The New York Chocolate Show will be held this weekend from Friday, November 10 to Sunday, November 12, 2006. This show is a chocolate lover’s paradise. Free samples from the best chocolatiers, demonstrations from top chefs and all of the books, magazines and tools related to chocolate that you can find. There’s only one problem, almost everyone in New York loves chocolate. The show is great, but I am still torn on whether it is worth spending the $25 admission and calories to attend the show with mobs of sample-seeking New Yorkers. This show can get very crowded, and it becomes difficult to see the people actually standing behind the booths. There are just arms sticking through the crowd, trying to get to the sample bowl! Hopefully the crowd will be properly managed and the show will allow everyone to get a look at the exhibitors. I am interested in visiting a few companies I’ve had my eye on, like Sweet Bliss and Tribeca Treats. Knowing my love of chocolate, I won’t be able to stay away from this one.
2006
9th Annual New York Chocolate Show
2006
Special Sale
The Amai 24-Cookie Tea Sweets gift box will be on sale at a special price this Wednesday, November 8. OneGourmetGoodie.com, a new site that specializes in offering gourmet treats at unbeatable prices, will be offering the Tea Sweets gift box for only $25.99, with $2.99 shipping. That is an amazing deal. I have no idea how they can do it, but I am thrilled to be working with them and able to get you Tea Sweets at a great price. The only catch is, the sale runs for one day only. Usually the item offered each day on OneGourmetGoodie.com is a surprise, but Lovescool readers get special notice about this Wednesday’s sale.
2006
AmaiNYC.com Makes its Debut
Amainyc.com is finally a real website, with actual product pictures and content! I am very proud of the new website because it highlights the people that are part of Amai, and showcases what we have been working on for the last several months. All of the product pictures were taken by Keiko of Nordljus, a fellow food blogger I met through Lovescool. She is incredibly talented and I am so happy the internet could connect us. I shipped our cookies and brownies to the UK where Keiko resides, and she sent us back an incredible amount of beautiful photographs. I was in awe. Andrew took the “action photos” of the team, and did the complete design and programming of the site. He put everything together and brought the vision to life. Thank you to you both! The next step will be to add a shopping cart so we can send these sweets directly to you. We’re working on it! Check out the new amainyc.com >
2006
Kyotofu
Kyotofu, a “hip, upscale Japanese dessert bar” will be opening in Hell’s Kitchen this Friday, November 6. I have been waiting for this established Japanese cafe to open its first US branch, and am excited that something so unique will be coming to New York. With reported menu items like Kuromame black bean coffee cake, white chocolate tofu brownies and saffron-sake-pear tartlets, there is certainly nothing else like it in the city. It also promises to use ingredients like Kabocha Squash, lychee, green tea, soy beans and many more traditional Japanese flavors. This list of ingredients is unfamiliar to most Americans, even many world-traveling New Yorkers, and I hope Kyotofu keeps their prices reasonable and presentation simple, encouraging more people to explore their offerings.
The shop will be “sleek and bright”, with white upholstered seating and tables for two. Designed by Hiro Tsuruta, the same architect who deigned Jewel Bako and Momofuku, I expect it to have a modern, yet welcoming feel. I only hope it doesn’t take the the “hip” element too far, keeping the atmosphere more like a cafe than a bar. I look forward to finding out myself this weekend.
Kyotofu
705 Ninth Avenue (between 48th and 49th)
New York, NY 10019
Subway: C/E to 50th Street
Posted by: Kelli Bernard | View 7 Comments
2006
$1 Coffee and Chocolate
Max Brenner’s, a Wonka-like chocolate emporium in Union Square, is now offering a chocolate-covered waffle and coffee for $1.00. I saw a sign for this incredible deal today waving high above the shop, and I entered just in time to take advantage. I ordered the “$1 special” at 11:07 am, and even though the deal officially ends at 11:00 am, the woman at the counter gave it to me anyway. As I ordered she asked if I would like a cappuccino or latte with my waffle. This deal was already too good to be true, and I was shocked to have a choice. I opted for a Cafe au Lait, and, as promised, it came along with a toasted belgian waffle (about 4″ square), drizzled with milk chocolate. The waffle was strangely served on a piece of cardstock paper, not a plate. I felt like I was eating off of the menu. The warm chocolate from the waffle ran off of the paper, but I can’t complain. Afterall, the whole thing only cost $1.08 with tax. That’s cheaper than a coffee cart breakfast.
