Dessert Offerings of 2015

In addition to the annual list of readers you know it’s also time for the annual list of desserts I had, the good, the bad, the ugly. And it seems fitting to post it on my birthday! Yay sweets! As you know I like to keep it honest. Life is too short for bad books and bad desserts.

Sweet Buttons Desserts – This place has been around for about 3 years in the Lower East Side. It’s in walking distances from Sugar Sweet Sunshine and they specialize in small treats. Passionfruit is one of my fave items on dessert and when done well in a tart it can be refreshing and perfect. Sweet Button’s had a great gelatin filling and thick buttery crust with meringue on top that was delectable and worth a winter splurge. I loved it big time. In fact I owe that place a visit.

Joyce Bakeshop – I partook in the strawberry croissant which was disappointing because it’s simply a croissant with strawberry preserves inside. However, the croissant itself was fantastic! Reminds you of what a good, homemade one tastes like versus the packaged ones you buy at the store. I can never go back to those. In addition I got a banana, nutella handpie which was meh. This may have been tastier warm and the pie crust was flaky yet had no distinctive flavor or sweetness. Too much nutella and not enough banana. Usually this combo is a great mix in a crepe. Upside the handpie was a solid size for the price.

Balthazar – They regularly deliver pastries there to one of my favorite tea houses in NYC, Serengeti Tea. The croissants are addictive and what a good French croissant should be. Buttery as heck, a slight sweetness, flaky like a friend of yours who always cancels last minute, and simply good. I stuff my mouth with it and a good Ethiopian chai as a treat to myself in winter. It’s one of the best things about winter. The canelle is a French mini bundt cake that is extra baked outside. With the alcohol inside (rum I believe) it gives it an almost chocolatey taste but is super soft inside.

Make My Cake – The oatmeal raisin cookie was what I got though I took out many raisins because raisins are not my thing. Of the cookies I purchased the oatmeal raisin was the best cookie of the bunch. Their coconut pecan one was hard and nondistinct, neither was another cookie I had. It may have been white chocolate macadamia nut. See? Not memorable. MMC is supposedly known for the cake so get that rather than the cookies. Though the cookies are cheap at 75 cents each if you’re on Frederick Douglass and tight on cash.

Levain Bakery – Their cookies are expensive but worth the price and walk to Levain over Make My Cake. I had the raspberry bomboloncini (Italian for ‘small donut’) twice. This is an Italian doughnut filled with raspberry preserves and covered in powdered sugar so it's a sugary mess. The first time I had it it was a treat, the second time it was a dry, hard mess that I threw out. It’s cheaper than other doughnuts at a $2.25 pricetag. So on a good day try it but on a bad one skip. Additionally I tried Levain’s cinnamon sugar brioche. Okay, not sweet as I was told and okay next day but something I wouldn't buy again. Their breads (banana, pumpkin) and cookies are the real draw. Though their signature walnut chocolate chip cookie seemed way undercooked when I had it again.

Londel’s – Noticing a trend in terms of Harlem eats? This is a restaurant where I had the peach cobbler during the AALBC party during BEA week. Fantastic crust. Fresh peaches (not canned) in a ramekin and I wanted more of this cinnamony syrupy goodness. To me, peach cobbler is only worth eating with fresh peaches, which is why I usually eat them, when offered, in spring/summer.

Little Cupcake Bake Shop – A worthwhile carrot cake cupcake! Thing is their buttercream icing is very buttery so overly sweet and stiff. Also had the vegan mango cupcake which was fantastic and had a passionfruit filling. This vegan dessert could compete with everything else I’ve had in it being super solid. Do not let the word ‘vegan’ scare you! As with the carrot cake the mango icing was very sweet but the cake was so good and moist that all this along with the passion fruit filling hit the spot. Loved! Great summery cupcake.

