At 9:00 on Saturday morning, I woke up in a foggy haze, and pulled up the blinds covering my bay window. After spending a few disorienting moments staring at the soft flurries swirling over Broadway, my mind conjured up a single word (well, not a single word. My first thought was actually, I have to wear my Halloween costume tonight and I’m going to freeeeeze!)… but then the only word that then made it okay that it was snowing and freezing in October: pie.
I called up my fellow foodie/best friend, Kinno Norojono, and we embarked on a trek to the Upper East Side, to Two Little Red Hens.
Two Little Red Hens is a charming gourmet bakery. The country-home design accents (the floral provincial curtains, the wooden tables) are charming. The hand-written labels for every item in the glass display cases are charming—as are the tall glass cookie jars lining the counter. The adorable British family sitting next to us enjoying their classic New York cheesecake slices and triple berry muffins was charming. The staff, making suggestions and funny observations, was charming. The Disney soundtrack playing over their speakers was charming.
Amid all of this charming, there was also pie. We each sampled a slice. The double-crust apple was wonderful—the crust was flaky and buttery, and the filling was not too sweet. Kinno’s pumpkin slice was luscious. Accompanied by a cup of coffee, the well-balanced combination of the flavors of pumpkin and spices was satisfying and delicious.
Although especially known for its specialty cakes, Two Little Red Hens is also widely recognized as a source of masterfully created muffins, cookies, cupcakes, pies, and other goodies such as buttermilk biscuits and sticky buns. The smell is utterly mouth-watering, and the food is as aesthetically appealing as it is tasty.
Two Little Red Hens has definitely made my shortlist of places to visit with a friend on another such blustery wintery day. Their offerings change with the season as well, so we will thankfully never run out of options to sample, which is something that Kinno and I really appreciate.
Two Little Red Hens: 1652 2nd Avenue (86th St). 212-452-0476. Mon-Fri 7am-8pm, Sat 8am-8pm, Sun 8am-6pm. 4, 5 to 86th st.
No Comments | Posted on October 31, 2011 | Categories: From the Blog, Upper East Side
