With the heat of the sun beating down on Lower Manhattan, I find myself looking for somewhere to cool off and indulge myself. Over the last two weeks, the Downtown team has had an amazing opportunity to visit shops all over Manhattan and the surrounding boroughs. Here’s a look at each of our favorite desserts from some of the best spots that we visited; we’ve got something for everyone to enjoy!
“Ed’s Ice Cream Sandwich” at Ed’s Lobster Bar
Hear me out when I say that ice cream is extraordinarily tastier on a warm, buttery bun. This sandwich is like no other; it consists of cold vanilla ice cream that is served on what is typically one of Ed’s signature lobster buns (just without the lobster). The dessert is then covered in little bits of shredded chocolate and chocolate sauce and is sure to help you beat the heat. Ed’s has been serving this signature dish since the shop opened, so they definitely have it perfected.
Ed’s Lobster Bar is located at 222 Lafayette St. Be sure to check them out for a unique treat you won’t soon forget!
Egg Shop‘s “Brunchkins”
These fresh little donut balls are the perfect dessert after grabbing brunch at Egg Shop. These warm, delectable pieces of dough are filled with confetti cake and taste unbelievably good. Each individual Brunchkin tastes like a carnival in your mouth! Not to mention they’ll make your wallet feel good since they’re only $6!
Egg Shop is in Chinatown at 151 Elizabeth St. You won’t regret checking out these bite-sized miracles!
Clinton Hall‘s “What the Cruff Waffle”
The mastermind behind this beautiful dessert is Darryl Harmon. Harmon is an award-winning celebrity chef and is the executive chef for The Lure Group, which includes NYC’s Clinton Hall, Slate, West End Hall, and RFTP.
Clinton Hall was already known for their WTF Waffles, but this collaboration with Stuffed Ice Cream is surely the most beautiful and Instagrammable dessert-creation of all time. Stacked high with two waffles, four flavors of ice cream and a donut ice cream sandwich, this dessert is a miraculous work of genius. The ice cream flavors include Stuffed Snickerdoodle, Cookie Monster, Red Velvet Cookie Dough, and Ferrero Rocher and are topped with an ice cream cone on top to complete the aesthetic.
Clinton Hall has locations all over NYC. Find out which is closest to you!
“Flex Donuts” at Flex Mussels
Flex Mussels specializes in a variety of amazing seafood entrees and appetizers. What many people don’t know is that they also offer some of New York City’s greatest donuts. Offering a variety of flavors from Smores to Fluffernutter (a combination of marshmallow and peanut butter), Flex Mussels only charges $10 to add four of these gooey, sugary delights to your dinner.
You can find Flex Mussels located at their Downtown or Upper-Eastside location!
Julian’s Sundae at Aunt Jake’s
Covered in everything from fruity pebbles to Oreo crumbles, “Julian’s Sundae,” which was designed by Jake’s 9-year-old nephew, is stand-out dessert on the menu of this amazing Italian restaurant. The waffle is easily pulled-apart and makes for the perfect spoon for scooping the mountain of whipped cream and chocolate ice cream.
Aunt Jake’s has two locations. One on Mulberry Street and one on 8th Street. To make a reservation, be sure to check out their website!
Sweet Corner Bakeshop has recently stepped up their game in honor of pride month, turning their delicious sweets rainbow-colored. And we all know, everything that looks aesthetically pleasing is way more fun to eat, not to mention delicious.
The layer cake is surprisingly light and fluffy for a seven(!) layer cake with buttercream, and the thousands of sprinkles and confetti add crunch to each bite. We’re just hoping those thousand sprinkles doesn’t equal a thousand calories. But then again, when it tastes like this, we don’t really care about the calories…
Want something similar but smaller? The unicorn cupcake has your name written all over it.