Nunu Chocolates - Handmade chocolates in Brooklyn. They were fine, however I wasn’t a huge fan of the ganache assortments. You can't choose what you'll get in a variety pack so you may be disappointed. A bit too sweet for some of the ganaches paired with the dark chocolate candy exterior.

Jam Jar (Pie or Cake) – I really wanted to like this. The packaging and design were so spot on as is the idea of dessert in a jar. It’s a big “thing” now. This is a small vendor who was at Smorgasburg over the summer. I chose the Flea Nut "pie." While her packaging is fantastic, colorful, vibrant, easy to read from afar, the Flea Nut was not. The brownie was too fudgy (read undercooked) for me and the chocolate was subpar, way too sweet, sweeter than anything I've ever had really, which makes me think it wasn’t fine chocolate but some cheap variety that’s more sugar than cocoa. The texture of the cake was the same as the peanut butter on top making it super heavy to eat. So basically this was a fudgy brownie with peanut butter (which was good) on top and chocolate chips. Just too too rich and not a good balance. Perhaps her other pie/cake flavors work better but this one was not made with great ingredients and perhaps much of the money went into the packaging rather than the execution.

4&20 Blackbird – Tasted their caramel apple pie which was very, very good. Been awhile since I had a pie without a crumb topping that I enjoyed as much. I really need to get more of 4&20’s stuff, their menu is often filled with things I’d love. Why are they not in Queens?

Dessert Club ChiKaLicious – I tried their vanilla bean mille crepe cake which was fine. It’s half the price of Lady M's but a bit rich in the homemade vanilla bean cream which is delicious though a mille crepe cake shouldn't have the cream oozing out of it so much. The vanilla bean comes out well in the delicate whipped deliciousness of the cream. This cream is also used in the Dough'ssant which is supposedly a take on the Cronut. I didn't find that the croissant was too doughnut-like beyond the shape. I had the salted caramel and I think the salted caramel topping (which was a lot) overwhelmed the core taste of the croissant. It is filled (in the bottom) with the same vanilla bean cream and tastes delicious but again the salted caramel was overflowing on this one. I'd like to try the others on site and see how they compare as the croissant's texture was a fantastic flaky one.

Amy's Bread – I bought the lime cornmeal cookie. It was fine. And by fine I add a slight attitude to that. “How are you doing, Jenn?” “Fine.” My money could’ve gone to their coconut bar which is awesome. The cookie has lime zest that somewhat comes through and that’s one of the few shining things about that cookie that I can remember.

Butter & Scotch – As much as I love everything that comes out of this place the orange bun is okay. It’s a bit too orangey for my taste and not enough caramel evenly distributed, plus the pastry was a tad dry. Conversely, the key lime pie is the friggin' BEST! As always the pies come through big time in this place and even when sharing the key lime with friends they attested it was one of the best things they ever tasted.

La Gran Via Bakery – During the Sunset Taco crawl I bought their black & white cake. This was a mistake as it’s nothing special and reminded me of box cake (not to hate on box cake which can be quite tasty). This was a chocolate and yellow layer cake with "mousse" in between that didn't taste too mousse like but that may have been because it was out in the heat. Nothing special to write home about. If you want a cake fix this is affordable and a good portion but I'd save the calories for something more delicious.

Georgetown Cupcakes - Key lime cupcake. (I do like my citrus.) Solid cupcake and I see why people like it. Not the best of the best but this seems to be one of those touristy spots just like Magnolia. I’d visit Georgetown again (except for the annoying clientele of tourists, hipsters, teens, cash-laden types who push and shove to get through). Also the overall vibe is that of a cast of the CW rather than an NYC bakery. Anywho, cupcake was soft and had the necessary hint of lime in the cupcake, not hidden but there and not overly subtle. The cream was soft and not a mountain of it on the cupcake so a good balance and yes the lime was there too! A good size and $3 isn't a bad price tag.

