Ole & Steene

Ole & Steen is an "all day Danish bakery" that started in 1991 in Copenhagen. They expanded to London in 2016, and then in 2019 to New York City, which is where I visited.  They now have 5 locations in New York, I visited the one closest to Union Square.

The menu offers up sandwiches, parfaits, and whatnot for breakfast, toasties, soups, bowls, and salads for lunch, a full line up of espresso drinks and coffee, but the focus really is on the bakery side of things. On the bakery side, the breads take center stage, with a slew of different Danish rye and sourdough loaves, assorted sweet and savory buns, many pastries (including their well known Cinnamon Social), along with cakes and tarts.  Given my love of dessert and baked goods, you can guess what I was there for.  Oh, and did I mention, that they give you a birthday treat for free if you join their rewards club?  I can never resist a good freebie, and this actually was a good one.

Blueberry Muffin (sample).

"Vanilla batter, blueberries, topped with almonds and crunchy sugar." 

When I first visited to scope the place out, they had samples on the counter.  I eagerly grabbed one.  It turned out to be the blueberry muffin.

It was a fairly sweet muffin and tasted rather processed.  The base did have a strong vanilla flavor.  More like a blueberry crumb cake for an afternoon snack than a breakfast item.  Mine didn't have any almonds, but did have pearl sugar on top for a bit of crunch.   The berries weren't particularly plump nor plentiful.

Seemed sorta like the kind of muffin you find it a hotel breakfast buffet.  2.5/5.

$6.50 normally.

Carrot Muffin.

"Carrot cake, cream cheese frosting."

Other visit, this time to actually get my birthday treat, but I couldn't resist trying another sample that was laid out, this time the carrot muffin, which, given the fact that it had actual frosting, certainly seemed even more like a snack/dessert item than the blueberry crumb cake muffin, which I already thought wasn't really a breakfast item.

I love carrot cake, and had been sorta craving it, so this sounded great to me.  Alas, it did not please me.

The frosting was a bit too fluffy, a bit too sweet, and tasted more like butter or shortening than cream cheese.  I didn't detect any cream cheese element really.  The cake was too strongly spiced, and dry.  It lacked any raisins, nuts, or pineapple to jazz it up.  Bo-ring, and I didn't even want to finish my little sample.  2/5.

Also $6.50 normally.

Strawberry Tart. $10.

"Fresh strawberries, vanilla cream filling, dark chocolate-covered nutty shortcrust base, sprinkled with

chopped almonds ."

For my birthday free small cake, I went for the strawberry tart.  Regular readers of my blog know that I'm not normally one for tarts, but this wasn't a standard American/French style tart.  I'm told it is a classic Danish style though?  It certainly wasn't as pretty as tarts from French patisseries, but it also wasn't quite rustic, rather, just somewhere in-between.  This is the small, personal size, but they also make this in a larger format.

It actually was really quite good.  The strawberries on top were fresh and ripe, and the almond slivers added great crunch.  Good, but not standout, elements.  The rest is where it got both unique (to me anyway) and delicious.

Strawberry Tart: Cross-Section.

The rest really was quite different from what I was expecting.

Yes, there was a thin shortcrust base that was fairly average (and why I'm not into tarts in general) but above that was a thick layer of almond frangipane.  It was soft, nutty, sweet, and quite tasty.  Lovely almond notes, that were accented even more by the sliced almonds on top.  The dark chocolate covering it was a very thin layer, so easily lost, and I did find myself wanting more dark chocolate (so I added mini dark chocolate chips!).

Then, the part that really surprised me, was the "vanilla cream filling", which was a thick, rich, diplomat cream.  The consistency was perfect, it did have quite a bit of vanilla flavor, and it was the right level of not too sweet.  

Any set of these elements was enjoyable, e.g. just some frangipane and strawberries, or cream and strawberries and sliced nuts, and I almost enjoyed eating it more deconstructed in different combinations than all together.  It really had a lot to offer, and was better than I expected.

Low 4/5.

Raspberry Almond Croissant.
(Special). $7.95.

"Almond and raspberry jam filled croissant dusted with freeze dried raspberries."

I visited at 6:50pm to use up my rewards points that were going to expire.  I could pick any Danish item, and was immediately drawn to the raspberry Almond croissants, which aren't actually part of their formal menu, but were a special at this location.  There were two left in the case, and the person bagging up my order hesitated for a second, and just scooped them both up.  Score!  It was interesting to see them side by side though, as, not sure if you can tell from the photo, but they were quite different in shape and baking job, one was super puffy, and one was flat as a pancake.  And both were massive (that is not a normal small individual pastry bag, for reference).  I knew I wouldn't eat them both that night, and croissants are never that great a day old, so I handed one off to a friend who happened to be just a few blocks away.  I couldn't decide which one I'd prefer: the lofty one clearly looked better, but the smushed one had more topping, so I let her pick.  I got the pancake version.

I had pretty low expectations for this, given that Ole & Steen gets pretty mediocre reviews in general, plus laminated pastries like this are rarely good at the end of the day, even from a great bakery, but, hey, I had reward points to blow, and these did look unique.  

I was really quite surprised by how decent it was, smashed and all.  The pastry itself wasn't the flakiest, the most well laminated, the freshest, but it did have a really great, strong buttery flavor to it.  Perhaps a touch over baked though, pretty dark.  But the butter flavor was quite notable.

Of course, a twice baked and filled croissant is only partially about the croissant itself.  The fillings and toppings are the star attraction really, and they most certainly were here.  It was extremely generously stuffed with almond frangipane.  So much of it - nearly too much, really, it made it really a heavy item! There was more baked on top, along with the crunchy sliced almonds, which I loved for the extra crunch.  But that is all standard twice baked almond croissant.  The raspberry is what took this over the top.  There were pockets of intensely flavorful, fruity, sweet, raspberry jam within.  That jam was very, very good, and the bites I got with it were fantastic.  That said, it was not well distributed, so there were a few bites loaded with it, and most without.  The freeze dried raspberry dust on top was nice for looks, but I didn't really taste.  

I brought this home, warmed it up a bit, and stuffed it with ice cream to balance the heavy frangipane, and really quite enjoyed it.  3.5/5.

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Carvel Ice Cream

Oh Carvel.  A brand that had such importance during my childhood, when we had a Carvel store in my hometown, and for our birthdays, we always got custom Carvel ice cream cakes.  I remember pouring through the pages and pages of glossy images of the different designs available, and after agonizing (for a child) decision making, picked my choice for my party.  Of course I liked the cakes, but, selecting the design was is what I remember most.  I don't remember ever going to the Carvel shop for anything else, although I guess they actually had a regular ice cream shop, and were not just a place for cakes.

Then at some point the Carvel store closed.  We still got Carvel cakes for parties, but they were just the standard grocery store ones (which I've reviewed before).  They *aren't* nearly as good as freshly made cakes, and obviously come in only one flavor.

