Transportable food gifts from NYC?

August 20, 2017 8:25 AM

I'm visiting NYC this week and i'd like to bring back some tasty snacks that will still be tasty a day later.

I would ideally like to bring back sweet foods like doughnuts or cookies. I am aware of Levain bakery but will their cookies still be fresh after a flight to London (UK)? I'll be serving them to my work colleagues the following day. We have a fridge and microwave at work.

Any tips on how to keep such foods fresh during a flight are also welcome.

posted by ihaveyourfoot to Travel & Transportation (22 answers total)

Yeah cookies will be fine tomorrow. Doughnuts no.
posted by JPD at 8:36 AM on August 20, 2017

Best answer: Fat Witch Brownies are pretty amazing. Their store is in Chelsea Market.
posted by dancinglamb at 8:54 AM on August 20, 2017 [1 favorite]

Also, Fat Witch individually wraps all their brownies. Excellent for gifts or just selfishly carrying in your pocket! The double chocolate ones are my favorite.
posted by dancinglamb at 8:56 AM on August 20, 2017

Yeah, I too was coming in to recommend Fat Witch. Probably more durable than Levain but hard to know which is more delicious! Doughnuts will definitely lose their luster.
posted by ferret branca at 9:01 AM on August 20, 2017

I know you said sweeter treats but I think if you're bringing NYC food to London, you've got to bring some bagels. Kept in their paper bag and tossed in your suitcase, they'll be fine the next day for noshing (maybe a wee bit harder crust but still unlike any London bagel).
posted by yes I said yes I will Yes at 9:08 AM on August 20, 2017 [5 favorites]

What neighborhoods will you be in?
posted by bilabial at 9:13 AM on August 20, 2017

Schmackary's Cookies!
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 9:14 AM on August 20, 2017

Response by poster: Awesome. Thanks for the recs. so far. Any particular bagel shop, yes I said yes...?

I will be staying in LES (East Houston St.) but i'll be walking around East Village, Chelsea Market, Times Square, Brooklyn, Harlem... I'm more than happy to travel anywhere as I will have a weekly Metrocard.
posted by ihaveyourfoot at 10:06 AM on August 20, 2017

Breads bakery babka. Shops near union square, upper west side and a kiosk in Bryant park. We travel w babka pretty frequently when we head to stay with folks.
posted by Exceptional_Hubris at 10:29 AM on August 20, 2017 [6 favorites]

If you're traveling with bagels I recommend putting them on n a brown paper bag and then I to a plastic bag (ziplock or grocery) for travel. Upon arrival toasting them is best. :)
posted by raccoon409 at 10:30 AM on August 20, 2017 [5 favorites]

I've had success with rainbow cookies and meringues from Italian bakeries. Both stay good for 3-7 days, much longer than bagels or doughnuts.
posted by asphericalcow at 11:18 AM on August 20, 2017 [1 favorite]

Came here to rec chocolate babka from Breads Bakery.

I've never had fresh bagels survive a day. Reheated they're just an average bready thing and don't wow anybody.
posted by kapers at 11:19 AM on August 20, 2017

Black and white cookies are an NYC classic and generally stay fresh as they're coated in icing. I don't have a particular rec but they're all over.
posted by kapers at 11:21 AM on August 20, 2017 [1 favorite]

Mah-Ze-Dahr is west village but I think they're better than Levain for cookies, tbh -- Levain has huge lines and is kinda overrated. City Bakery has a ridiculously good chocolate chip. If you find yourself on the UES, stop at William Greenberg -- best black-and-white cookies in the city.

For bagels, I say Murray's or Ess-A-Bagel, but really it's hard to go wrong. If you're LES, and you want something a little different, and you like onion, try bialys from Kossar's!
posted by halation at 12:15 PM on August 20, 2017 [2 favorites]

Seconding City Bakery's chocolate chip cookies! They are excellent!
posted by dancinglamb at 12:52 PM on August 20, 2017

The Kee's Chocolate that was closest to you apparently just closed, but they're a fine choice. They should survive a day's travel.

I know this marks me as a transplant, but I have never regarded the black-and-white as a delicacy.
posted by praemunire at 1:01 PM on August 20, 2017

I asked a similar question a while back, the answers may be useful to you.

I personally recommend Breads Bakery babka.
posted by perplexion at 2:20 PM on August 20, 2017

Black Seed Bagels. Paper bag, then ziplock. Full disclosure: They're Montreal-style bagels, not NYC, but dang. SO good
posted by eve harrington at 5:33 PM on August 20, 2017

Mah-ze-dahr is very very good but im not sure ive had anything there that was both super exceptional AND would hold up to a day+ in transit without losing some of its peak deliciousness. You should still totally go there, and get the creme-filled brioche donut because its ridiculously good, but I think by the time it reached London it would be only very good. They have these oat bar looking things that on first glance might appear to be tangentially related to some sort of health food, but really they taste like straight butter (in the best possible way).

If you'll be in the lower east side during the day, definitely check out Economy Candy - I don't personally care too much for Halva but they sell it in bulk there, and at Russ and Daughters (since I don't much care for it I cant tell you if there is an appreciable difference in quality between the two, both are uniquely ny shopping experiences)
posted by Exceptional_Hubris at 7:34 AM on August 21, 2017

Get a chocolate or cinnamon babka from Zabar's or, better yet, Russ & Daughters. I used to get these for people as gifts. They're unscathed a day later, they're distinctly New York, and they are wonderful. I weep to think of them!
posted by Smearcase at 12:15 PM on August 21, 2017

Black and White Cookies from the Donut Pub. Sooo good.
posted by Salamandrous at 10:28 AM on August 22, 2017 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Fat Witch Brownies are pretty amazing. Their store is in Chelsea Market.

FYI, these went down a storm. Thanks.
posted by ihaveyourfoot at 9:03 AM on September 5, 2017