Before meeting up with the Hellmann’s team on Sunday, I flew into town a little early to hang out with my sweet blogging buddy Maggy of Three Many Cooks. We treated ourselves to Sunday brunch and as many sweet treats we could fit into one short afternoon!
We started with an appetizer of macarons from Bouchon Bakery. I knew the one thing I had to do this trip was to get back to Bouchon for more macarons! They are a completely life changing experience. The vanilla macaron (front, left) is pretty much the best thing I’ve ever had. Up front here we also have a caramel macaron which is a complete triumph. The chilled buttercream filling totally makes these macarons, and as Maggy describes, it tastes like “sweetened vanilla butter”. Perfection.
They also have a peanut butter and jelly macaron which is just about the cutest thing ever, not to mention completely delicious.
Our next stop was Bar Bouloud for brunch on the Upper West Side, and my first NYC brunch experience.
For a taste of sweet and savory, we split the brioche french toast with pecan butter and a Croque Madame, the ultimate grilled cheese sandwich with ham, gruyére, and a creamy béchamel sauce all topped with a fried egg. Heaven help me.
After we finished up brunch, we headed down to DessertTruck Works. I’ve been wanting to get here for awhile! We met up with the lovely Shaina from Food For My Family (above) and Amber from Blue Bonnet Baker.
We got an assortment of wonderful desserts from this absolutely charming stop! I couldn’t pass up the chance for more macarons. They had so many fun flavors of macarons that we sampled. Here we have s’mores, salted caramel, praline buttercream, and chocolate. Loved these!
Next was the goat cheese cheesecake with rosemary caramel. Talk about heavenly!
And goodness gracious. The chocolate bread pudding with vanilla custard sauce. Incredible. Loved this one.
Now talk about out of this world unreal were the Brioche Donut Squares. One filled with Nutella and the other with vanilla cream, they were made to order and served fresh and hot. Wow. If you are anywhere in Manhattan, DessertTruck Works on Clinton and Houston (that’s HOW-stun, as I learned after having to repeat Houston, as in Houston, we have a problem several times to the cab driver) is an absolute must see. And it’s conveniently located right next door to Clinton Street Baking, who’s got some pretty awesome blueberry pancakes.
After our completely resplendent experience at DessertTruck Works, it was time for Shaina and I to head back to the hotel. We had just a few minutes before dinner, so what did we do? Brush our teeth? Change clothes? Freshen up? Nope. We ran downstairs and located dangerously just next door is the famous Shake Shack for some milkshakes. Naturally. We split the Pretzel Concrete, which was chocolate ice cream, peanut butter, chocolate covered pretzels, swirled with marshmallow cream (ridiculously good) and the Jelly Donut Concrete, which was vanilla ice cream blended with Doughnut Plant donuts and cinnamon sugar.
The next day, after the Bobby Flay event, Shaina and I met back up with Maggy for some shopping at Anthropologie and Chelsea Market.
Couldn’t pass up sharing some of my favorite cupcakes in New York with these two sweet girls! I’ve never, ever gotten a good photo in here, (dreadful lighting) but here’s what we got — Oreo with Toasted Marshmallows, Vanilla Sprinkles, Vanilla with Mocha Buttercream, and Boston cream pie cupcakes from Eleni’s in Chelsea Market.
Our last stop was Central Park – gorgeous in the spring!
When I saw the Wafels & Dinges truck, I knew we had to stop. The liege waffle with speculoos spread and whipped cream is simply wonderful, truly unlike anything else. We also sampled a vanilla ice cream waffle cone smeared with Nutella. Perfection.
Loved every single minute of this trip, thanks so much to Hellmann’s and Unilever for making it possible. Next I’ll show you where we stayed, I’ll give you a hint, it was a corner room on the 16th floor with a gorgeous view.
For another look at our day in NYC, check out Maggy’s sweet post on ThreeManyCooks.com!
Wow. Those desserts look right up my alley! One of my favorite things when on a trip is to eat my way around the city!! Looks like it was a great time!
Sooooooo jealous of all the sweet treats you had in NYC. I love the place, must save up for another trip!
LOVE seeing the fun you had in NYC, really beautiful photos!! Can’t wait to see you next month!
