Pineapple upside down muffin

Look at that nice big slice of pineapple on top.

But don't forget to check the bottom.

I keep dreaming about this beauty from Grey Dog.

242 West 16th Street

New pastries to dream about

Six months after Philippe Conticini opened his exquisite and inspiring Patisserie des Reves in the posh seventh arrondisement, there’s a new kid on the block. Two, actually.

Hugo & Victor, a mere two-weeks old, was opened by Guy Savoy alum, Hugues Pouget, and Sylvain Blanc. And while Conticini’s conceit of displaying his modern-twist-on-the-classics cakes and pastries under glass domes was a PR dream, expect no less at this swanky new patisserie.

With its deep blue and gold facade, the storefront appears very contemporary and British, with clean, well-lit displays of chocolate, macarons and raw ingredients. I literally stopped in my tracks when I saw it. The treats inside are equally mesmerizing.


On one wall, desserts made with seasonal ingredients—pineapple, litchi, blood orange—are displayed. On another, the classics: chocolate, vanilla, caramel. With both, the raw ingredients are loaded up in glass cylindrical vases—clever in this day and age where we want to better understand where our food is coming from.

Then the real fun begins. Each ingredient is incorporated in three treats. “Victor” is the traditional character; “Hugo” is more avant-garde. So if you have a hankering for pineapple, you might opt for a classic millefeuille with chunks of pineapple nestled between the creamy layers.

Or you can get a contemporary combination of roasted and diced pineapple jelly with lime zest in a glass. Or you can get the irresistible looking pineapple-flavored bonbons. And, if you want to go all the way with your decadent tendencies, they offer a wine or champagne accompaniment. Genius.

How long before you’re hearing about Hugo & Victor everywhere you turn? Start counting sheep backwards. It will be before you reach…

40, boulevard Raspail 7eme

A pop-up sweet stop

Bon Appetit is running with the pop-up shop trend. Since last week, and through Friday, they're hosting a "Supper Club and Café" on 57th Street where you can park it at a communal table (or loungey seat) and nosh a $9 Charlie Trotter salad or $8 Batali sandwich, all the while watching, say, Cat Cora do a cooking demo. It's a decent deviation from your everyday routine.

The savory bits looked good but, naturally, I went for the sweets.

They've imported seven desserts from Claudia Fleming (North Fork Table and Inn), Johnny Iuzzini (Jean Georges), Pichet Ong and Francois Payard. I sampled two.

I've never been to Jean George, but I can now lay claim to fandom for Johnny Iuzzini. (For his sweets, not his sexiness.)
His pineapple polenta cake with ginger does that delicious merging of sweet and savory. The firm, spiced cake has marbled caramelized edges and ginger-y pineapple. Beautiful.

Claudia Fleming's triple chocolate brownie cookie ain't so bad either. (How could it be with a name that includes chocolate, brownie and cookie?) Indeed, it's shaped like a cookie, fudgy like a brownie, and three times as chocolaty as it has any business being. It's another heavenly case of throwing in some nuts to balance out the chocolate intensity. Get the recipe here.

221 West 57th near Broadway