Update Review, Summer 2025

I spent the summer again on the east coast this year, land of Carvel ice cream, and it happened to also be my birthday while I was there, and thus, plentiful free birthday ice cream for me (it is usable every day for two weeks around your birthday)!  I'll admit the allure of Carvel has worn down for me - it is still better than any other fast food style soft serve, or better than most soft serve I can get in San Francisco, but in New York, the land of fantastic ice cream, it doesn't really measure up.

Lemonberry Crumble (Seasonal, early Aug).

"Swirl into summer with Lemonberry Crumble—where lemon and blueberry come together for the perfect creamy soft serve."

This was a seasonal flavor when I visited, so I asked to try it.

The base ice cream was good, exceptionally creamy like all of their soft serve.  It tasted to me like a more mild black raspberry, with notes of lemon to it, but not a particularly strong flavor.  It was sweet, but not too sweet. I think my mother would really like this, as black raspberry and lemon are her favorites.  For me, 3.5/5.

Toasted Marshmallow (Seasonal, late Aug).

A few days after I had tried the lemonberry crumble, I actually returned intending to get it, but alas, the seasonal flavor had just changed to toasted marshmallow.  I tried a sample first.

It was very sweet, and, well, yeah, did taste a bit like a toasted marshmallow, but pretty artificial.  I wasn't into it. The server loved it though, she said it reminds her of those soft caramels stuffed with a little cream center.  But for me, just not the right kind of sweetness.  Still wonderfully creamy premium ice cream of course.  Low 3/5.

Nutella.

"Decadent, rich and single. The flavor of your dreams. The decadent taste of chocolate hazelnut in a soft serve ice cream."

I was craving something a bit chocolately, so asked to sample the Nutella and Oreo, neither flavors I normally gravitate towards as I don't care for either ingredient all that much individually, but, I thought might be decent in soft serve.  First up was the Nutella.

This is definitely the most decadent of their flavors, particularly nutritionally.  A small vanilla (or most others) cup or cone is 350 calories/18g fat/22g sugar, where this is 420 cal/22g fat/31g sugars (Oreo is fairly close behind with 400 cal/20g fat/27g sugar).  The reason of course is that they do indeed use real Nutella, but a small soft serve cone being 420 cal (compared to say, Burger King's 190 calories / McDonald's 200 / Dairy Queen 220) is indeed more decadent, just as they say.

It was very creamy as is all Carvel ice cream, and yes, did taste a bit like Nutella, although it was fairly muted.  It was fine, but not a flavor I was really excited by.  3/5, probably 3.5/5 just given how creamy it was. 

Oreo.

"You don't need any milk for this OREO®. Eat your favorite cookie in the smooth swirls of Carvel® soft serve."

The Oreo looked nearly identical in color and little flecks, but she was careful to keep them separate as I tried them.  It too was nicely creamy, and used real Oreo inside of it, not just vague Oreo flavor, again making it a more decadent (higher cal/sugar/fat) option.

It did taste "cookies and cream", but was still a fairly muted flavor to me.  Since I don't actually love Oreos, this was totally fine, but if you want a lot of Oreo flavor, this is not it.  For me, it was good enough, and I think would be absolutely fantastic with their crunchies on it.  3.5/5.

Vanilla/Chocolate Twist.
(Small).

Vanilla: "The original classic. We've been improving our vanilla for more than 80 years. Yes, 80 years."

Chocolate: "Chocoholics dream of this. This is why chocoholics become chocoholics. Rich, creamy, fresh chocolate that's made especially for you."

Twist: "The best of both worlds. Why settle for one classic flavor. Get the yin and yang of ice cream together in perfect harmony."

This was my first time ever having Carvel chocolate soft serve (and maybe having their vanilla?) but I visited a very small location (inside Macy's near Times Square), with only vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, and the seasonal flavor and I decided to just be basic and try the twist. 

It wasn't exactly made with love, and frankly looked pretty homely, but it was fine. Truly exceptionally creamy rich soft serve, pretty standard vanilla and chocolate flavors, neither was overly pronounced, and it was sweet but not too sweet. Basically, just a classic very good vanilla and chocolate soft serve, high fat content base, classic, indeed.  3.5/5.

Vanilla. (Small).

"The original classic. We've been improving our vanilla for more than 80 years. Yes, 80 years."

Chocolate: "Chocoholics dream of this. This is why chocoholics become chocoholics. Rich, creamy, fresh chocolate that's made especially for you."

A few visits later, I was struck with tragedy.  The location was cleaning their machines, at 12:30pm on a Sunday, and had only chocolate and vanilla available.  I specifically picked that location because they have mango, mint, and birthday cake!  Sigh.  Dejected, I settled on a vanilla cone.

This was the smallest "small" I have received at any Carvel location, although at least it looked like a reasonable twirl.

It was fine.  Average.  Creamy.  Better than fast food vanilla, but actually not as good as the vanilla at other locations.  I don't think this was a very good location in terms of quality control (East Village, Manhattan, for reference).  3/5.

Oreo.
(Small).

"You don't need any milk for this OREO®. Eat your favorite cookie in the smooth swirls of Carvel® soft serve."

Wow, what a difference a different location makes!  When I got my second cone it was from the West Village location, and the staff here were so friendly AND seemed to actually put a bit of thought into making my cone.  This one looked considerably better, and was much bigger.  I settled for the Oreo, not wanting basic vanilla or chocolate again, or Nutella or toasted marshmallow, my other options.

It was unchanged in taste in full cone form (which isn't always the case!).  Very creamy, decent flavor, but not tons of Oreo came through.  I again thought it would be spectacular with their crunch coat added, I settled for chocolate sprinkles I brought with me.  3.5/5.

Mint.
(Small).

"Minty fresh. No matter the weather, it's always a good time for refreshing, creamy mint. Try it with fudge on top. A-maz-ing."

This was the biggest small yet!  Now, maybe a dish you just get more than a cone?  But the volume of ice cream was definitely considerably higher here than any of my cones.

Anyway, the flavor, mint, always a favorite of mine, and absolutely best with chocolate crunchies, sprinkles, fudge, or chocolate shell.  I got it plain, so I could add my own toppings - who wants to pay $1-2 extra for $0.05 worth of toppings!  This also gave me the opportunity to try it without chocolate elements masking the flavor at all.

Like all Carvel ice cream, yes, very creamy, very rich.  And, it seems, like all Carvel these days, just not a very strong flavor otherwise.  Another one that was an enjoyable vanilla-like flavor, with a hint of mint, but the flavor just seemed so muted.  I still liked it, the sweetness level was good, not too sweet, and the texture/consistency are top notch, but, come on, I wanted more actual mint flavor.  3.5/5, but again, just as a slightly interesting vanilla, not as a real mint flavor.

Cake Mix.
(Small).

"Better than licking the bowl. The taste of birthday cake any day of the year."

Another bowl rather than cone, and yeah, at least based on my sample size, you definitely get more ice cream in a dish than a cone.

