In New York City, there’s a trend for everything. Not just style, not just makeup, but shows, places, and of course food.
Forever being an optimist—a wallet half full type of girl—I am always so excited to try fun new trends. When it comes to food trends though, I’ve got to say I’m pretty skeptical. I have fallen into the trap of splurging on birthday cake cream cheese, getting lost in pursuit of that fancy rice pudding place, and traveling all the way to Brooklyn for the OG rainbow bagel only to be left a little disappointed—and with a little less cash—when the trends didn’t match all the hype they built up. Per usual, I have found myself in another one of these predicaments. This time though with a New York City staple, the legendary City Bakery hot chocolate.
On a chilly Saturday morning, I decided it was time to give this popular treat a try and dragged a friend with me to enjoy the experience. This was the first time either of us had gone to City Bakery, and let me tell you it’s a crazy, busy place on the weekends. We hopped in line, placed our order, and were handed these two amazing smelling cups of coco with a massive, homemade marshmallow on top. When I say massive here I mean it was like the Titanic-iceberg of marshmallows. Reflecting back on it now, perhaps this was also an early warning sign that I should turn away.
I knew it was going to be rich, I knew it was going to be super sweet, but I wanted to love it so much that I was hoping I wouldn’t be disappointed. With all of this said, I shouldn’t be surprised that I really didn’t like it. It was like drinking a cup of pure, melted chocolate. City Bakery has to have a Willy-Wonka-chocolate-river type situation hidden somewhere because that’s exactly what I thought of when I took the first sip. While I couldn’t even finish half of it, I could understand the allure Augustus Gloop must have been drawn to, so I took a moment to reflect on his efforts hoping that my empathy towards him, along with my frugality, would allow me to finish more of this pricey drink. My friend had similar feelings, so in a rather ceremonious manner, we reflected on our experience, said a few kind words, took one last sip, and watched what was left of the Titanic-iceberg marshmallow sink away as we dropped our cups into a nearby trash can.
While the hot chocolate experience did not meet the hype we anticipated, there was one City Bakery treat that did stand out—the true hero of City Bakery, if you will—the pretzel croissant. Mind you, when my friend and I were critiquing the hot chocolate moments earlier we could have been mistaken for those chatty yet ruthless judges on The Great British Baking Show, but when we took the first bite of our pretzel croissants we honestly did not talk to each other until it was gone. It. Was. That. Good.
So, while some trends come and go, and some might let you down and leave your wallet a little lighter, just remember that trying new things is always worth it. Even if it isn’t, you never know, you might just find your pretzel croissant in the process.