Tag: sweets

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DOWNTOWN’S Valentine’s Day Gift Guide 2022

 
Let us endeavor to make 2022 the year of Love, for there has been no greater time when love is so very needed.
 
“Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments; Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove:
O, no! it is an ever-fixed mark,
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wandering bark,
Whose worth’s unknown, although his height be taken.
Love’s not Time’s fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle’s compass come;
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom. 
If this be error and upon me prov’d,
I never writ, nor no man ever loved.”
-William Shakespeare, Sonnet 116

 

 
 
 
 
We love Valentine’s Day, especially when we celebrate at Ladurée. This year, book take your sweetheart for a special breakfast for two, consisting of two rose lattes, two pains au chocolat, two boxes of three custom macarons, and a NEW heart-shaped rose croissant. This is the perfect Valentine’s Day gift to share with that special someone.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Fly XO to Aspen and experience world-class skiing while staying at five-star resorts. Use the XO mobile app to book an entire charter or select individual seats on a private jet at a fraction of the cost.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Get you and your sweetheart back on the right track to fitness with a membership at Asphalt Green. Say ‘I love you’ with fitness for 2022. Their memberships offer top-notch fitness centers and pools. Book one of their instructional classes or programs for both children and adults. Throughout the year, winter, spring, summer, and fall, no excuse. Asphalt Green includes everything from infant swim, diving classes, youth basketball leagues, and private Pilates Reformer classes.
 
 
 
 
 
LIPS Embellished Throw by Jonathan Adler. Sexy, seductive, saucy—a kiss of glam in bold red and glittering gold to chic up your comfy spot. Hand-embroidered by artisans, their unbelievably soft and luxurious throws are just the accents your abode deserves.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Dr. Amy Lewis  Give the gift she will love you all year, natural lip filler. Big is out, going back to the natural look Expertly done by Dr. Amy Lewis. 
 
 
Tokyo Totepack. This premium leather upgrade to our Tokyo Totepack adapts to your day, with two carry modes and surprisingly sorted storage.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Flex Pro Denim Jacket GOOD MAN BRAND A classic-style denim jacket made from comfortable stretch denim is a surefire staple for your casual wardrobe.
 
 
 
 

 

Our CEO’s favorite everyday brand is PhilanthroBee’s®️ skincare. Bee Body Bar saved her from itchy skin. As a daily swimmer, chlorine eventually got to her angrily inflamed skin. Until she tired, PhilanthroBee’s®️ skincare. The last thing you want is to layer chemically treated thick creams on top of your skin. That’s why the BeeCause Body Bar works with your body heat to melt into your skin, using the power of natural bee products to soothe, replenish moisture, promote skin health, and protect against damage.

Another favorite of hers is the Bee-Ch Facial Clarifying Mask. Every week (sometimes more), she enjoys the BEE-ch facial mask cleanser. It gently draws out toxins and debris that accumulate in our pores throughout the week. Living in New York City, taking care of your skin is extremely important. 

 

 

Maybe a little self-love this year try Ascention, a blend of red currants and strawberries, laced with delicious vanilla and musk. Infused with an authentic, fair-trade Rose Quartz crystal. Ascent to Love with the perfect gift for those in need of some self-love this Valentine’s Day.

 
 
 
 
 
 
Full of Mediterranean character, Corvo is produced with the use of modern technology, to preserve the integrity and naturalness of the ingredients, always ready to offer a simply perfect tasting experience. Corvo Grillo Sicilia DOC and, Corvo Nero d’Avola Sicilia DOC. Both restyled clean, with a harmonious design delivering the freshness and fruity aromas of Sicily to the table. Be sure to give the first wines bottled in Sicily in 1824, and now one of the most appreciated wines.
 
 
 
 
One of our favorite places downtown to relax and take in the views, The Greens invites you to cozy up with your loved ones in your own private and cozy winter cabin. Enjoy a menu of regional delicacies and hand-crafted cocktails, along with a complimentary bottle of Rosé and a Valentine-themed dessert included with your reservation.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Scapegrace Black is the world’s first naturally black, color-changing gin by The New Zealand-based Scapegrace Distillery. Scapegrace Black begins, like all quality gins, with intense juniper and the addition of premium, exotic botanicals. The master distiller used a combination of local sweet potato, aronia berries, pineapple, and saffron, as well as Butterfly pea flower, which they sourced from Southeast Asia
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Give her the gift from Christian Lacroix For Swiminista, a sarong in Josephine print, then whisk her away on an impromptu holiday to her favorite sunny locale. 