I think in the past year Carvel changed their birthday cake-esque flavor, as I previously reviewed one called "birthday cake", and this was called "cake mix".  Anyway, this was a slightly sweeter flavor than the others, although not cloying sweet like cake batter things can sometimes be, and yes, sorta ... yeah, cake flavored.  Cake/frosting flavored, in that non-specific way.  It was good, standard Carvel creaminess.  It paired well with some leftover cake I had :)

3.5/5.

[ no Photo ]

Mango

I also sampled the mango.  I was so excited to see mango!  But like many of the flavors, it was just very muted.  I loved the base ice cream, but mango really didn't come through.  3.5/5 as a slightly more interesting vanilla.

Original Review, Summer 2024

This past year, I re-discovered Carvel ice cream shops, when I visited New York, and they had several locations.  It happened to be my birthday month as well, which was double great, because they give a free cone for your birthday reward (with sign-up).  I love a good freebie.

"Each of Carvel's handmade items starts with The Original Soft Serve™, created in 1934. Today, our delicious treats and classic ice cream cakes are a staple at birthdays, holiday parties, or any occasion worth celebrating."

Although they carry hard ice cream, I had eyes only for the soft serve.  Yes, I like all ice cream, but I'm a soft serve ice cream girl to the core.  

Carvel (inside Macy's)

I had no idea that Carvel has so many flavors of soft serve at Carve!  I thought they just had vanilla and chocolate.  But they actually have a slew more, depending on your location of course, including seasonal specials (like birthday cake, pumpkin, etc), and basics like strawberry, cold brew coffee, and chocolate hazelnut, along wtih coconut, pistachio, mint.  This is in addition to some "Carvelite" flavors and Oatly non-dairy flavors.

In Manhattan, the location inside Macy's (pictured here) had only 4 flavors, but the standalone store just a few blocks away had 6 (or 8? I forget).  The Financial District store had only vanilla/chocolate though, so, plan accordingly.

Mint.  Small.

"No matter the weather, it's always a good time for refreshing, creamy mint. Try it with fudge on top. A-maz-ing."

I went for the mint without trying to first.  I know, such a rookie move.  Now, it was good.  Don't get me wrong.  It was rich, creamy, great quality Carvel soft serve.  I really do like their soft serve.  But the mint flavor wasn't quite as strong as I was hoping it would be.  It was a good mint flavor, not medicinal or anything, and the sweetness level was nice, but, just slightly lacking in powerful mint flavor.  I suspect it would be great with chocolate sprinkles or chips . ***+

Birthday Cake. Small.

"A rainbow sprinkled cake-flavored take on The Original Soft Serve™ made in honor of our 90th birthday."

It was my birthday when I visited, so the birthday cake flavor seemed most fitting, right? Available in hard scoops or soft serve.  I asked the staff how sweet the soft serve was, and he immediately just handed me a sample cup.  It wasn't cloying sweet as I feared, and the taste was instantly recognizable: Carvel blue frosting!  It tasted *exactly* like their blue frosting, although it was a off-white color (missed opportunity!).  I do quite like that frosting, but, I don't think I'd want a full cone of this.  In the small sample size though it was enjoyable, and the consistency was excellent, very rich, smooth, creamy. ***+.

Update Review: 

Well, I returned and DID get a full cone of it.

This wasn't the prettiest cone, and it started falling over nearly immediately, but I quite enjoyed it. The birthday cake flavor tastes instantly recognizable if you are familiar with Carvel ice cream cakes. It takes exactly like their blue frosting, which I absolutely love and is my favorite part of Carvel cake (besides the crunchies of course).  Very rich, high fat content for soft serve, and shockingly not cloying sweet.  Best with sprinkles of course, which I added on my own.  Fresh tasting cone.  It turned out to be my favorite flavor. ****. 

Horchata.  Small.

"Traditional horchata flavoring (a mix of sugar & cinnamon with notes of rice flour) blended with vanilla soft serve."

This was really, really good.  Super creamy and rich, proper sweetness level (not too sweet), lovely cinnamon notes, hint of vanilla, hint of rice ... yeah, it was pretty perfect.  I wish I had gotten a full cone of it, but I was too tempted by other flavors.  ****+.

Update Review:

I tried this as a sample on my first visit, but got excited about the mint flavor and got that instead. But I kept thinking back on how good the horchata was so I returned a few days later to get it. It was again quite good- very, very creamy and rich soft serve, some light rice flavor, and mild spicing. I thought I remembered the spicing being stronger, more cinnamon, but it was still good and more interesting than your basic vanilla. ***+.

[ No Photos - Samples Only ]

Pumpkin Cheesecake: 

"A flavor-fall take on The Original Soft Serve™."

It was mid-august, and Carvel launched pumpkin cheesecake flavor, definitely a bit too early for pumpkin spice season if you ask me. But I couldn't resist trying a sample, even though I'm not generally one to love pumpkin spice things as I'm not really into nutmeg, and way too many pumpkin spice items are just far too heavy in the nutmeg. This however, was not too spiced.  It had nice warming spices, but it certainly wasn't aggressive. There was also a light pumpkin in the flavor. I can't say I really tasted any cheesecake though, I expected a different tang or something from that component, and I just didn't detect any of it. So I'd consider this a very mildly flavored pumpkin with a little bit of spices, fairly muted flavors overall. ***.

Chocolate Oatly:

"The Original Soft Serve™ you know and love, made with Oatly. Non-dairy deliciousness. Will be able to get in a variety of flavors based on your shoppe's availability."

I visited one Carvel location when they had the machines offline for cleaning, and only had their Oatly flavors available.  The staff member offered a sample, so I tried it, opting for the chocolate flavor.  It was actually very good - rich and creamy texture, nicely melty, good milk chocolate flavor.  There was a slight oat milk taste to it, but I like oat milk, so this didn't bother me.  Considerably better than expected, and a wonderful offering for those who want/need to be dairy free.  ****.

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PLNT Burger

Update Review, August 2025 Visits

I visited PLNT 3 times when I was in NY this summer.  I ordered in person twice for shakes, and once online for a burger.  That time was only a quasi-success, as my order was ready at the expected time, but really, it was ready at least 10-15 mins earlier, and wasn't actually warm when I got it.  The times I ordered in person were fine, ready fast. 

Sweets

When I visited last year for my free birthday shake, PLNT used Oatly for the soft serve (and for the oat milk they blend it with).  However, Oatly has ended that product, so they had to find a new plant based soft serve to move to.  They went with Eclipse, which I've had in hard serve before (didn't care for the vanilla, but the cookie butter was good!).  I'm not sure I noticed a difference in milkshake form, since it is blended with the Oatly oat milk still.  

Banana Brulee Milkshake (Small). $6.69.
No caramel, add rainbow sprinkles (+$1), half banana.

"Try this limited-edition, chef-crafted collaboration between PLNT Burger and Cookies, while supplies last. Infused with love and 100% plant-based deliciousness."