Baked – They have a new Tribeca location! If I still worked there this’d be very dangerous. First up, the peanut butter milk chocolate chip cookie which wasn't as good as I thought it would be. Not bad but not sweet enough and I think they may have used some all natural/organic PB that took away from the peanut butter taste and was more like a peanut cookie with a lot of dark choco chips in it. Good chewy texture but not a fan. And its way too big considering. Also got zucchini nut bread which was solid! Next was the pumpkin muffin because pumpkin. Also good stuff! Super moist inside. Would buy that ten times over with their zucchini bread or any of their breads! Had a key lime bar that was perfection. Light and creamy and very citrusy in taste. Some of their other items are actually gaining steam over their brownies!

Macaron Parlour – Noticing a trend with this being an annual staple? I had the carrot cake macaron with cream cheese filling and holy crap it's just like a carrot cake. They did it again! Also had the candied bacon one with maple cream icing which was okay. The bacon overwhelmed the flavor of the macaron which I believe was caramel.

Craftsman & Wolves - During my San Francisco visit and Jackie suggested it. This place has a lot of fancy fare happening but I played it safe (and to be honest by the time I got their most of their stuff was sold out) and got a brownie with caramel and salted almonds that was a good size. Brownie was split in half and caramel & almonds a thin layer. Very good and not too chocolatey. I’m eager to see if I can try more from them my next time in San Francisco this year.

Dandelion Chocolate – Also in San Francisco. When I saw it I knew I had to try it and so I did it: the brownie bite flight. This was a solid life choice. My fave of the three was the Guatemalan one with notes of chocolate cookies. Since Dandelion is artisan made on the spot chocolate from various regions' cacao the chocolate was intense, not too much but definitely unique to each brownie in the flight and made you take notice. Second favorite was the middle one from Papau New Guinea and least (but good after tasting it more) was the last from Madagascar with dried cherry notes that hit you fast and settled down the more you let the chocolate linger. Super good. Their cinnamon chocolate roll with cocoa nibs not as much a life changer. There was no taste to the pastry, all I could taste was the cocoa nibs and even the cinnamon sugar gets lost. The pastry was a fine texture but again nothing stood out about the taste of it so I could barely remember this one. They also make their marshmallows on site and that was good stuff. Pure vanilla taste and I know this would go great in their homemade hot chocolate.

Psycho Donuts – Since I was in a doughnut mood and in San Jose I found the closest shop. The options were vast but I went with the Marla and also the Drunkin' Punkin'. Like a friend said if a place has that much on top of the donuts they may be overcompensating for something. The Marla was a fine yeast donut with no filling that had butterfinger crumble on top and a peanut butter drizzle. Not at all dry and combined some of my fave things. But the donut itself would have no discernable taste without the toppings. The Drunkin' Punkin' was a sad case. A cake donut that had NO pumpkin but pumpkin spices and really it tasted mainly of cinnamon not the pumpkin spice combo, sadly. It was dry-ish and the cream cheese icing on top hardened with a bourbon drizzle and pecans. Again if it weren't for the topping nothing would stand out and as a donut it's not at all enticing for pumpkin lovers. Super nice staff but they do not make their donuts onsite, they get shipped from elsewhere. Not the best donut game at all.

Spot Dessert Bar - Had the Kabocha Brulee cake. A warm caramelized pumpkin cake with cookie crumble and condensed milk ice cream. I ate this during BinderCon and by the time I got to it the ice cream was soup but tasty soup! I drizzled it over the pumpkin cake and it was delish so a necessary addition to the overall dessert. A flat and blech sugar cookie came with as decoration which you can forgo but the pumpkin cake has all the flavors of ACTUAL pumpkin (not just pumpkin spice) so that you can enjoy this dessert being filling but not overwhelming and having a firm custard delicacy to it. So far I have very much enjoyed Dessert Bar's desserts and those with Asian flair as well. I need to go there more often!

If I did a Cupcake/Dessert Crawl in NYC, this is how it'd go...

