Brown Butter Blondie
Red Gate Bakery

Red Gate Bakery

68 E 1st St, 10003, New York, US, United States

Tea • Cakes • Coffee • Cheese


"The atmosphere inside the bakery is quite small. As soon as you enter, there's a glass display showcasing all the different baked goods available. Unfortunately, there isn't an area to eat inside—your options are limited to a bench or table right outside the bakery, or you can take your treats to go. I visited around 3 PM on a Thursday and found no line to wait in. There was one person ahead of me, but the ordering and payment process was quick, especially if you already know what you want. I asked the staff for some recommendations, and she suggested the Midnight Bananenbrot and some of their cookies. Even though there was only one person working at the time, she was very friendly and I appreciated her help! I highly recommend trying their Roasted Carrot Cake! The Midnight Bananenbrot is also perfect for chocolate lovers. Now, onto my thoughts about the baked goods: **Oreo:** I had heard many great things about their homemade Oreos, but I was somewhat disappointed. While the cookie tasted similar to a standard Oreo, the texture was a bit off for me. The cookie had a strong cocoa flavor and a buttery taste. The thin layer of cream between the two cocoa cookies was quite sweet, with a subtle vanilla aroma. I was surprised by how crumbly the cookie was; it felt a bit sticky while eating it and lacked the typical crispiness of an Oreo. For $2, although the cookie was small, the price seemed fair. I wouldn’t buy it again, but I didn’t regret trying it either. (3.5/5) **Midnight Bananenbrot:** As a big fan of banana bread, I was really excited to try this! The bread was incredibly moist and had the perfect texture for banana bread. The best part was the taste of bittersweet chocolate and dark cocoa—it was rich and decadent! My only complaint is that the banana flavor could have been more pronounced, but I assume it contributed some sweetness and moisture to the bread. It tasted more like a dense chocolate bread than banana bread, so I would have rated it a 5/5 if the banana flavor had been stronger. A slice costs $5, which isn’t too bad considering how big it was. I can definitely see myself getting it again when I'm in the mood for something chocolatey. (4.5/5) **Roasted Carrot Cake:** As someone who loves carrot cake, I was thrilled with this one! It had the traditional cinnamon and spice flavors typical of carrot cake, plus it tasted even richer and slightly nutty thanks to the brown butter. The cake itself didn’t have a distinct carrot flavor, but it was very moist overall. The inside was soft and moist, while the edges were a little dry, resembling a crust. The cream cheese frosting paired perfectly with the cake, though I felt the frosting made it a bit too sweet, so the cake itself was my favorite part. This piece also costs $5, and the size was definitely worth it. I can see myself getting this again in the future! (4.5/5)"

Blue Bottle Coffee

Blue Bottle Coffee

33 Boylston St #3300, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA, Newton, United States

Tea • Cafe • Coffee • Chocolate


"Blue Bottle is a frustratingly wonderful cafe in a shopping area that the Gen Zers would call Bougie. Whatever you 're paying for, half of what you 're paying for goes to rent. A quarter goes to communicating a certain 'status, ' the other half goes to the costs of goods sold.And the cost of Blue Bottle 's goods sold is pretty expensive, but comparably worth it. They are one of the only cafes on The Street that doesn 't sell tea in a plastic steeping bag. They use paper steeping bags, instead. This is an important, and discriminating, factor in choosing a place where rent is so high. The product you are buying is not going to seep microplastics in the tea you are drinking.Blue Bottle gets five stars because they commit a lot of resources to sustainable businesses practices, at least from a customer 's perspective. The packaging is compostable, and switching from wood stirrers to fresh metallic spoons is a strong choice. They 'll have to wash those spoons for reuse again. They chose that instead of throwing away wood products.These are some of the reasons I 'll pony up five dollars for a small tea. I might not do it everyday, because I could be spending some of that money on avocado toast. But I 'll try to support sustainable businesses.That, and the delivery of the product is spot on. The baristas really do care about how the coffee and tea is brewed and steeped. There is a craftwork behind their operations, which deserves respect. I hope this review gives that respect, otherwise I should find a nice vending machine somewhere else."