I was again a bit stumped on what flavor milkshake to order.  I don't order milkshakes in regular life, and vanilla, chocolate, twist, or black and white just seemed ... boring.  And although I love strawberries, I don't care for strawberry ice cream /  milkshakes / yogurt at all.  Which left me with the mint cookies & cream (that I had last year, uh, sub chocolate sprinkles for Oreo) or this, the special banana brulee milkshake.  I was drawn to it because I saw photos of it, and it was supposed to have whipped cream and brulee sprinkles on top.  Whipped cream isn't even an option with any of the others, so that alone drew me in.

It is made with the vanilla soft serve (Eclipse), oat milk (Oatly), caramel syrup, bananas, and the aforementioned whipped cream and brulee sugar crystals.  Or at least, that is what all their materials say, and what the photos show. But it was handed over like this, sans any fun toppings.  I asked about this, and the staff member just shrugged and said, "Yeah, we don't make them like that no more.".  Well, ok then.  So, no whipped cream, no brulee topping.  

When I ordered, I had the option to include no whipped cream or no sugar topping (and no caramel, no bananas, or sub chocolate soft serve for the vanilla).  I did NOT take those first omissions, but it seems they need to update the menu and the app to reflect how they are currently making the shake.  I did opt to have no caramel added (I was worried about it just being too sweet), but added rainbow sprinkles to give it some sweetness and fun texture, as I had loved the texture the chocolate sprinkles added to my mint shake last summer.  You can add sprinkles (either color), caramel, chocolate sauce, or Oreo for $1 more.  I also asked in person (since not possible in the online ordering) to use only half the banana as I didn't want it over the top banana-y.  After all, I was mostly getting this for the fun toppings (alas!).

Anyway, my annoyance that they changed it to be more boring aside, this was good.  The flavor was definitely oaty, which I don't mind.  It had good banana flavor, definitely exactly what I was aiming for, and if that really was half, I think regular amount would have been way too much for my tastes.  It was perfectly blended, easily drinkable with a straw with some intentional suction, also possible to eat with a spoon with no problem.  It had only a small amount of rainbow sprinkles blended in, which did add a nice sweetness and a tiny bit of texture, but there wasn't much, definitely nothing like last year's copious additions.

So overall, this was enjoyable, and obviously free so a great value, but I wouldn't get this again unless craving banana.  3.5/5.

Vanilla Shake (small). $6.79.
Add chocolate sprinkles (+$1).

A week later, I was craving another shake.  An oat shake at that.  What had gotten into me? For my next shake, I went back to my mint chocolate chip inspiration, this time opting to create a chocolate chip version, so just a vanilla shake to which I added chocolate sprinkles.

It was prepared quickly, and served super full, which I was pleased by.  No skimping here!  It was well blended, a great consistency, and yeah, just a pretty decent vanilla, oat based, shake.  It was easy to drink with the provided straw, or use a spoon if I wished.  Nice sweetness level, no fake vanilla taste.  Just, good.  3.5/5 base.

Vanilla Shake: SPRINKLES!

And the chocolate sprinkles?  Fabulous!  It was much like my first shake that was absolutely loaded with them.  Very bite/sip had tons of sprinkles.  The base had tons of sprinkles.  So much texture, and it really made it eat like chocolate chip soft serve.

Approaching 4/5 really, although I'm still not one to really ever crave a shake, let alone a vegan one, this really is nicely made.

Chocolate Soft Serve.

I asked how chocolately the soft serve was and was offered a sample.  I'm glad I tried it, as I really did not care for it.  It tasted exactly like a fudgesicle (just a sorta oaty one) and I really, really don't like that flavor.  Something about that kind of chocolate flavor and the iciness.  Not for me at all. 1/5.

Burgers

PLNT offers 6 different burgers, ranging from simple burger to a double to a patty melt, plus a few other variations.  You can easily make a few changes to the burgers such as getting it as a swiss chard wrap (no extra fee) or on an actual gluten-free bun (+$3.59), switch out the cheese to pepper jack, get a bigger patty (+$2), change the patty to chik'n (+$1), or change it to their "actual veggies" patty (+$2), and ask for the sauce on the side as easy changes.  You can further customize by "adds" such as guacamole/grilled or fresh jalapenos, crispy onions, mushroom bacon, an extra patty, or "spicy dust" for varying upcharges, and have any of the base elements left out.  They also have 2 chicken (er, Chik'n) and one fish option.

Cheeseburger. $9.39.
(Sub Swiss Chard Wrap, Sauce on the Side).

"Plant-Based Patty, Caramelized Onion, Pickles, Stockeld Cultured Cheddar (V), Green Leaf Lettuce, Roma Tomato, PLNT Sauce, Potato Bun."

For my first actual burger from PLNT, I opted for the cheeseburger.  Since I'm not all that into buns, and I adore swiss chard, I got it as a swiss chard wrap rather than a bun, and asked for the sauce on the side in case I didn't care for it.  These were all predefined easy mods when ordering.

It came wrapped in a pretty large piece of greens, that actually seemed like collard greens, not swiss chard.  I didn't mind this, as I like collards too, but, take note.  The wrap was crisp, fresh, a bit awkward to eat, but a nice change from a bun.  I did actually just end up eating the contents mostly without it, and bringing it home to saute later.  4/5 for the wrap though, good, and a unique offering.

Cheeseburger: Inside.

Nestled within was the rest of the burger ingredients.  Everything was as expected, all ingredients included, although the tomato seemed to be a regular large round tomato, not Roma as the menu said (the third menu inaccuracy I found, after the lack of brulee milkshake toppings and the change of the type of green for the wrap ...).

The cheese was nicely melted, gooey, decent cheddar flavor, and really not distinguishable from regular dairy cheddar, particularly with all the other ingredients within.  The caramelized onions were chopped up bits and were very tasty, particularly with the cheese.  There were tons of them.  I loved these two components, along with the very tasty copious pickle slices.  4/5 for all of that.

The tomato was the only letdown.  I didn't care that it didn't seem to be Roma, but it wasn't very juicy nor fresh, and it was August, peak tomato season, so this was quite sad.  At least it wasn't mealy, it was just not ripe and tasted like nothing really.  2/5 tomato.

And then of course the burger patty.  This was a thin, fast food style patty, so not thick and juicy, but it was nicely charred.  It ate like a meaty style patty, e.g. Beyond or Impossible (although it is proprietary, not either of those brands exactly), not like an old-school traditional veggie burger (although they offer that too, the "Actual Veggies" burger).  With the excellent toppings, I barely cared that it wasn't beef, I mostly cared that it was a thin style patty, which isn't normally what I go for.  But very good for a non-beef burger, 3.5/5.

Put it all together, and particularly carried by the strength of the caramelized onions/cheese/pickles, this may be a low 4 star.