Back in May I wrote about a cupcake crawl my friend Kim and I went on that was ... lackluster, let me be honest, it was lackluster. I kind of had a field day on Twitter in October when people keep suggesting Magnolia Bakery in terms of the must go to bakery in NYC. As in this is the "must" bakery to get for friends outside of the city. It has the "best' cupcakes. That is when I shook my head and tsk tsk tsk'd, my friends. There is so much more to NYC than Magnolia, but thanks for that Sex in the City. 

I'm not saying Magnolia is bad. Food, like art, is a subjective thing. What I am saying is that there's a whole lot out there, especially in a place as large and populous as NYC. So I'd suggest broadening your horizons in terms of the cupcake offerings here and what you may have heard is the "best" when in fact there are hidden gems throughout NYC. Many I have yet to try myself and many I have had the pleasure of consuming. So, if I did a cupcake/dessert crawl here's where I'd lead my group. And also, you're welcome.

• First Stop: Silk Cakes (Queens, LES): I adore the Asian-inspired cupcakes and delectables offered at this bakery. The yuzu cupcake with green tea truffle and smooth as silk (see what I did there?) icing is my favorite thing there along with the new limited edition pumpkin roll and their variety of milk cakes. It's such a treat to have them available in Queens.
• Next up, Fay Da Bakery (Queens, Chinatown): I'm a fan of sponge cakes, there's a pillow-like quality to them that is really good but also pretty dangerous because it means you can consume them like crazy. Fay Da offers not only cupcakes, but cake rolls, strawberry shortcake with whipped cream, and some savory items as well as every day bread along with tea. They're a solid chain and you can rest up, eat up, and simply relax.
• After that is, Sugar Sweet Sunshine (LES): They have the pumpkin cupcake year-round so that was my biggest positive with Triple S. But there's also the friendly staff, the steady good taste of their cupcakes, along with their offering of puddings and trifles that adds to the sugar overload. And perhaps because it's a one -off with no other locations makes it even more of a treat because you know there's only one Triple S.
• And then, Lady M Confections (UES, Midtown West): This is the high-roller stop for some light and creamy crepe cake! This is also the place to feel pretty darn fancy whilst hoarding your dollars to have cake and drink tea with a pinky up.
• Penultimate stop, Ivy Bakery (now available at Root Hill Cafe in Brooklyn): Cupcakes, scones, and butter gooies? Yes, please. Daniellan's homemade goods have a new home in Brooklyn, which is great because I missed her SoHo location. So now there's a sit-down place to get your cupcakes and gooies and some coffee in a warm spot this winter and beyond.
• All aboard, last stop! Butter & Scotch (Brooklyn): I'm so glad Allison and Keavy are opening up their dessert/cocktail location next year. I can get my alcohol and my pies in one spot. Fantastic! I'm sure the spot, once open to the public, will be a cool, comfortable place for you to enjoy your sweets and lounge around over drinks post-dinner, lunch, or just cause.

So there you have it. Some you may have heard of, some not. But all are delicious and this is from a name you can trust. :-)

Village Voice's @ChoiceEats 2014

Once again the Village Voice held one of the biggest vendor events on a really blustery "spring" evening this past Tuesday. The new venue for Choice Eats was Pier 36 on South Street right next to the water. If you were waiting outside you were hit with all kinds of cold winds coming right off the Hudson. But what would keep you warm, or at least hopeful, was knowing that soon, soon, you would be immersed in a smorgasbord of vendors for savory and sweet treats as well as a variety of alcohol (beer, liquors, and wine). One of my first impressions upon entering the building was how much bigger Pier 36 was and how welcoming it felt. The dull colored carpeting and the expansive space allowed for more movement among the several hundred people in attendance. Much more so than the Armory in the Flat Iron District in years prior. This does not mean it didn't get packed, however. By 8pm it was hard to get through sections or view what vendors were doling out because lines extended past one booth and merged with others for booths parallel to the one you may have been interested in in the first place.

