Levain Bakery- New York, New York

Since my fan base is currently sitting at a solid zero, I think my first couple of reviews will be about some well-known food joints.

Levain Bakery- Chocolate Chip Cookies

When it comes to dessert, nothing gets me torqued like the classic chocolate chip cookie. I don't think anyone can resist one. So, let me tell you about Levain Bakery. This dessert foodie's dream is home to the greatest chocolate cookies, ever. Levain Bakery is located on the Upper West Side in NYC. The sweet shop has been referenced on everything from Oprah to this humble blog. I first noticed the chocolate baked goodies on Throwdown with Bobby Flay. Once I saw them, I quickly decided I had to have these savory morsels in my mouth as soon as possible. I planned to jet to New York City to check them out. I told my friend I was coming to visit her, which was true, but it was also imperative that I rendezvous with these cookies.

My second day in New York, while my friend was at work, I decided to venture out and find the bakeshop. I used my Droid map and walked 60 + blocks. I passed Times Square, Central Park, ABC studios, a homeless man flipping me off, Manolo Blahnik and a quirky looking grandma who looked like she lost her marbles somewhere between 47^th and 52^nd. Finally, I made it to 74^th street. I walked up and down the block and couldn't find it. I was going to ask for directions and then I smelt something sweet in the air. I looked down. There it was. The bakery was tucked underneath the pavement. You can see the blue marque and the navy door but you have to walk underground to get to the scrumptious shop.

I had conjured up a specific image of what this bakery would look like and I was pleasantly surprised. Of course, it was a lot smaller than I had imagined but it just made the cookie smell greater. I walked in wearing the smile of a kiddo on Christmas. “Hello,” I said to the girl behind the counter, a skinny, pale, innocent looking chick. “Hi! What can I get for you today?” She said with a cheery snap. “I'm here for the cookies!!”

The packaging of the cookies are nothing special. I got three and they were all placed in a white paper bag. I took one out of the bag to examine the treat. You will notice these cookies are huge. They have the girth of a Big Mac and the height of a Donna Reedish like casserole. I am not going to lie, I was takin aback by the magnitude of this biscuit looking treat. I was raised on the simple, sand dollar size, Pillsbury variety.

I took a breath and bit into this monster. Oh. My. Chocolate-dipped baby Jesus. This nuclear version of yo G-momma's chocolate chip cookies are full on pleasure. The chips are hot and seem to soak into the thick and still gooey batter. The batter has a brown sugar meets vanilla type flavor. There are also nuts nestled in the mix but they are not overpowering. This cookie victual is a dessert you cannot stop eating. Obviously, one of the best cookies ever! I ordered a glass of milk, which only made the experience better. I ate all of them in my sack and got a box of 12 more to take back to Texas. I ended up breaking into the box mid-flight. 

Website- http://www.levainbakery.com/