Original Review, August 2024 Visit

When you think of vegan food, you most likely don't think of burgers, fries, and shakes.  At least, I don't.  I think of generally more healthy cuisine, with a focus around whole plants and vegetables.  But ... it makes sense that vegans want indulgent comfort food too.  Enter: PLNT Burger.  Basically akin to Shake Shack or your favorite burger joint, but, entirely vegan.

"Our menu is 100% plant-based, kosher and delicious."

They aren't trying to be ultra healthy, just, tasty.  Now this I can get behind. 

The chain has locations in NYC, the Boston and DC areas, and Pennsylvania.  I wasn't aware of it however until I recently visited NY, and I kept walking by both locations.  I was intrigued enough to look it up, and the reviews were quite positive.  I was sold when I saw they were offering a free burger or sandwich just for signing up for the rewards club, and doubly sold when I saw I'd get a free shake on my birthday (which just happened to be that month).  You know I love my freebies.

Setting

In NYC, there are two PLNT Burger locations, both adjacent to parks, one across the street from Bryant Park, the other half a block off Madison Square Park.

Bryant Park Location.

The Bryant Park location had virtually no seating, just three seats in the window, and a few stools around the center island.  No outdoor seating.  Clearly a location for takeout, during the warmer weather, it is easy to cross the street and dine in Bryant Park.  I'm curious what people do in the winter however.

Ordering is done via several kiosks along the wall, online through your phone, or, in person if you wished.  I ordered online as I had a reward to redeem and that seemed easiest since I was logged in.  The staff at this location were wonderful, very friendly, welcoming, up for modifying things, and wished me a happy birthday (as I was there redeeming my reward).  I was the only guest at 12:30pm on a Sunday though, which seems a bit concerning for their business.

Burgers / Sandwiches

If you are curious, the burgers use Beyond Burger, the cheese is Follow Your Heart vegan cheese.  I'm not sure what brand the crispy or grilled chicken, fish fillets, or "actual veggies" veggie burgers are.  I still haven't tried one of the burgers, but I hope to next time I'm in NY.

Sweets

For desserts, PLNT has four offerings: soft serve, shakes, floats, and cookies.  All are obviously vegan.  

Cookies are your standard chocolate chip, or a healthy sounding carrot-oat-pineapple. The soft serve is oat-milk based, available in chocolate or vanilla, with or without rainbow or chocolate sprinkles.  I was pretty interested in that, as I adore soft serve in general, and really do quite like oat milk (and the common brand of oat based soft serve on the market, Oatly), but my birthday reward was for a shake only.  

For shakes, I had a lot of options.  Too many, really.  I was so indecisive.  The lineup started with the basics: vanilla, chocolate, or swirl, using the vanilla or chocolate (or both for swirl, obviously) based soft serve.  Then there was strawberry, which I think used syrup with the vanilla base.  Or black and white, which, my research tells me, is a fairly common type of milkshake, that uses vanilla base plus chocolate syrup (rather than the swirl, which is both the vanilla and chocolate bases).  So I think it is less chocolately than a chocolate shake (that uses chocolate base), but more chocolately than the swirl (since that has the vanilla mixed with chocolate)?  Next up is peppermint cookies & cream (vanilla base, peppermint syrup, Oreos). From there, the specials roll in, which during my visit was a banana creme brulee, with bananas blended in and a brulee topping.  You can add sprinkles (rainbow or chocolate), graham crumbs, Oreos, chocolate sauce, or caramel to any shake.  So if the peppermint cookies & cream isn't your thing, but you still want cookies & cream, just add Oreo to the vanilla base (or chocolate, if you want more chocolate flavor, etc).   No whipped (non-dairy) cream topping options.

Mint Cookies N' Cream OATasty Shake. $6.49.
(-Oreos, Sub Chocolate Sprinkles).

Even with all the customization options possible, I still wanted something a bit different, not from the menu.  See, I don't like Oreos, or strawberry shakes, but I wanted something more interesting than just vanilla or chocolate (or even either of those with sprinkles).  I loved the appeal of the mint, but, that was only available in the peppermint cookies & cream.  There was no option to remove the Oreos, but I asked anyway, and asked if I could sub chocolate sprinkles for the Oreos.  Both are priced the same as add-ins, so I hoped this would be allowed.  The staff member I asked said it was no problem at all, and she'd be happy to do it.  I told her I was basically trying to make mint chip, and she approved of my creation.

My shake was quickly prepared, and handed over with a smile.  She wished me a happy birthday.  I was really pleased with the service.

I was even more pleased when I took a sip of the shake.  It was good.  Very good.  The mint flavor was very strong (nearly too strong).  The shake was really well blended, the perfect level of soft and melty, easy to suck up with a straw.  It was loaded with chocolate sprinkles.  Again, borderline too much, but, I loved the texture from the little bits, and the pops of chocolate flavor.  Sure, actual chips would be better, but this definitely created the mint chip experience I was looking for.  The oat milk base was, well, oaty, but really quite enjoyable, creamy, rich.  I'm surprised they don't have a cinnamon/horchata shake available, as it seems like it would be a natural fit.

I absolutely loved it, and would get again without question, although I am also interested in trying others.  ****.

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Liberty Bagels, NYC

Update Review, August 2025

Another year, my annual visit to Liberty Bagels to get my free birthday bagel with cream cheese.  I appreciated that the person taking my order smiled and genuinely seemed happy to wish me a happy birthday, and didn't act like I was annoying.  My receipt even said "Happy Bdayyy" on it (yes, with that many 'y's).  It all felt genuine somehow, which made the experience even better.

My visit was around 12:30pm, on a weekday, so there was basically no wait to order, and it was ready in just a few minutes.

Blueberry Cream Cheese (sample).

While I waited, I tried the blueberry cream cheese.

It was very creamy, sweet, and enjoyable, but the blueberry wasn't particularly strong. You could definitely eat it just like a mild blueberry cheesecake though. 3.5/5.

Rainbow Bagel / Birthday Cake Cream Cheese. $6.85 (or free on birthday!).
(untoasted, on the side).

As always, the birthday freebie was the rainbow bagel with birthday cake cream cheese, no options to pick your own.  They do always ask if you want it toasted or not.  I declined toasting, and asked for cream cheese on the side, so I could consume later.  This was no problem.  

I of course tried a bite of the bagel right away, even though I intended to actually properly toast it at home.  It really doesn't need toasting though; the bagel has a great chew to the exterior, is soft and fluffy inside, and just a very good bagel. The color and design is stunning of course, but it is just a plain bagel. A good plain bagel, but a plain bagel. 3.5/5.

The cream cheese was perhaps slightly less sweet than I remembered, but still quite enjoyable (and really, better suited for a bagel, just less well suited to be a dessert as I like to use it!).  Creamy, smooth base consistency, good distribution of colorful sprinkles.  Good with the bagel, great spread on strawberries with cocoa nibs for a little sweet treat too.  4/5. 