What's great about Choice Eats is it allows for attendees to sample items from new or established eateries around NYC. Ones you may not have known existed. Places from Queens, Brooklyn, and all over Manhattan had large display signs in yellow with red type advertising their dish(es) and people with smiling faces trying to feed the masses as quickly as they could.

If you purchased general admission you got in at 7pm. If you opted to go for VIP status you got in at 6pm, got to sample vendors food without the larger crowd, got a goody bag, and a private lounge to sit in. Again this one was swankier than at the Armory. Whereas the Armory's lounge was downstairs away from the bustle Pier 36's was above the bustle so you could still survey the scene and not feel left out.

For me, this year was a bit hit and miss. Many dishes I wasn't a fan of or were too salty or too spicy taking away from actual taste of the dish for me. But, one of my favorite new finds was the first table my friend Joy and I hit, Cafe Glechik.

Cafe Glechik had the largest portions and were well stocked--even at 8:45 (the event ends at 9pm) they had a whole sheet of Napoleon Cake as well as many blinis and dumplings available whereas many places had run out and bolted. The blini is essentially meat in a crepe and then fried on either side to get that nice warm taste inside. It was well seasoned and not at all spicy. The Napoleon Cake was other-worldly and my favorite dessert. Several layers of phyllo dough with light vanilla creme between each layer was delicious. The only downside was the portions were so huge I couldn't finish. I did see some people bring Tupperware so perhaps that's an idea if you can't sample it all in one day; try and take what may be reheatable home. Just a thought.

Other standouts were Bien Cut's apricot danish. A croissant with apricot cream filling. Fantastic and light, they ran out of it fast. Bien Cut also had corn biscuits with a sweet puree on top that had a nice organic taste to it not like your boxed, run-of-the-mill cornmeal but something much more of the earth. Bien Cut's items were perfectly bite size and lovely to look at.

Other items I did like was the array of soul food proteins and sides from Charles' Country Pan Fried Chicken. They had a nice small plate of down home cooking that included candied yams, collard greens, cornbread, fried chicken wings or baked chicken bits, rib tips, and mac n' cheese. This was one of the longer lines as they had the most offerings. In fact if you visited more of the ethnic fare like Ethiopian or Indian eateries they may have had several items, and ultimately served attendees buffet style rather than focusing on one standout dish. This choice can be good or bad for the vendor but at least more items gives a broader sense of what's available.

There were also old faves like Fay Da Bakery. I love the lightness of their sponge cakes, the fact that they have honey tea and bubble tea, and also their egg custard tarts all in small sizes but in large quantities. And the people at the Fay Da booth are friendly every year.

There was also chocolatey goodness of a chocolate chip cookie with a layer of caramel and a layer of chocolate from Robicelli's. Liddabit Sweets served chocolate caramel bonbons with pistachio and salt atop. Butter & Scotch had their Dark & Stormy flavored popcorn that has been gaining speed since they debuted it last year at the food fairs. And there was La Newyorkina whose line was ridiculous by night's end once people diverted from the savory and sought to fulfill their sweet tooth. One day I shall have Newyorkina. It will happen.

What makes Choice Eats great is the variety, going with friends, enjoying food and some alcohol and learning of new places to dine. The vendors are eager to get their name out there and you're looking to eat/drink so it's a win-win situation really. What I would point out is that this is not necessarily a vegan-friendly or gluten-free (GF) friendly event. Many items are meat and do have dairy. As my friend Joy said at one point, "I'm filled with meat." Vegetarians may fair okay, especially in the dessert realm, but if you're vegan or lactose or GF there may be very slim pickins for you here. As is there were several ice cream vendors and many of the cakes, including Fay Da's and Cafe Glechik's had cream. Vendors don't readily advertise what they'll be giving out beforehand, but for the most part there'll be good eats if you're ready to throw down and get in as much as there is to offer.

Tickets for Choice Eat's sister event Choice Streets will be going on sale on April 2nd. And tickets for Choice Eats tend to go on sale in January.

