Best of 2: Mille-feuille

Mille-feuille, also known as a Napoleon, is not so easy to find in New York City. I called about six bakeries and I was only able to find two places that had them. So, with that said, this one is a Best of 2, instead of the usual Best of 3.

#2: Mille-feuille from Mille-feuille ($4.75). This is the vanilla, but they also have a chestnut version now. I liked the vanilla better, even though I love chestnuts. The puff pastry is a dark brown and it tasted slightly burnt or maybe they were going for a caramelized take on it. Pastry cream was very good with a distinct vanilla taste. 

LOCATION: Mille-feuille | 552 Laguardia Place btw 3rd St. & Bleecker St. | New York, NY 10012 | 212.533.4698

#1: Ok, so this mille-feuille is not a traditional mille-feuille, but oh boy, is it good! Lady M's Banana Mille-feuille ($8) is made up of chunks of ripe bananas and sponge cake which is surrounded by whipped cream and flaky puff pastry. The slices are huge, but it's so light that you won't be able to stop eating after the first bite. The banana flavor really comes through beautifully. If you're a fan of Magnolia Bakery's Banana Pudding, you're going to LOVE this. I would choose this over that any day.

LOCATION: Lady M Confections | The Plaza Food Hall | 1 West 59th Street | New York, NY 10019 | 646.755.3225

Review: Lady Mendl's at The Inn at Irving Place

Lady Mendl's at The Inn at Irving Place is easy to miss when walking down the street. Just a tiny sign to the left of the door, up the steep stairs indicates that Lady Mendl's Tea Salon lies inside the brownstone doors. I've had tea at Lady Mendl's multiple times over the years and it was one of the first places I ever had afternoon tea.

SETTING:
Consisting of two rooms with Victorian style furnishings, the dining area is dedicated to tea service in the afternoon. I love it when afternoon tea is served in rooms just for tea since it feels so much more intimate and private. The rooms are cozy, elegant and simply charming.

SERVICE:
The waitstaff is great, but the flow of the courses was off. There were moments where we were waiting quite a bit for the next course, while others were brought out right away. One thing that really threw me off was being rushed out at the end. About two minutes after the last course was served, the waiter came by dropping off the check. Then five minutes after that, we were told the kitchen was closing and were basically asked to leave. I'm used to a two hour tea service, so it was bit jarring to be rushed out after an hour and a half. 

By the way, the menu does state that "Tea seatings are approximately 90 minutes in length." I just wish that they had moved the courses along a bit more in a timely manner throughout so we had a little time to linger without it ending so abruptly.

TEA & TEA SELECTION:
Nice selection. I went with a green tea called "Before the Rain Flowery Jasmine." 

SAVORIES:
SCONES:
SWEETS:
Lady Mendl's tea service is different than most since it's made up of five courses, instead of three. You start with an appetizer course which varies seasonally. It was a butternut squash tart which was bite-sized and really flavorful. Next, the tea sandwiches, served by the waitstaff from a hand-held tray filled with four different types of sandwiches. They're traditional and basic. I enjoyed them, even getting seconds when the tray came back around.

Scones, a cranberry and a butter, come next and they were served with Devonshire clotted cream and preserves. Good, although I wish they had been warm. I love warm scones.

There are two dessert courses, the first, a slice of the Lady M Mille Crêpes followed by a cookie plate with chocolate covered strawberries. Lady Mendl's is where I first had the crepe cake and fell in love with it. At that time, I didn't realize that they were from Lady M and was just exclusive to Lady Mendl's so every time I went back, that course was the one I looked forward to the most. Even still, it's a highlight for me. The assorted cookies and chocolate covered strawberries seemed a bit of an afterthought but I did like the heart shaped cookie with white chocolate. 

They used to serve a salad course, but I see they got rid of it. It was unusual, but it was a nice break from the carb heavy service that is typical of afternoon tea.

OVERALL:
You should have tea at Lady Mendl's at least once. Despite some small negatives, the price can't be beat for what you're getting and the setting is perfectly suited for tea.

Note: By reservation only with select seating times. You won't be seated in the dining area until all members of your party arrive. You'll be asked to wait in the lobby area. 

LOCATION: Lady Mendl's at The Inn at Irving Place | 56 Irving Place | New York, NY 10003 | 212.533.4466
AFTERNOON TEA HOURS: Monday - Friday: 3PM, 5PM seating | Saturday - Sunday: 12PM, 2:30PM, 5PM seating | Wednesday, Friday: 12PM seating
COST: $35 

Lady M at The Plaza Food Hall

In May, The Plaza expanded their lower level to include about 20 additional kiosks beyond the Todd English Food Hall. Surprisingly, there's quite a good list of vendors ranging from Sushi of Gari to Lady M. I went to try Lady M's chocolate-banana mille crepe ($8) which is exclusive to that location. 

Lady M is in a small area near the entrance of the Todd English Food Hall and looks to have about the same number of cakes and pastries as their Upper East Side location. The cakes are displayed in a sunken, outer rim of their circular kiosk. They don't serve tea so I wandered around a bit to find something to drink. 

I ended up getting a iced chai soy latte from Three Tarts for $6. Pricing seems to be all over the place so check prices before you do a double take at the register. 

They have seating nestled between kiosks and I didn't have a problem finding a table. As long as you're not going during lunch hours, the place is fairly empty, which makes for a more relaxing experience.

LOCATION: The Plaza Food Hall | 1 West 59th Street | New York, NY 10019 | 212.986.9260

[Visit] Lady M Confections

After all these years, I finally made my way over to Lady M Confections on the Upper East Side and had a sit down service of tea and a slice of the Green Tea Lady M Mille Crêpes. I first had their crêpe cake at Lady Mendl's and couldn't get over how amazing it was. I've also seen it on dessert menus at a couple of Japanese restaurants and didn't realize they all came from Lady M. I thought Lady M only made the crêpe cakes, but I was surprised to see they make all sorts of cakes and sweets. 

The bakery is on 78th street off of Madison, so it's easy to miss. The front is all glass and it's fairly narrow inside. The counter with about a dozen cakes on display is on your right and seating is to your left and back. There were only a few tables so this isn't a place to come with a big group. And by big group, I mean no more than a group of 3. Also, everyone in your party must be there for them to seat you.

I ordered a pot of their special blend of Chai Berry ($8) and a slice of the Green Tea Mille Crêpes ($8). The beverage prices are pretty high, but I chalk it up to this place being on the Upper East Side, therefore, they can get away with it. I've had the green tea version a few times, and as always, it did not disappoint. The delicate crêpes, layered over light, green tea pastry cream is so good and satisfying that one slice is just perfect. I'm already thinking of return trips to try the other cakes. 

Note: They add an 18% gratuity to all table service. 

LOCATION: Lady M Cake Boutique | 41 East 78th Street | New York, NY 10075 | 212.452.2222

[Links] 06.15.12

one: I recently discovered that Kathy YL Chan, who writes all the afternoon tea posts on Serious Eats, has a great blog of her own! She posts not only about afternoon tea, but also on her well-traveled life and food adventures. My list of places to eat have grown even longer since I've started following her blog.

two: Make your own Tea Bag Favors. Cute idea!

three: Lady M opened a kiosk in the Plaza Food Hall. Looks like there's another one opening in midtown soon. I was first introduced to Lady M's signature Mille Crêpes at Lady Mendl's afternoon tea service. It's freaking delicious. If you want to try making it yourself, here's the recipe.

Photo Credits: Kathy YL Chan / Lady M / Celebrations at Home