Imagine walking by an unassuming street on the Upper West side in NYC. While on it, you are greeted by the most delicious sweet smell of sugar, chocolate and butter...and you instantly know that this is no ordinary street. It's the first ever location of Levain bakery, a charming little cookie shop tucked away on the 167 W 74th St, New York since 1995.
What started off as a cookie experiment by two ladies to fulfill their calorie needs to run a Triathlon, turned into a successful business in no time!
These cookies became so popular among friends and family that they decided to turn their hobby into their profession. Levain Bakery's cookies quickly gained a cult following for their enormous size, gooey centers, and crisp edges, making them a sensation among cookie lovers worldwide.
Tourists and New Yorkers alike still queue up to grab hold of the 'just-out-of-the-oven-warm-cookies'
We got lucky and had just one more person in front of us before we could get our hands on their 6 oz (170 g) giant chocolate-chip and walnut cookie. Sounds deliciousss, right?
In all honesty:
Absolutely LOVED the fact that I was holding a cookie right out of the oven, still nice and warm (that's how they always serve!)
Loved the slightly crisp sides
Not being used to eating cookie as a meal, the 6 oz (170 g!) cookie was a meal in itself for me (this could be a plus for so many :D)
Well well, it could have been a 10/10, but for me the cookie dough itself lacked flavour (mainly salt). Most of the flavour came from additions like chocolate chips, walnuts, caramel, etc and some mouthfuls felt a bit too sweet for my liking.
Anywho, nobody is perfect, and this cookie does deserve a taste when in NYC. The next time though, I might just order the chocolate version.
They also serve a very tempting baguette sandwich with butter and jam, perfect for picnics or for a quick snack on the go, another thing to try next time!
Check it out:
Levain Bakery - Locations
Price range - $ 5.25 per cookie
Note: The cookie contains egg, but they also have a vegan version
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