I had a friend visiting from out of town, we were tired from a day of shopping in mid-town and around Union Square. We needed sustanance to keep us going as we were going out dancing that night. It was too early for dinner but to late for lunch. Coffee wasn't going to cut it. What to do? Oh! I remembered, there's this huge chocolate cafe across from Virgin Records...perhaps this was what we were looking for?
It being the week between Christmas and New Year's, the place was mobbed. I had read about Max Brenner's Chocolate by the Bald Man in the newspaper a while back...and apparently, so had every tourist in Manhattan. While it was crowded inside, the chaos was a bit charming because of the aroma of chocolate. The hostess told us there was a 10 minute wait for a table, so we started to wander around the store part of the cafe for a bit. Only two minutes passed by when she called for us.
The menu was incredible. About 7 or 8 pages of chocolate treats: different types of hot chocolate, chocolate cakes, cookies, ice cream, pie...we, for some reason, opted for probably the most un-indulgent choices: the blueberry muffin and the chocolate cookie. Accompanied by a peach iced tea and coffee.
At $6 each, I was skeptical at first. And the wait between ordering and receiving our food was quite long. For a while there we thought they had forgotten about us.
But when the food arrived, we were astonished. This was the most wonderful looking blueberry muffin and chocolate cookie ever! The muffin was served with a little cup of fresh butter, a little cup of melted chocolate and some mixed berries. The cookie was chocolate-chocolate chip. It was served with the berries and melted chocolate too, along with a cup of creme fraiche. The plate was dusted with confectionary sugar. While the cookie wasn't as chewy as I would have hoped, it was a lot of fun to dunk it in the melted chocolate. The berries and creme served as a wonderful side. The muffin was perfectly buttery and my friend enjoyed it quite a bit. The coffee was bold, but not burnt. And the ice tea was served in a ceramic tall glass with a metal straw. Very cool.
Looking around, the fondue seemed to be popular, along with cake and brownies.
In short, Not-New-Yorkers: you probably won't like the crowd and ambiance, but if you're in a pinch for sweets and chocolate, it's worth the six bucks. And if you have a guest from out of town - this is a great place to take them! My guest was impressed with the fun and innovative decor and the lively atmosphere.
Max Brenner: Chocolate by the Bald Man
841 Broadway, at 13th St.
212-388-0030
http://www.maxbrenner.com/home.aspx
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