Kickstarter Home Stretch for @DrunkBakers: Pie, Cupcakes, Cocktails 7 Days a Week

Kickstarter is all the rage these days. We can fund shows, movies, publications, and the list keeps growing. Well, I support this latest venture by Allison Kave & Keavy Blueher of Butter & Scotch.

Allison was one of the first baking interviews I did and I'm a HUGE fan, as you know, of her pies. S'mores, apple, peanut butter pretzel, candy apple, strawberry basil, all of it goodness in dessert-form. And I've been introduced more to the desserts they've collaborated on (like the sticky toffee trifle) and the diversity of Keavy's mini cupcakes. So, what is this Kickstarter for? A storefront in Brooklyn!

Admittedly, my selfishness would love for them to open a store in Queens but hey dessert and cocktails on the regular? That's right. If you ordered Allison's pies or Keavy's cupcakes online you won't have to anymore. No more waiting for food fairs to spring up in warm climate or for fancy events where they are like Village Voice's Choice Eats. You'll be able to acquire these treats regularly.

Both ladies have built their businesses from being available for those in-the-know to their confections becoming signature desserts in NYC. How can you not have had the hot chocolate pie or the maple bacon cupcakes? And you haven't tried the pie shake?!? [fanning myself] Y'alls need to rectify that ASAP.

The money from this Kickstarter will pay for the essentials like equipment for one as they seek to create Brooklyn's first dessert & cocktail bar. (They need an oven to make more cupcakes!)

Allison & Keavy have been getting lots of great press, Butter & Scotch has already been named as having one of the Best Desserts of 2013 by the Village Voice. They're well known in the food community and are just super nice and generous ladies. Love 'em. I really hope to see the $50,000 fulfilled within the 8 days left on the Kickstarter as of this post, so everything can come full circle for them. You can claim some fantastically cute and/or tasty items based on the donation amount.

Whether one person reads this post and donates or 100 do every bit really does help and the more word spread the better in these last days. Need I remind you about Kickstarter? If you don't get the pledged amount you get nada, so let's bulk up those numbers! I mean in all honest who does not like pie or cupcakes or cocktails or popcorn (yes, they do popcorn too!) cool portraits in crayon or all of the above?

The Village Voice Sixth Annual Tasting Event: @ChoiceEats!

Tuesday, March 19th was a day of consumption. Choice Eats was upon us once again and I was prepared, or so I thought. I didn't eat carbs all day in preparation for the amount of goods that'd be available. Last year was a flavor explosion in every sense from savory to sweet to alcoholic and this year was no different. A portion of the proceeds earned from Choice Eats goes to the non-profit company Slow Food NYC which aims to "counteract the culture of fast food" by promoting local traditions in terms of food prep and eating.

Choice Eats is the opportunity for vendors in NYC to showcase some of their signature dishes to hundreds of people. Held at the 69th Regiment Armory it doesn't quite seem large enough to contain all the food lovers ready to mangia, but it does.

Last year at Choice Eats I didn't know where to start and felt I needed to eat everything on site. This wasn't too different, but my friends and I (the same gals who I attended it with last year) just sauntered and stopped where the lines were pretty short and the dishes displayed on the banners behind an establishment's stands intrigued us. (This year we had foldable trays which were increasingly handy to balance a few items rather than doing one at a time.) The gals and I were only through the first of three rows when our stomachs started to protrude and push against our belts. But we pushed on.

General admission for Choice Eats is $50 and you can get VIP status for about $30 more. VIP status grants you early access, some nice goodies and a cool totes, and a lounge. It may be worth the costs for some but you'll definitely eat your fill at the general admission price and then some.

What I love about Choice Eats is the variety and finding new cool finds I didn't know about in NYC. There's Asian, Asian fusion, Yemeni dishes, dim sum, seafood, vegetarian, vegan dishes, desserts, and wine, vodka, and beer. Beer, beer, and more beer. I have to say that there seemed to be more varieties of alcohol available this year than there had been in 2012. I got to sample vodka with cucumber essence (very refreshing) and a nice rose wine from Heritage Link Brands, a wine importer from Africa.