I was in NYC that same weekend! Well, now I know some must-stop spots for next time…
I so enjoy your blog, it’s such fun and it’s like a mini vacation for me. Question?
How do you stay so trim????
Amanda thank you for taking me to New York with you! What an amazing trip. I feel so full ;)
What a wonderful food trip! I am salivating.
So jealous of your get-together, hehe! You all look gorgeous in your photos. Sounds like you had so much fun!!
OH MY GOODNESS! I gained 100lbs just drooling over these pictures~
How are you so skinny? I am so jealous. That food looks so fab, macaroons are my favorite treat, so light and sweet! But seriously, you should do a blog post about how you keep so skinny and fit and still indulge! xx
You take the most amazing food pictures and I’m also very, very hungry now!
Ok, I’m trying not to be jealous of all this food and these trips, but come on! For now I will live vicariously through your pics. Have fun!
you did such a great job photographing the sweet treats and describing them. seriously i gained 5 pounds just reading this post.
thanks for sharing your wonderful experience.
I really want to take a trip with you to NYC and do these dessert dashes you do!
wow, i am jealous! i would die to go to NYC… and to try one of those cupcakes!
Isn’t eating your way through NYC so much fun?! Very intrigued by some of your choices. I may have to check those out!
This would be an awesome place for someone who needs to GAIN weight, like me! Darn it all looks and sounds delicious :)
Okay, so I was even *there* for part of this, and I’m headed back into a sugar coma. Girl, how on EARTH did you consume THAT much sugar in 2 days and not fall to pieces? It was lovely to meet you!
Holy crap! Thats my type if vacaction…. Everything looks delicious. That French toast looks so crispy but fluffy (French toast is my evil addiction). Congrats on meeting Bobby flay! Hope you had a fabulous time in NYC! Pretty jealous!
OMG… this post is crammed full of pretty much every one of my favorite indulgences! I am sooooo very jealous.
And drooling. :-)
I mean – the macarons! Those brioche donut squares! Nutella, goat cheese cheesecake, waffles, cupcakes! I’m gonna pass out!
I picked a GREAT day to start following your blog! This all looks INCREDIBLE!!!
This is just cruelty to a pregnant woman! Hehe, I am drooling on my laptop! You need to come to Tulsa (as in Oklahoma) and find some places that have yummy goodies. I know they won’t be like NYC, but surely there is something here! Oh and btw, I love your blog and your fonts! I’m kinda newish to it all! :)
okay, hold it right now! i’ve been following blog after blog of you tasting the most fabulous desserts and i KNOW they aren’t low fat…how, do tell how, oh how, you stay so SKINNY!! it’s not fair!
You are too kind, Alyssa :) It’s a good thing I don’t live here! :)
Oh I so want to go ….
The food looks amazing..
Amanda where is your pretty top from, the stripy one with the neckline detail..
thanks!
Thanks Clare! It’s from Old Navy :)
Oh, goodness, I but you are still on a sugar high! Good thing you walk a lot in NY, right? :)
looks like a great trip, it’s amazing that you’re able to stay so tiny!
What a wonderful round up post of our time together. I’m still dreaming about the donuts at Dessert Trucks Works and the speculoos sauce – I soooo want to learn to create that myself! So wonderful to see you, please come back soon! xoxo
Wow, what a tasty trip! I think I just gained 5lbs reading your post:) I love the pictures! I need to get to NYC:)
This is the post I’ve been waiting on since seeing you were in NYC! :-) Droool!
What a fun day! Hope your brought your toothbrush :)
Those Bouchon macarons are seriously delicious…some of the best I’ve ever had!
Isn’t NYC fabulous? We were just down there for the day this past Saturday. It was raining and we were so bummed that we couldn’t take our girls to Central Park (it was their first visit to the city). I absolutely LOVE IT in the spring! Can’t wait to go back! TFS!
I should NEVER have read this before going downstairs for my breakfast of cereal and turkey bacon! My mouth is watering after seeing all those goodies. Great photos too!
Ohhhh now I want to run out to get some decadent desserts too ! Everything sounds soooo delicious ! Not good for my diet… :)
Thanks for sharing your gourmet delights from your trip. Loved it.