 
 
ICON Roland Sands Signature 2254 Chronograph. 43mm 316L Stainless Steel Case and Fixed Bezel with IP Antique Gold Plating, Stainless Steel Push Crown, and Screw-In Caseback. K1 Flat Hardened Mineral Crystal. Japan Quartz (Miyota 6S21) 2 Eye Chronograph with Date Movement.
 
Larroudé Vail Boot is a brand to add to your wardrobe. Marrying the comfort of Montana with the functionality of a lace-up boot to give us the Vail. Ready for the mountains, the faux shearling interior is super soft-to-the-touch while the all-weather exterior is all about function.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Larroudè and Her Highness – Valentine’s Day, customers will be gifted with a “highly orgasmic” pleasure oil as a gift with purchase (while supplies last). We are excited to have our clients treat themselves to the perfect pair (shoes + pleasure oil) this Valentine’s Day! 
 
 
 
 
 
 

For the side sleeper, this Scrumptious Side Sleeper Pillow is unique, with a curve that supports your neck and shoulders whether you are on your side or your back. Their design is meticulously from the degree of its curvature to the height and firmness of the fill inside it.  The perfect give for your side sleeper.

 

Take your sweetheart on one of New York’s historical treasures, with a memorable horse-drawn carriage tour of Central Park. The tour includes a bottle of sparkling wine, a bucket of roses, and photographs.

 
 
 
 
 
Wish your love off to Las Catalinas is a new beach town on the Guanacaste coast of Costa Rica. Its purpose is to create a way of life that is healthy, sustainable, fulfilling, and fun. Las Catalinas consists of houses, shops, restaurants, small hotels and inns, plazas, parks, and recreational facilities. Las Catalinas in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. Check out the new outdoor beachfront gym there, CORE by Chakfitness, and sign up for a week of personal training and unlimited gym and class access — including a personalized take-home program designed by owner Chakiris Menafacio.
 

 

Categories
Dining Featured Indulgence

Cookie Dough as a Platform for Mental Health

Cookie dough company Doughp

Building a Brand with a Mission for Mental Health

Any entrepreneur should know the what, how, and why of what they’re selling — yet most times, the “why” is missing.

The businesses that stand out and succeed most often do so because they’re able to tap into the broader mission their specific product, service, or cause is supporting, and the “what” and “how” simply become the vehicle for an entrepreneur’s more significant impact.

At Doughp, a cookie dough company founded by Kelsey Moreira in early sobriety, her “why” of selling cookie dough taps way beyond the indulgent taste of her sweet desserts, which with no eggs and heat-proof flour can be eaten raw or baked, and taps into crafting cookie dough as a platform for mental health and addiction recovery, which Moreira herself connects with.

“The story to Doughp begins in early sobriety, jumping back in the kitchen and baking nights and weekends,” Moreira recalls, adding that her free time spent baking was “really kind of a self-discovery moment to figure out who ‘Kelsey’ was and what she likes to do.” Coming off of the heels of a ten-year career in tech,

Moreira soon made the jump full-time to launching her own cookie dough company after receiving enough encouragement from friends, family, and colleagues who all enjoyed the treats she’d often gift them with.

Cookie Dough on the Ride to Recovery

Opening her first storefront on Pier 39 in San Francisco in 2017, Doughp initiated #Doughp4Hope that same year “to break the stigma around mental health and addiction recovery,” Moreira emphasizes.

The company quickly launched into the big-time as Moreira was soon featured on a hit reality television series Shark Tank and recognized as an honoree of Forbes 30 Under 30. Yet with Doughp’s growth topping the charts at 219% each year, the same mission has carried through to make a difference. “This is so much more than cookie dough to me.

In fact, I would say we’re not a cookie dough company — we’re trying to give people a chance to make an impact around issues that matter to them, with mental health and recovery at the forefront. That’s really what we’re selling: the chance to make an impact,” Moreira underscores.

In 2021, Doughp partnered with, SHE RECOVERS Foundation to provide 1% of all sales to support the non-profit’s initiatives. As Moreira explains, “they also support mental health challenges, life challenges, substance abuse disorders, eating disorders,” mentioning that SHE RECOVERS takes care to acknowledge that “we’re all in recovery from something.

I certainly really aligned with their philosophy and I’m proud to be a partner of theirs.”

Looking ahead, Moreira sees expanding the company to crafting cookie dough as a platform for mental health while including a broader palette of indulgent desserts, with expansion still geared towards raising awareness for mental health and addiction recovery.

“Looking at Doughp as just a cookie dough company would be short-sighted, so I really see evolving the business into a food platform for mental health and addiction recovery,” she adds. 

To order Doughp cookie dough and support their mission, visit doughp.com. 