Update Review, August 2024

Another year, another birthday, and, my second year in a row being in New York City for my birthday.  This meant that I could get my free birthday bagel at Liberty Bagel.  My birthday fell on a Monday this year, so the lines were less dramatic than last year (which was on a weekend).  Ordering was straightforward, the staff knew exactly what to do, just checked my ID, and moved on.  For the birthday free bagel, you don't get a choice of bagel (always rainbow) nor of cream cheese (always birthday cake), just FYI.

I enjoyed my bagel yet again, and will make this part of any birthday agenda when I'm in NY.  Only valid the actual day of your birthday.

Cream Cheeses.

While I was waiting for my bagel, I asked to sample the peanut butter nutella cream cheese.  It was as tasty as I hoped it would be, basically like a chocolate hazelnut peanut butter cheesecake.  So good.  Great as a little sample.  ****.

The server also had me try his favorite, which was cinnamon raisin.  It was good, nice plump raisins, good cinnamon level, but it tasted more like cream cheese, and wasn't quite as enjoyable to just eat by the sample-spoonful.  ***.

Rainbow Bagel (untoasted) w/ Birthday Cream Cheese (on the side).
$5.80 (complimentary for birthday).

Since I was not planning to eat it right away, I asked for my bagel untoasted and with the cream cheese on the side, both of which were easy to do (and are standard questions they ask when you order if you don't specify anyway). 

When I was handed my bag however it was warm.  I was slightly annoyed, thinking, "ugh, they toasted it even though I said not to", but then I pulled it out to take a bite anyway (I did of course WANT to try it fresh, even though I was on my way to lunch), and discovered that it was not toasted, it was actually just warm, literally fresh from the oven.  Incredible.  

The bagel was excellent.  Obviously very fresh, nice crust to it, fluffy inside, fabulous chew.  It wouldn't need toasting at all if I was planning to eat it right then.  Such a well made bagel.  And obviously a very pretty one, although it was just a plain bagel, so, um, kinda plain tasting.  ****+ quality, *** taste, **** overall.

The cream cheese was also as delightful as I remember.  Yes, it is basically like a dense cheesecake, very sweet, loaded with sprinkles, and not really what you should eat everyday, but for a special occasion, it really is delicious.  I love it on strawberries or crackers too (not just bagels).  ****+ cream cheese.

Original Review, August 2023

Ah, New York bagels.  Yes, a cliche perhaps, but, when I was recently in New York, I had to get a bagel at some point, right?

"Liberty Bagels is your neighborhood bagel shop; it is where you can gather for good conversation and great food. Our head bakers make certain every bagel is baked to perfection, so we can proudly provide our guests with freshly baked bagels, breakfast sandwiches, lunch sandwiches, great coffee, catering and so much more. Come on in. Our bagels are delicious and our coffee is strong."

I opted to try a place new to me: Liberty Bagels.  They get strong reviews (4.5 stars on Yelp with zillions of reviews), and ... well, they have a birthday free bagel with cream cheese promotion.  You know how much I love a good freebie, and a birthday one at that, so, Liberty Bagels easily made it on my list of birthday adventures.

Setting

The location I visited was in midtown.  It was a Saturday afternoon.  12:30pm.  I don't recommend this.

Um, the lines.

"Liberty Bagels is home to the best bagels in New York. Our old-fashioned, hand-rolled, and kettle boiled bagels are a NY staple and is a stop you cannot skip during a trip to NYC. But you don’t have to just hear it from us, check out this video Uber featured us in! "

So, yes, I expected some crowds but I was shocked when I turned the corner to see a line going far down the street.  There were two employees outside *just* dealing with the crowd and directing pickup orders.  Others seemed to have no issue with this line, but, I was deterred, and moved on to another one of my freebie quests instead, particularly once I looked inside and saw just how far it was before the register to order.  It easily would have been an hour wait.

Clearly, their Instagram success with the rainbow bagels, and whatever guidebook has been featuring them, was working for the business.

Inside Chaos.

I returned a few hours later, later afternoon.  There was only a short line outside, and once we were allowed in, then it was time to get into another line.  After ordering, we were aggressively told to get out of the way and queue up on the other side.  These crowds are clearly normal for them, but certainly made it a less enjoyable experience for me.

Bagels.

Like most bagel shops, the bagels were clearly visible in baskets behind the counter.  Of course, actually getting to the counter area to see them was a bit of lost cause.  I only managed to snag a photo on my way out, as the crowd control handlers were keeping us moving along.  You really couldn't browse with your eyes to decide what to get.

Bagel Line Up.

Luckily, closer to the register, they had a illustrated visual guide to move of the bagels. 

Individual bagels are $1.85 for the basics (plain, egg, poppy, onion, salt, sesame, garlic, multigrain, cinnamon raisin, pumpernickel, everything, pumpernickel everything, whole wheat everything, egg everything), $2.75 for specialty such as Blueberry, Jalapeño Cheddar, Jalapeño Cheddar Everything, Asiago, French Toast, Flagel (Flat Bagel), and $3.50 for the Rainbow or Empire multi colored ones.

Cream Cheeses Part 1.

And then ... the signature cream cheeses.  On display like a gelato shop in Italy.  But, you know, cream cheese.  There was something for everyone here, with sweet, savory, spicy, and everything in between. I won't enumerate all of the choices, but, um, the bacon honey sriracha definitely sparked my interest.

Regular cream cheese is $2.10 with a bagel, flavored is $2.55, vegan tofu based is $2.35, vegan flavored is $3.10, lox spread is $3.85 and flavored lox is $4.40.  You can also get individual portions (1/4 lb) for $2.95-5.25, depending on the flavor, or by the pound ($11.80-$21).

Cream Cheeses Part 2 (including vegan), salad fillings.

The vegan tofu based lineup was particularly impressive, with nearly as many choices as the regular.  Deli salads (tuna, chicken, egg, etc) and meats were also on display.

Food

I would have definitely had a hard time making decisions here, just given the plethora of options and how inviting they all looked, but, for the birthday freebie, there was no choice.  I was getting a rainbow bagel with birthday cake cream cheese.

Rainbow Bagel with Birthday Cake Cream Cheese. $4.40.
(Untoasted, on the side).

I did ask to have it untoasted (options are toasted, double toasted, untoasted, or scooped out), and to have the cream cheese on the side, as this was just a pickup for me, in the midst of my great freebie crawl.  I'd toast it at home later.  This request was easily accommodated.

So, how was it, my first actual NY bagel this trip?

It was good.  NY bagels really do put others to shame.  It was soft, it had a great shine to the exterior, and light chew.  It certainly didn't need to be toasted.  And yes, very colorful and interesting to look at as well, obviously.  A very good bagel, no question, but quite plain.  I wouldn't normally pick a plain bagel.  ****+ for bagel execution, but ***+ because plain was boring.  As much as the rainbow is made for Instagram, if you are eating for your stomach instead, get another variety.

The cream cheese I was even more interested in than the bagel.  It somewhat let me down, as I expected more flavor from it.  It was loaded with funfetti, which added sweetness (and I suspect the base was sweetened as well), but, it didn't taste like much besides sweet cream cheese.  Fun, festive, appropriate for my birthday, but at the end of the day, just sweet and colorful cream cheese.  ***.

