As part of Snack Store collection, Annie Arriaga investigates the most recent and best viral snack retailers in New York Metropolis to see if the hype is actual, if the snacks are yummy, and if the spot is underrated, overrated, or completely rated.
You’ve heard of a bar crawl, however what a couple of espresso crawl? One of many many stunning issues about New York Metropolis is that there are espresso retailers on each nook, every one with its personal particular vibe, specialty drink, and ambiance. After I heard Audrey Finnochario was coming from Rhode Island to shoot with us, I proposed we go on a espresso crawl by a few of Manhattan’s most internet-popular espresso creations (with the Nitro Bar queen herself) to take advantage of her go to to the Massive Apple.
I curated an inventory of the three espresso retailers I see most on TikTok that had been strolling distance from one another: ENLY, Hungry Llama, and Aimé Leon Dore. Right here’s a recap of the crawl and our ideas on all of the totally different coffees we tried.
The Snacks
We first began at ENLY in Nolita. ENLY is thought for his or her tiramisu latte: an iced latte topped with a thick chilly foam layer made with mascarpone and cinnamon. It was a wet day and the comfortable ambiance within the espresso store was excellent. We ordered two tiramisu lattes and watched because the barista, Andrew (who’s an enormous Nitro Bar fan), piped the creamy chilly foam on high of the lattes. The easiest way to begin the day.
Audrey and I each beloved this one. It is very decadent, thick, and filled with taste that completely encapsulates the style of tiramisu. The espresso taste was a bit overshadowed by the mascarpone, however who doesn’t like a espresso that tastes like dessert? This one was a ten/10 and Audrey stated it was completely rated.
Subsequent, we made our means west to Hungry Llama, an enormous espresso store with tons of seating and other people co-working. That they had a full lunch menu and the place was packed, however we had been there for one factor: their whipped honey fluff latte. Visually much like ENLY’s tiramisu latte, it’s clear that a great, flavored chilly foam performs some function in going viral (or at the very least getting prospects to take movies of baristas making the flowery drinks). The whipped honey is, clearly, a lot lighter than the thickness of the mascarpone tiramisu topping.
Audrey and I agreed this was a drink we’d each attain for extra usually, although it lacked the thrilling taste depth of the opposite. The espresso additionally got here by extra, which is at all times good.
Our third and ultimate cease was presupposed to be Rhythm Zero for his or her coconut americano, however they had been closed, so we headed to Aimé Leon Dore (which is simply pretty much as good). Aimé Leon Dore is a luxurious style retailer with a beautiful exterior and a tiny, stylish espresso store connected by a separate door. They’re recognized for his or her Freddo cappuccino, which is actually a Greek iced espresso. I’ve at all times needed to do this and it was a welcome change from the chilly foam frenzy of the opposite stops on the crawl. The fluffy, gentle milk being poured on high of darkish roast espresso was nonetheless aesthetically pleasing, and seemed promising. The barista instructed us to swirl the drink in a sure method to get the milk fluff and espresso to combine for the total expertise.
This was essentially the most espresso-forward drink of the crawl. Audrey talked in regards to the particular roast of the espresso having fruity, tangy notes—a differentiation we could not make on the primary two. The drink was robust and fluffy, gentle, one thing I’d need to make at house within the useless of summer season to chill off however nonetheless get some caffeine. I feel I’m formally a fan of Greek espresso!
Our crawl was such a blast and now I’m tempted to design extra to seek out the opposite “best-ofs” within the metropolis like chocolate chip cookies, matcha, perhaps even tiramisu (not espresso flavored like tiramisu although).
In case you’re studying this and you’ve got a suggestion for a Snack Store within the metropolis that I have to go to and (truthfully) charge, depart a remark right here or on our Snack Store TikTok video. I like strategies!
