It’s 7 p.m. at Port Authority. Rush hour. You wind through the throngs of people, ignoring the persistent beeps of car horns and the men hawking t-shirts at the doorway. The sun is down, now, and the first thought in your mind as you burst onto 8th Avenue is that of your stomach. You haven’t eaten since noon, and your appetite is expanding like the suitcases of the tourists further down the street. You glance up, and suddenly you see it. Dean & Deluca’s shining logo is like a halo over the hub of intensifying traffic. The chill of the fall evening hits your face as you cross the street, steadying yourself for the best baked goods of your life.
Now that we’ve set the scene, let’s get the obvious out of the way– autumn is the best season for any foodie in NYC. The temperate weather is ideal for walking from cafe to restaurant, cool enough to embrace a hot chocolate or warmed pasty yet mild enough to seek out seasonal produce. October sees many autumnal offerings, whether or not they be of the elusive “Pumpkin Spice” variety. Dean & Deluca is as New York as you can get. Established in 1977 in SoHo, it has long been immortalized in pop culture ranging from American Psycho to The Devil Wears Prada. The upscale grocery store-turned-cafe is known for its bougie groceries, but also boasts a plethora of baked options. Our selection for today, a warmed Coconut and Chocolate Scone, is the perfect balance of indulgent and savory. The texture is beautifully dense and crumbles in a way that is both inconvenient to eat on the subway but ideal scone texture. Overall, our first dive into fall culinary culture is a success. But what does Chelsea hold in store?
Chelsea Market is quite simply my favorite place in New York City. There is nowhere more appealing to me than a place that has a donut shop, a crepe place, and a bookstore within a few yards of one another. Tonight, we settle in on the barstool at Bar Suzette, a fun and casual one-stop bar for all of your crepe needs. First things first– sweet or savory? The decision is gut-wrenching but proves itself to be worthwhile the second I have the warmth of a spinach and cheese crepe in my hands. Bar Suzette makes crepe culture fun and accessible by putting their crepes in a triangle of folded paper, making it a portable food worthy of a beach Instagram from Asbury Park. Chelsea Market excels at providing food fitting for the atmosphere; the crepe fits in just as easily among the crowds of 9th Avenue as it does within the dimly lit hub of the market itself.
So what’s it going to be? Will you go classic with a baked good and an almond latte or go full force to a la Chelsea Market extravagance? Either way, I can guarantee that your taste pallet will never be disappointed if it’s October in New York City.
Violet Maxwell
arts and culture editor
Graphic: Amelia Chen