Overall though, for a birthday freebie, this one was quite fun, and I'd recommend just for the experience (and for Instagram, of course).  ****.

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Panera: The Cookies

Update Review, July 2025

Chocolate Coconut Macaroon. $1.99.

"A deliciously crafted chocolate coconut macaroon cookie finished with a chocolatey dip."

One day when I was at Panera picking up items for my Mom, I saw a different cookie I hadn't tried yet: the chocolate macaroon.  I haven't liked any of Panera's cookies before, but the regular coconut macaroon I thought was the best of any I had tried, so I was curious to try the chocolate version.  It looked much the same, as both are dipped in chocolate the same way, this one just actually had chocolate integrated in with the coconut too.

It was a decent macaroon.  Super moist inside, good texture from the shredded coconut, strong coconut flavor.  I didn't really taste that much chocolate.  It was fairly sweet, perhaps a bit too sweet.  It only had the very base dunked in chocolate dip, I would have liked more of that for a stronger chocolate flavor.

But overall, it was fine, and I didn't mind it, just not something I'd be all that excited to have again.  ***.

Lemon Drop Cookie (back). $3.09.
Whole Wheat Bagel (front). $1.39.

"Freshly baked lemon sugar cookie topped with lemon flavored powdered sugar."

It is true that I don't like cookies.  It is also true that I don't generally like lemon desserts.  Yet I ordered a lemon drop cookie?

Yeah.  I had a birthday freebie to use, and I've tried basically everything else at this point, so, for research purposes, I opted to try it.  Plus, compared to the other items, it actually looked decent.

It was, for a cookie.  It was thin but shockingly not crispy, really soft and gooey, the only way I like cookies.  The cookie seemed to be a classic sugar cookie, but with lemon added.  The lemon flavor was certainly there, but it wasn't overwhelming.  More lemon than I like, but, if you like lemon desserts, I think this could be a winner.  There was also white chocolate chips, which I liked for the extra texture and bursts of sweetness, but, this was a very sweet cookie anyway, sugar was the first ingredient.

It was also somehow 440 calories.  Sure, it was large diameter, but it was really thin.  I honestly don't understand how it racked up that calorie load.  I guess whatever made it soft and gooey was, uh, butter?

I'm glad I tried it, and I'd recommend to the lemon likers out there, but I won't get another.

Update Review, August 2023

I no longer live near a Panera (pandemic casualty in SF), so I don't frequently encounter their goods.  However, I recently attended an event in New York with Panera catering, and got the opportunity to re-try a few cookies, even though I had never loved them before.  The verdict?  Yup, still don't love these.

Candy Cookie. $2.99.

"Freshly baked sugar cookie topped with semi-sweet chocolate candies."

Big meh to this cookie.  Not as soft as I'd like, not a great chew, pretty boring base (not really buttery as I'd like), and even the off brand M&Ms weren't particularly good.  Not my style of cookie at all. *+.

Oatmeal Raisin with Berries. $2.99.

"A chewy oatmeal raisin cookie with sweetened, dried cranberries and infused, dried strawberries and blueberries."

I've had this cookie before, and didn't find it all that compelling, but, my appreciation of cookies has grown in the past few years, so I gave it another try.  I again appreciated that it was nicely soft, and that it used more interesting dried fruit than just raisins (cranberries, strawberries, blueberries), but, it wasn't actually a particularly good cookie.  Sure, it had a nice chew to it, and was well baked, but, it wasn't as buttery nor sugary as I'd like, and although it had oats, it certainly isn't actually a healthy cookie.  Eh.  ***.  

Petite Chocolate Chipper. $6.69/12.

"12 mini versions of our Chocolate Chipper cookie, freshly baked and made with semi-sweet chocolate chunks & milk chocolate flakes."

Well, this is not a good cookie.  Yes, fairly soft, and yes, nice chunks in it, but, the base flavor wasn't particularly buttery or sweet, or notable in any way.  It tasted highly processed, and not particularly fresh.  Meh. **.

Update Review, January 2018

I've reviewed nearly all the Panera cookies before, but there was one more left to try.

Coconut Macaroon. $1.09.

"A coconut, chocolatey craving satisfied in two bites. A traditional small coconut macaroon with the bottom dipped in chocolate."

One day, I used Panera's Rapid Pickup option to make an order from my phone earlier in the day, with a pickup time set to when I'd be nearby and could just swing in to grab my bagel thin, intended to be used to make melts for dinner.  But when I arrived ... no bagel thins.  In fact, they were entirely sold out of bagels.  Doh.  It turns out that when you pre-order, it doesn't actually pull it from inventory.

To make up for this, Panera offered me any pastry item I wanted.  No pastry item was going to be a substitute for my dinner melts, so I used it as an opportunity to just try something new.  The one type of cookie we had never tried before: coconut macaroons.

The macaron was ... pretty much a standard macaroon.  Soft, shredded sweet coconut.  Nothing particularly notable about it.  The dark chocolate it was dipped in however was quite good, really dark, smooth, flavorful chocolate.  I was impressed with the chocolate.

The macaroons turn out to be one of the cheapest items sold at Panera ($1.09 at my store), and, one of the lowest calorie.  By a shocking amount.  A single macaroon is only 140 calories, compared to Panera standard fare of the 440 calorie lemon drop cookie (or even worse, the 800 calorie Kitchen Sink cookie!), the 720 calorie pecan rolls, 550 calorie cinnamon crunch scones, 580 calorie pumpkin muffins, 540 calorie bear claws, etc.

So, if you like coconut, and want a little sweet treat, this one is not a bad idea.

Original Review, March 2017

As I've said many times, I don't really like cookies.  But, Panera often adds freebies to my account in the form of pastries, and I've never liked most of the baked goods there (aka, the muffins, the coffee cake and danishes, and most of the scones), so, I finally ventured out to try most of their cookies over the past year or so.

The cookie lineup changes every so often, but always features their signature Chocolate Chipper (available in a petite size as well), a classic shortbread, and some seasonal version of an iced and decorated shortbread.  Other than those, they seem to introduce new cookies a few times a year, trying to find some crowd pleasers.  I'd like to note, they don't ever have peanut butter cookies, which would be my top choices!

Anyway, for the most part, I expected to try the cookies, take some notes, and hand over to a cookie-loving friend.  I was pleasantly surprised that I genuinely liked a couple of them.

Oatmeal Raisin with Berries Cookie. $2.39.

"A chewy oatmeal raisin cookie with sweetened, dried cranberries and infused, dried strawberries and blueberries."

Every once in a while, I actually like oatmeal cookies, particularly soft ones, and particularly when they miraculously aren't oatmeal raisin.  I hate raisins, and I'm so grumpy they have taken over the oatmeal cookie market!  Why!

Anyway, this looked like a big, soft, butter cookie, with oatmeal, and NOT raisins!  Score.