The staff at Max Brenner’s was unsure how long this deal would last. One waitress said it would end this Friday, October 20, while another said it would run through the end of October. The only thing they were certain of is that the offer ends every day at 11:00am. I certainly didn’t ask if there’s a limit per customer, as I plan to visit as often as possible before this NY deal of the century runs out.
Max Brenner’s - Chocolate by the Bald Man
841 Broadway (near 13th St., on the south side of Union Square)
(212) 388-0030 phone
4/5/6 and N/R/Q subway to Union Square
2006
Cupcakes for Kids
Buying cupcakes next week will make you feel twice as good. From October 16 - 22, select bakeries around the US will donate proceeds from cupcake sales to CancerCare for Kids, a program that provides free, professional services to children and families affected by cancer. This is a fun way to support such a worthy cause. If you buy more than 24 cupcakes you will be entered into a raffle for other great prizes (as if you needed an excuse to buy more than 24 cupcakes). Go out and find a bakery near you, and if there isn’t one, host your own bake sale.
Cupcakes for a Cause
www.cupcakesforacause.org
2006
Dessert Week ‘06: Sweet Melissa
After eating cake, scones, and peanut butter bars at Baked, we needed to work up an appetite for our next stop on the Brooklyn Bakery tour, Sweet Melissa Patisserie. We walked 1.6 miles between the two locations, taking us from the slightly rundown area of Red Hook into the more wealthy and established area of Caroll Gardens. It was a beautiful day, and the walk was a nice way to see the neighborhoods and get a sense of how Brooklyn is connected. Once at Sweet Melissa’s, we were rewarded with plenty of sweets to replenish, and exceed, any calories burned.
2006
Dessert Week ‘06: Baked
Almost a month ago I set out to discover new bakeries in New York City. It took me awhile, but I was finally able to visit several great places that I hadn’t been to before. I started my journey in Brooklyn, where the number of bakeries is starting to rival Manhattan’s. Since I rarely get out of the kitchen, let alone Manhattan, I decided to dedicate an entire day to one walkable area in Brooklyn (it’s a big borough!), visiting as many places as possible. Brooklyn bakeries on my list included Baked, Sweet Melissa, One Girl Cookies, Chocolate Room and Cheeks. Two Amai bakers, Lara and Elisabeth, and Andrew joined me on the tour. We were hungry, we were committed, and we were crazy to think we could handle more than three places in one day.
The retro-style bakery, Baked, was the starting point for our tour. I have been reading about Baked for years, but have never found myself in the Red Hook neighborhood where it is located. Getting to Baked from Harlem, where I live, is no easy feat. We rode the #2 train for an hour, transferred to the G subway line, and exited at the Smith/9 stop. If you haven’t been to the Smith/9 subway station before, it has a great view of Manhattan and is worth taking a minute to enjoy. Outside of the subway stop, we hopped on the B77 bus which took us on another 10 minute ride to Baked.
2006
Dessert Week ‘06
Within one New York City block, or even one small park, a million different worlds exist. Depending on what your interests are, who you know and (possibly) how much money you have, your experience in New York will be quite different. You never know who you’ll run into or what you will find.
2006
Amai on the Radio
Anne Haigh of the Pittsburgh Tribune Review picked Tea Sweets from Amai as a “standout product” from the Summer Fancy Food Show in New York City. Ms. Haigh writes:
“Tea Sweets, by Amai Tea & Bake House (www.amainyc.com). Made with wholesome, natural ingredients (tea leaves and spices), adventurous flavors (lemongrass & ginger, Earl Grey & currant) and thoughtful design (individual shapes identifying flavors), the cake-like cookies are meant to enhance the tea drinking experience. A second product, Botanical Brownies, is made with dark chocolate and exotic fruits (lychee, mandarin, cherry blossoms).”