Categories
Dining Featured NYC Restaurants

Downtown Highlights: Venchi – A Taste of Italian Authenticity

Photo by Samantha Doria

Downtown Highlights

Welcome to Downtown Highlights, the series in which we take the opportunity to “highlight” businesses in NYC, like delicious chocolate and or gelato from Venchi. After the tumultuous and crazy year we’ve had, brick and mortar locations have taken a hit, and so it is important for us at Downtown to make sure that we’re serving the places that are serving us.

Venchi

This week, we have been transported to Italy via our New York, Venchi, an Italian gourmet chocolate shop. This place evokes a sensory experience, from homemade chocolate to refreshing authentic gelato. The sights, smells, tastes, sounds, and feel of their shop are unlike any other. The best part? You don’t need a passport to enter this little slice of Italy.

We sat down with store manager Michele Sbarigia to get the scoop on Venchi’s story.

Venchi started in 1878 in Torrine, Italy. Their claim to fame is their nougatine, a decadent treat of caramelized hazelnut coated in 56% dark chocolate. Twenty years ago, Venchi incorporated gelato into their decadent repertoire.

One of the most stunning features at Venchi is that its ingredients are as authentic as it gets. They use all-natural ingredients, importing their specialized ingredients directly and exclusively from Italy. Hazelnuts come from Piedmont Italy. Pistachios come from Bronte, a small village in Sicily. Lemons come from Sorrento, a small village under Naples, and so on.

By staying true to the pillars of rich tradition and quality ingredients, Venchi remains as authentic as it gets in NYC.

For more Downtown Highlights, click here.

Categories
Dining Featured Indulgence

Holiday Cupcake Craze in Downtown NYC

Here in Manhattan, every holiday season is a grand miracle for everyone. Some of those miracles are made via dessert, especially cupcakes, since cupcakes are known as muffins that believed in miracles. Many ask where they can find a solid cupcake in the Big Apple throughout the holiday season. Fear no more, because Downtown Magazine has rounded up five bakeries that offer mouthwatering cupcakes.

Funny Face Bakery by Cupcake Market:

Although Cupcake Market changed its name to Funny Face Bakery due to the popularity of spot-on celebrity Funny Faces and realistic Custom Face Cookies, cupcakes are still sold and are one of a kind as they are literally dense and moist. These guys will provide you with that ideal bite of a cupcake and finger-licking good frosting that will make you smile from ear to ear. Not to mention that the frosting is so light that you won’t feel overwhelmed with the sweetness! The banana cupcake with strawberry icing topped with freshly diced strawberries is quite a favorite and is one to have you purchasing seconds!

Holiday Cupcake Craze in Downtown NYC
Funny Face Bakery

74 East 7th Street
New York, NY

Sprinkles New York- Brookfield Place

Yes, Sprinkles is a major franchise. The location in Brookfield Place, however, is like no other. This Sprinkles location is rather small and is conveniently nestled across the street from the iconic World Trade Center and connected to the Oculus and Westfield Mall. The walk-up counter is splendid for those who go through the city’s hustle and bustle due to the fact that they can get their sugar fix in a heartbeat before heading to their destination. These cupcakes are baked fresh in miniature batches throughout the day and are made from top-notch ingredients. What’s even better is that pickup and delivery services are offered at this location!

Holiday Cupcake Craze in Downtown NYC
Sprinkles Cupcakes- Brookfield Place

225 Liberty St. Suite 241
New York, NY

Little Cupcake Bakeshop

Little Cupcake Bakeshop’s story began in Brooklyn back in 2005. Nowadays, there is a location in the heart of Soho which is such a delight. This bakery doesn’t only concentrate on baking cupcakes, but all of the classic American desserts you can think of. All baked goods are baked by utilizing fresh and sustainable ingredients, which are locally sourced from farms in the Hudson Valley, Catskills, Vermont, and New Jersey. Baking is also done in small batches right at the bakery every single day. Of course, Little Cupcake Bakeshop paid homage to Downtown’s Old Little Italy by creating the “Mott Street” cupcake, which is their take on tiramisu. This cupcake consists of a vanilla bean cake soaked in Illy espresso and topped with homemade mascarpone frosting.

Holiday Cupcake Craze in Downtown NYC
Photo courtesy of Izumi Kira

30 Prince Street
New York, NY

Erin McKenna’s Bakery NYC

If you are trying to stay away from dairy, gluten, eggs, and all of that jazz…then Erin McKenna’s Bakery in the Lower East Side is the place for you to grab your cupcakes. Ingredients for cupcakes and other treats are selected in a responsible manner. Not to mention that natural sweeteners are used moderately. This bakery’s main objective is to
make vegan and gluten-free eating fun and tasty. One of the flavors that folks rage about is the Thin Mint Cupcake which literally tastes like a Girl Scout Thin Mint Cookie!

