describe, that I am going to pick the favorites of the table. The famous reinterpretation of Eggs Benedict, where the yolk is cooked very slowly to intensify the color and taste and the hollandaise sauce is frozen in cubes, breaded in English muffins and then deep-fried, resulting in a extraordinary experience. At the end, we had a tasting of three desserts where the winner was the soft chocolate cylinders with peppermint ice cream and coconut foam. A good tip now is the Bacchus Bail Out, 50% off every bottle of wine when having a tasting menu.

50 Clinton Street
(212) 477-2900
http://www.wd-50.com