The lost meals entries consist of meals that occurred at various times throughout 2012 which, for any number of reasons, escaped my documentation – some due to a cross country move and a new job, some due to the Los Angeles Kings run to the Stanley Cup, and some simply as a result of too much travel. Having enjoyed many of these meals with friends or family and with some of them amongst the year’s very best the reality is that with time my memory has deteriorated and as life moves forward I’ve realized there is little hope to ever “catch up” or document these experiences as well as I’d hope, yet in order to preserve them I present these pictures, notes, and thoughts on the experience.
Dunwell Doughnuts
Blueberry
Queen Anne’s Lace Dark Walnut
Peanut Butter and Jelly
Rootbeer
Chocolate with Peanuts
Traditional Glazed
Brooklyn Roasting Company Mocha Java
Dominique Ansel
Lemon Praline Éclair with Crispy Caramelized Hazelnuts
Blueberry Religieuse – Cream Puff Filled with Blueberry Custard Cream, Blueberry Compote, and Lemon Zest
Tiramisu Puff – Rich Colombian Coffee and Mascarpone dusted with Cocoa
The day of the Kings/Devils Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals was a difficult one to plan for but with the game on in prime time and wanting to get to the arena early for the pre-game ceremonies dinner clearly wasn’t an option – early brunch and late lunch at Public and Tocqueville, respectively, would have to suffice along with side jaunts for donuts and pastry – one new and one a well deserved return.
Starting first with a newcomer to the New York Doughnut scene, and incidentally a place only a few blocks from where I was staying, Dunwell Doughnuts is the brainchild of a couple of fellows named Dunbar and Hallowell – hence Dun-Well – who set out to create an all-vegan donut shop in New York and although not a vegan myself I generally fancy baked/fried goods in that vein because the entire idea of making desserts without cream, butter, eggs, etc always yields interesting results, generally a passionate pursuit of the owners and often times not only better than expected, but better than their ‘non-vegan’ counterparts as a result of the dedication and efforts.
A small shop located in Brooklyn with a unique variety (reportedly 200 and counting) of raised and glazed selections plus a few filled choices, but alas no cake doughnuts, I’d originally considered just trying a couple of doughnuts but upon seeing the options I instead chose a half dozen, eating half of most and the entirety of the Rootbeer while leaving the rest for my house-hosts. Largely similar in texture, a slight ‘doughiness’ not unlike brioche, with glazes that were all spot-on to their titles I really enjoyed all of the selections, but truly found the Rootbeer to be wowing – the composition tasting identical to a rootbeer float and without a doubt amongst the most interesting non-filled donuts I’ve ever tasted while on the flip side the peanut butter glazed jelly filled option was pretty excellent as well; definitely a spot worth checking out along with Dough and Pies n’ Thighs for those in and around Brooklyn, and worth a trip if only for the rootbeer to anyone else.
Moving on to what would eventually constitute my pre-game dinner a second visit to Dominique Ansel’s eponymous patisserie would serve up three new options from my prior stop and much like the majority of Ansel’s creations each of them was a study of exactly how choux should be; a bit crispy on the exterior with a delicate and wispy interior amicable to supporting the creamy contents…of which there was much, particularly in the case of the Religeuse, a flawless take on the classic with whole fresh blueberries in a creamy custard lightly tinged with lemon – and speaking of lemon, who knew it went so well with crunchy pralines or nuts? Certainly not I, until Ansel himself recommended it from behind the counter as I perused the options. Last but not least – the Tiramisu creampuff didn’t transport well on the train from Penn Station to Newark, but eating that decadent mess as I stood outside the Prudential Center waiting for them to open the doors was a great way to send off the day’s eating; and the choux held up beautifully despite being purchased nearly 8 hours earlier – no sog at all.