Holiday Cupcake Craze in Downtown NYC
Erin McKenna’s Bakery

248 Broome Street
New York, NY

Magnolia Bakery- West Village

You can’t go wrong with grabbing a couple of cupcakes from this New York City Classic. Especially from the West Village location. There is a variety of cupcake flavors and each one is charming in its own way as they have different stories to tell. Of course, the Classic Red Velvet or the Vanilla cupcake with Pink Buttercream that Carrie Bradshaw ordered in Sex in The City is a must!

Holiday Cupcake Craze in Downtown NYC
Magnolia Bakery

West 11th Street, 401 Bleeker
New York, NY

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Categories
Indulgence

Sprinkles Cupcake’s New Summer Flavors

By Lauren Crenshaw

Sprinkles Cupcakes, the world’s first cupcake bakery, is kicking off the summer with the temporary launch of some sweet new flavors. They are introducing a brand new cupcake–peach pie–which has a brown sugar buttercream frosting, a buttery pie crust crumble, and a rich brown sugar crumb cake topped off with cinnamon spiced peaches for gooey greatness. They’re also re-releasing last summer’s favorite cupcake–the pineapple-upside-down cake–filled with caramelized pineapples and finished with a pineapple buttercream frosting for just the right taste.

Aside from the summer flavors, Sprinkles offers over 20 cupcakes flavors, which include vegan and gluten-free options that all have their signature “modern dot” on top of the cupcakes. Other than cupcakes, the bakery provides many different desserts, including cookies, ice cream, layered cakes, and brownies. The new summer flavors are available at all Sprinkles locations for the month of June. 

Sprinkles began as the world’s first cupcake bakery back in 2005. The bakery first opened in Beverly Hills by founders, Candace Nelson and her husband, Charles Nelson. Charles and Candace have been working together from the beginning, ever since Candace would sell cakes from their home.

When Charles and Candace were beginning the foundation of Sprinkles, there was a lot of competition involved, so they knew they had to do something that would make them more unique. Together they decided to introduce a simple and easy-to-use cupcake ATM back in 2012.

The ATM came about when Candace was pregnant with her second son and had a serious late-night cupcake craving. Since stores were closed and it was late hours of the night, she wasn’t able to get a cupcake, so Charles came up with the idea of the cupcake ATM. 

The ATM doesn’t make the cupcakes. It holds up to 400-800 individually boxed cupcakes. A robot arm moves inside the ATM, delivering the cupcakes gently out the window for the customer. This ATM allows customers to enjoy fresh baked cookies and cupcakes for 24/7 service in 15 different locations.

Candace has worked to become the author of the book, “The Sprinkles Baking Book: 100 Secret Recipes from Candace’s Kitchen,” a judge on two Netflix baking shows, opened a pizza restaurant in Brentwood, California, and mother of two boys has worked hard to build Sprinkles. She pushed through many obstacles like finding a landlord who would even begin to believe in the potential for their store but was determined to bring the store together.

Candace has always had the heart of a baker since her great grandmother used to bake desserts in her San Francisco restaurant back in the 1930s. While Candace surrounds her life with sweet tastes and cupcakes, she strives to continue her great grandmother’s legacy of creating these simple, homemade recipes from scratch at Sprinkles.

The peach pie and the pineapple up-side-down cupcakes are some of the homemade and straightforward indulgences that Candace and her husband provide to give their customers a tasty variety for those cravings.

Categories
Dining Featured

Don’t Just Go Green, Eat Green with These Earth Day Treats

Some of our favorite NYC sweet spots have special desserts for Earth Day! Check them out below.

byCHLOE

Our favorite vegan spot is offering two Earth Day desserts on the 22nd. Their vegan chocolate donut topped with chocolate ganache and vanilla sugar cookie will both be accented with blue and green sprinkles. 50% of the purchase price from the sale of each Earth Day donut sold will be donated to International Animal Welfare (IFAW), supporting their mission to protect animals.  

MatchaBar x Van Leeuwen

MatchaBar has partnered with Van Leeuwen to create Vegan Green Planet: a blue and green vegan ice cream designed to look like our planet! The base is made of raw cashew milk, coconut cream, raw organic coconut oil, pure cocoa butter, and organic cane sugar plus MatchaBar’s ceremonial grade Matcha and has housemate blue spirulina almond cake folded throughout. This special flavor will be available at all Van Leeuwen locations through May 7th.

Tag us in your Earth Day treat photos on Instagram at @downtownmagnyc.