While it may be true that downtown eats are better and cheaper than many uptown offerings, some of the most coveted summer desserts are available within 30 minutes from campus for a short, sweet escape from Butler Library.
One of the most reliable dessert havens in the Upper West Side is Buttercup Bake Shop, located at 72nd Street between Broadway and Columbus Avenue. Buttercup’s winning summertime treat is banana pudding (small for $5, large for $6), an irresistible mixture of banana chunks and soft wafers smothered underneath rich vanilla cream.
All-year-round staples include cupcakes and cheesecakes as rich and delectable as those at Magnolia Bakery, but at far lower prices. The deal is made even sweeter by their ongoing “buy 3, get 1” promotion.
If you like having more options, head to 77th Street and Columbus Avenue to find Shake Shack—the popular burger chain that has finally made its way to the UWS—for their various frozen custards ($3.25 for single) and concretes (starting at $6.25). Custards are rich and sweet ice creams in various flavors, but, contrary to their name, they are refreshing and easy on the stomach.
Shake Shack’s concretes, frozen custard blended with assorted sweet mix-ins, are another favorite. Popular choices include the Upper West Slide, which mixes vanilla custard with fresh banana and shortbread cookies, and the Crunch-Stellation, which hits a chocolatey high note with its Valrhona chocolate crunchies and chocolate toffee. Unfortunately, the lines are already long in late April and only get worse in the summer. However, management keeps a separate line (called the “c-line”) for custards and concretes only.
Those feeling guilty indulging in heavy treats can hit up Grom Gelato (Broadway near 76th Street), which offers light and authentic Italian gelato made with top-caliber ingredients. Some are even listed on Slow Food’s Ark of Taste, a list of excellent food products in danger of extinction.
The only downsides to this otherwise wonderful gelateria are the typically long waits (half an hour on one early Saturday evening), and the prices (a tiny cup is $5). Yet their grapefruit sorbet and pistachio ice cream are worth at least one trip.
Despite the heavy competition, the winning summer desserts are sweet tofu varieties from Kyotofu (Ninth Avenue between 48th and 49th streets), a Japanese-themed shrine to the sweet tooth that has garnered (and deserved) a devoted following since its opening in 2006. The restaurant seems as tiny as a shoebox from the outside, but once visitors pass by the front desk showcasing delectable treats—including award-winning chocolate soufflé cupcakes and assorted cookies—and the glass-enclosed pastry kitchen, the narrow hallway leads into a fairly spacious and cozy dining area with over 30 seats. But visitors, beware: dining-in mandates that each person order at least one dish.
Yet whether dining in or taking out, the creamy and dreamy texture of Kyotofu’s sweet tofu (starting at $7.58) will give a shock to anyone who still doubts tofu’s potential as a dessert ingredient. And for those who aren’t convinced, at least a trip will offer an excuse to put down the books.
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