Updated: Bibble & Sip

Midtown New York coffee is pretty much the worst. You have your choice of Starbucks, Pret, Dunkin', Cosi, and on and on.

I did, however, stumble across Bibble & Sip for a test run. Beautiful (in an otherwise ugly part of town) space that flows. What does this mean? Folks know exactly where to stand in line, grab coffee, pour milk, sit down without it ever seeming crowded.

Photo courtesy of Arthur C.

They have Counter Culture coffee, based out of Durham, NC, and $3 for a drip ain't so bad for specialty coffee.

Now, what BLEW ME AWAY were the pastries. They should wholesale 'cause the goods are bomb!

I have loved Earl Grey tea since I was a little girl. My mom made tea for me every morning English-style with milk and sugar. Sufficed to say, I will try almost anything with Earl Grey in the name. The spiced pear scone with Earl Grey glaze is nothing short of exceptional. You taste the spice amid the soft, biscuit-like interior as it perfectly crumbles in big chunks. BS also has a jalapeno-cheddar scone, which I enjoyed, but overall gets mixed reviews (due to the sweet glaze and sometimes lacks decent amounts of the jalapeno-cheddar combo). That said, the Earl Grey is almost undetectable in the pastries, but that obviously doesn't hurt. The savory kouign amann was bleeding butter. Too much, in fact. Soft in some spots, hard in others and needs work.

Photo courtesy of Yelp

Once ordered the chocolate chip cookie and gawked at the $4.23 price tag saying to myself, 'This better be the best damn cookie ever' and.....it was. Fat, soft, full of chocolate chunks and not overly sweet.

I haven't had the chance to try the Earl Grey panna cotta or banana bread with EG glaze, but plan to very soon. For all you egg eaters out there, there are some seriously unique breakfast sandwiches with the likes of basil infused English Muffins.

Update: After a long bike ride, I popped in BS and tried the jasmine pear tart and Earl Grey cream puff. Again, just a faint detection of bergamont, but the choux itself texturally was nice with it's crispy top. Just get the tart. It's tasty and fresh as hell.

www.bibbleandsip.com

I'M BACK! with A Fork in the Road: Paris

It's been awhile! I took up working in kitchens in both NYC and Houston, so time was limited to blog.
Most recently, I traveled to Paris and had an insanely fabulous trip with my family.  This post will just highlight some of my favorite parts.

We all know the fruit and vegetables taste fresher (and different!) and are brighter colored in the EU. These were no exception.

See those cherry tomatoes? The best! We were buying almost daily. Sweet and just cracked perfectly when you bit down.

The beautiful Romanesco and purple artichoke

Flaky, buttery croissant from Des Gateaux et Du Pain in St. Germain
A shoppe with perfect pastries and magnificently showcased. 

 This was probably my favorite part of the trip.  Not only did I wake up every morning and run with my brother and get to 'see' the city in a different way, but we also walked through many of the open-air markets. It was orgasmic every time!  Here is a link of the markets throughout Paris: http://www.parisianlocal.com/a-list-of-street-markets-in-paris-by-day-of-the-week/

Early in the morning, I would see the fishmonger cracking open sea urchin and little old women eating it with tiny silver spoons.

Rod enjoying his well-earned banana Nutella crepe after a run.

Lights of my life, my parents.

Far and away the best meal we had in Paris. Waknine is an Asian influenced French restaurant. The halibut, steak tatare and roasted potatoes were superb!

Get to Paris in the Spring at least once in your lifetime!

And a HUGE thank you to my dad for taking my brother and myself on a trip we will never forget!