The verdict?  It was ... fine.  It was actually quite soft, which I appreciated.  And it did have a decent distribution of bits of dried cranberries, strawberries, and blueberries, decidedly NOT raisins.  But it wasn't particularly buttery or interesting in any way.  I gladly handed it off, and wouldn't want another.

Raspberry Almond Thumbprint Cookie. $2.19.

"Almonds and a fruity hint of raspberry jam and powdered sugar. A perfect little treat. An almond butter cookie with a thumbprint of raspberry jam and dusted with powdered sugar."

I really liked this.  It was buttery and crumbly, with little bits of almond inside.  The powdered sugar added a nice touch of sweetness, and the raspberry jam in the center tasted fresh and wasn't too gooey or sweet.

A shockingly good cookie, and I'd gladly eat another.

Giant Cookie Box.

On one visit, there was a huge, I mean, huge, cookie on the shelf, unlabelled.  I asked what it was, and the worker told me it is the "kitchen sink" cookie.  It seemed to have everything in it, and sounded interesting, but it wasn't eligible for my freebie.  I didn't get it then, but I couldn't help but notice it every time I visited.  I had to finally get it, as ridiculous as it was.

It was too big for any of the normal pastry bags, so, he put it into a giant box.

Kitchen Sink Cookie. $4.39.

"A salty, chocolatey, caramel confection big enough to share. A large cookie with semi-sweet chocolate, milk chocolate, caramel pieces, pretzels & finished with flake salt."

They aren't kidding when they say this is "big enough to share".

I looked it up later online, and, I kid you not, it has 800 calories (and 43 grams of fat!).  In a cookie.  Yes, compare that to their "petite chocolate chippers" with 100 calories, or even the regular chocolate chipper with 380 calories, and you'll realize the scale I'm talking about here.  This is a monster.

And he wasn't kidding when he said it had everything in it.  While chocolate (both semi-sweet and milk) flakes were certainly the dominant visual item, the caramel actually dominated the flavor, super sweet, and plentiful, infused into nearly every bite.  The chocolate helped balance the sweet though, and the large flakes of salt on top complimented it nicely.

It was a crispy cookie, but mostly in a caramelized way from the toffee bits, rather than a cooked too long way.  I don't normally like crispy cookies, but it worked here, since it was so caramelized.

I didn't find any bits of pretzel in mine, which was a bit disappointing.  Perhaps they were chopped finely and I just didn't notice?  Another ingredient would be nice, but, I don't think was actually necessary given everything else in it, so I didn't mind too much.

The cost of $4.39 sounds a bit insane, for a cookie, at a place like Panera.  This isn't a fancy bakery, this is Panera, selling a nearly $5 cookie.  It is twice the price of any other cookie they sell, because, well, it is more than twice the size.  There is a reason it isn't eligible for the free pastry award!

I'm glad I tried it, but I probably wouldn't get another, just because, well, still a cookie.

Jack-O-Lantern Cookie.  $2.49.

"Freshly baked, pumpkin-shaped shortbread cookie decorated with icing to look like a jack-o-lantern."

I have a memory of really liking Panera shortbreads years ago.  And what is better than a shortbread?  A decorated shortbread!  Panera seems to always have a seasonal shortbread, I recall seeing Easter Eggs around Easter, tulips and daises in the Spring, flip flops in the summer, mittens in the winter, etc.

The astute reader will realize that this is called a Jack-O-Lantern cookie, and the website shows a cookie with a face on it.  Mine had no such face.  I guess the decorators were lazy that day?  All cookies in the store were faceless.  Pumpkin, yes, Jack-O-Lantern, no.

I wasn't very good.  The icing layer was too thick and just sweet, the cookie itself was crumbly, too soft, sugary, and didn't really seem that buttery, the defining characteristic of a shortbread.  And ... this was the shocking part, it was 450 calories!  In a SINGLE COOKIE!  Besides their plain shortbread (only 380), all the other cookies are also over 400 calories.  I know Panera certainly isn't a healthy place, but it is a bit hard to believe that a cookie can rack up those stats.  Definitely not worth it.

$2.49 price for a large cookie I guess was fine, and they are only 99 cents if you get a meal.

Chocolate Chipper Cookie. $2.19.

"A traditional favorite, freshly baked and made with semisweet chocolate chips."

I got this for Ojan, who does actually like cookies.  It looked like exactly the sort of cookie I wouldn't like.  On the rare cases where I like a cookie, it is soft and gooey.  This looked hard and crispy.  Not my style.

Of course though, I tried a bite.  It was actually loaded up with tiny chocolate chips, far more than it looked like.  The bottom view would have revealed just how loaded it was.  The chips were tiny though, so, you didn't really get a deep chocolate flavor.

And it was indeed crispy, and quite thin.  Highly unremarkable.  It also tasted very unhealthy, but not in a good buttery way.  Believe me, I'm all for a decadent dessert, the more butter and cream the better, but this just tasted ... unhealthy.  Highly processed.  I don't know how else to better describe it.

I was curious, so I looked it up when I got home, and saw that this cookie, the single, thin, not actually large cookie, was 440 calories.  I don't really understand.  I wouldn't get this again, obviously.

Candy Cookie. $2.49.

"Freshly baked sugar cookie topped with colorful milk chocolate candies."

Another giant, hard, crispy cookie, another Ojan request.  And ... yup, a hard, crisp cookie, not particularly good, just a plain cookie.  He described it as "halfway between a shortbread and a sugar cookie".  The little tiny milk chocolate candies were basically just small M&Ms in spring colors, very milky milk chocolate.  Ojan liked the candy bits, but wasn't really into the cookie itself.  I didn't like anything about it.

[ No Photo ]

Gluten-Conscious Triple Chocolate Cookie with Walnuts. $2.69.

"A freshly baked flourless chocolate cookie with a soft, brownie-like texture, made with chocolate chunks, white chocolate chunks and walnuts."

This seems like a crazy choice for me.  I don't like cookies.  I'm not a chocolate lover.  And gluten-free baked goods are rarely impressive.  But, literally every time I visited Panera, I couldn't look past these.  They looked so good.

So finally, I got one.  And failed to photo.  Sigh.

It was a deep, dark chocolate cookie, with generous size chunks of both white and milk chocolate and walnuts.  The texture was soft, as they described, kinda brownie-like, except it was a cookie, and still had a crisp exterior.  A bit hard to explain really.  I liked that.

The flavor was also good, chocolately, fudgy.  I loved the sweetness from the big white chocolate chunks (I know, I know, but I like white chocolate!) and the crunch from the walnuts.

It is described as "gluten-conscious" which I think is because it is not baked in a gluten-free environment.  It does not contain wheat flour, nor, any flour.  I'm still a bit confused by that part honestly.  The first ingredient is ... powdered sugar?  I'm still not entirely sure how it holds together, but, it works out just fine.

For a cookie, this was really quite enjoyable and I'd get it again.

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