Some of my fave dishes that I sampled were the portobello mushroom ravioli with parmesan from Max Tribeca. It was creamy and light and had a hint of truffle oil. The double broccoli/cheese taco from No. 7 included feta and a nice mash of broccoli and cheese in a hard and soft tortilla, definitely hit the umami spot. There was also the perfectly tender brisket with a side of collard greens from Mable's Smokehouse that was a great treat getting towards the end of the first row. We passed ceviche and bouef borginon and a whole roasted pig from Kuma Inn and Jimmy's No. 43 had a smokey pork dish also. Spicy Bampa had not too spicy cold sesame noodles. There was a lamb and goat cheese puff pastry that mixed the sweet and savory in decadent form from Kaia Wine Bar. After savoring as much as we thought we could take we passed by the dessert aisle to find Yemen Café! I had visited their storefront with Ramen & Friends a few years ago and have been hooked by Yemeni food (and especially Yemeni tea) ever since. Their basmati rice and lamb were flavorful and the lamb fell of the bone!

Highlighted desserts were from one of my favorite Asian bakeries Fay Da Bakery that had egg custard and strawberry shortcake as well as bubble tea. If you've had cake from a Chinese bakery you know how light the sponge cake is that you feel you can eat pounds of it rather than slices. This was the perfect strawberry shortcake for me, not dense, just fluffy. Also available were Carlo's Bakery that had a great red velvet cake with super creamy cream cheese icing. I adored Butter & Scotch's (aka the Drunk Bakers) drunken caramel cupcake and wish I'd gotten multiples instead of just one. Also there representing the sweet were Robicelli's with a super rich brownie and The Good Batch's s'mores cookie that people were waiting in line for towards the end of the event. And SCRATCHBread had mainly different breads and sauces but also had some rich, thick, buttery shortbread cookies.

There were so many more vendors to name. Unfortunately many started to pack up close to 8:30 (even though the event goes to 9:30) due to being sold out. Sad. Whole Foods was around as a sponsor providing bags of snacks and the opportunity to win a giftcard if you followed them on Twitter on the spot. SmartWater was in abundance as well at various tables throughout the armory in case you needed to stay hydrated. I have to say that they thought of everything, booze, coat check, food and sweets galore. What more could you ask for? Nothing much really.

I'll definitely be going to Choice Eats again next year. It'll become an annual thing for me and perhaps I'll better prepare my stomach to get through more than one row of good eats but notes were taken mentally of who I'll be visiting soon and where I'll be bringing friends.

But let me leave you with a few tips if you go next year (which you should!):

1) Try to get in line at least 30 minutes before if not an hour before. The line extends far down and while everyone will get in at some point being closer to the front gets you in faster and on line for eating sooner.

2) Use the coat check! I don't know if people didn't realize there was a coat check or thought they had to pay. It's in the basement and is free! Many people were sweating and having to wear thick coats/jackets. With all the food and burners going and the increasing amount of bodies roaming around you get hot, fast. Utilize the coat check and do tip those working it.

3) This is not the best event for vegans and vegetarians. Are their items for vegans and vegetarians? Absolutely but not in abundance. There's a lot of meat dishes around and often I had to turn away because many contained pork. If you're a vegetarian there'll be eats but not necessarily a lot. So be forewarned.

4) Get water first to carry around. Yes, the bottle may be big but it'll be worth it because those go fast. There was a lot more this year than last so perhaps the organizers got hip to the fact that water was a huge commodity, but it doesn't hurt to stock up as you're going through the aisles.

5) Take breaks. Go drink something, have water, go hang downstairs by the coat check where it's cooler but don't keep stuffing yourself. Listen to your body, but enjoy the event and if you can pocket a couple desserts for home if they'll carry.