Alaska Airlines First Class, JFK-SFO

Flight info:

• Flight #114
• JFK-SFO
• 1pm (Scheduled) 12:53pm (Pushback) 1:15pm (Takeoff)
• 4:12pm (Scheduled) 3:48pm (Landing) 3:56pm (Gate)
• Seat: 3D
• Aircraft: 737-900

I've flown the opposite route, SFO-JFK several times before (reviews here), but never the other way as, frankly, I'm traumatized by the getting to JFK experience, and usually opt to fly out of Newark after a NYC visit, or go visit family in NH and fly from Boston instead.  I was not really looking forward to this trip.

My past trauma with JFK also meant I had a loooong time to hang out in the Alaska lounge, so I was pretty bored by the time I got on board (tl;dr - I've missed one flight in my life, and it was from JFK, when I thought I left far more than enough time to get to the airport/etc, and, well, zomg traffic).  Boarding started promptly on time, and was orderly and efficient.  We pushed back early, and had only about 20 min taxi time (which is good for JFK!).  We were warned to expect turbulence getting out of NY, so the FAs had to stay seated for quite a while, which delayed food and drink service (and bathroom access of course).

We arrived early, had minimal taxi to gate (<10 min), bags were delivered fast, so, operationally, this was a good flight, definitely better than my track record with JetBlue lately.

Service / Amenities

My flight was on a 737-900 (not Max) that seemed actually fairly new.  No amenities are provided other than a very thin blanket.   Service was friendly but largely absent (even once able to be up and about of course), with no one coming to pick up our trays post meal for quite a while, no real check backs to see if we needed anything later on.  The food and drink were not very good.  The seat was not comfortable.

I knew that Alaska really is not competitive on the in-flight experience in any way with the others flying this route, but ... they are so much cheaper, and hence, I did it again, but it certainly wasn't a very enjoyable nor premium experience.

Economy.

The leather still had a bit of a nice leather smell, and it seemed in good shape (no rips, tears, etc on the seats).  Since no one had pre-boarded (no kids, etc), I was able to snap a photo of the entirely empty main cabin.

First.

I was in First Class.  The seat seemed the same as all other flights I've taken with Alaska.  Wide, but otherwise, meh.  No where to put anything, just a basic seat back pocket, tiny tray table.  No where to put a water bottle, no where to hold a phone, etc.  Power outlets including USB were located between the seats.  No foot rests.  Not comfortable for 7+ hours.

Food & Drink

As we settled in, a PDB of sparkling wine, orange juice, or water was offered from a tray.  The drinks came in paper cups, which I understand for abolishing plastics, but something about drinking sparkling wine from a paper cup ...

PDB: Sparkling Wine.

I rarely get anything other than (hopefully sparkling) water when I board, but, I had been in the airport for nearly 3 hours, and was bored, and hey, sparkling wine sounded like at least something quasi-interesting at that point.

It was fine.  Fairly sweet.  Not particularly good nor bad. 3.5/5.

Nuts.

It was 1.5 hours into the flight before our first beverages were served due to the FAs being seated that entire time per pilot instructions.  Orders for drinks were taken once they were allowed up, and delivered row by row, along with some nuts (warm, mixed, salted, basically just cashews, although I had a single almond, and two seasoned bread twist things).  I would have liked more diversity in the nuts, but I loved the bready twists (or maybe I was just starving?).  Better than average offering, despite the poor distribution of items.  3.5/5.

Red Wine.

For red wine, there was no choice, just a cab.  She didn't know what kind it was.  It was not great, very high acid.  I would not want it again.  Huge pour.  Low 3/5.

[ No Photo ]

Old fashioned

Later on I switched to the Old Fashioned (Straightaway brand), as I had liked it before.  I got it not on ice as I was freezing, which made it very, very strong (I thought it was strong before, and wanted to dilute it a bit then, even with the ice watering it down).  A nice boozy, but, definitely strong.  It was also sweeter than I remembered, or really wanted.  But still a decent cocktail.  3/5.

Mango Seltzer.

I was happy to see a flavored sparkling water option, mango (Polar brand I think).  It was lightly fruity and enjoyable enough, and I'm always happy to have a flavored (non-sugar) option.  3.5/5.

Lunch-ish Menu.

For my main dish, I had 5 options: one crowd pleasing chicken (no, I hate chicken), one vegetarian AND gluten-free AND vegan pasta dish (meh, gluten-free pasta? And no cheese or cream? Sorry vegetarians that you got lumped into that bucket!), the standard fruit & cheese plate (I know it has its fans, but not what I wanted for lunch, one seafood option (shrimp diablo over grits that actually did sound pretty good), and one non-vegetarian, non-gluten-free pasta (mushroom ravioli with pork sausage garnish).  I was tempted by the shrimp and grits, particularly given that it gets great reviews, but I still had memories of how much I loved a previous pasta (shells) dish with Italian pork sausage on a previous Alaska flight, and hoped this may take the same trajectory.  Plus, it came with asparagus and featured mushrooms, both things I love.

Meal.

All meals are served with the same salad and bread roll, along with tub of ice cream, no option for anything there, no appetizer, no other dessert, etc.  Compared to the other airlines flying this premium transcon route, Alaska really really does lag behind - e.g. United has the full ice cream sundae cart and another dessert, a choice of appetizer, AND a second meal service before arrival.  

The salad/bread/main dish were all served at once.

Roll.

The bread was warm, didn't taste stale, and was pleasant enough.  A peasant style white roll, no choices.  Very hard, cold butter to go with.  3.5/5.

Salad.

The "salad" was the tiniest amount of arugula ever (like, literally 5 pieces?), plus three balls of average mozzarella, and a few sorta sundried tomatoes, all covered in pesto.  I had enjoyed something similar once before as the tomatoes were super flavorful, but this time they weren't, just kinda somewhere between roasted and fresh, no real flavor to them, and even the pesto didn't seem very flavorful.  I was glad I had my own backup salad (knowing how small theirs are in general).  1.5/5.

Mushroom Ravioli.

"Mushroom filled pasta with Calabrian chili Pomodoro sauce topped with Italian pork sausage, served with grilled asparagus, and sautéed edamame with peas. Finished with fresh parmesan cheese."

Well, I didn't really like the main dish either.  The main reason being that the sauce was really kinda crappy.  Definitely not "Calabrian chili" as advertised, just very bland, generic tomato sauce.  Very, very bland and generic.  Since the dish was smothered in it, it dominated everything else.

I did like the asparagus, and the peas (although they were hard to extract from the sauce), and found it annoying that there were both edamame and peas, as I like peas, and feel "meh" about edamame.  I would have happily eaten all the toppings though, if it wasn't for that sauce.  I just really didn't care for it.

The sausage, which had been exceptional on a previous flight was not very good.  Sorta reminded me of generic pizza topping sausage.  A bit soft, not very flavorful (a theme here).  It was fine, but, it had been SOOOO good before, this was a letdown for me.

And finally, the ravioli of course.  A decent portion of 6 ravioli.  They were filled with mushroom and ricotta.  Didn't really taste the mushroom.  The pasta was cooked kinda ok, not too dried out, but pretty soft and mushy overall.  Sorta TV dinner quality, definitely not particularly good.

Put it all together, and this was a pretty low end dish.  The sauce ruined everything for me, and besides the asparagus, I didn't really like much about it. 1.5/5.

Dessert: Salt & Straw Pumpkin Spiced Latte Cake Ice Cream.

The dessert was not served for a while, which was fine with me because 1) it was ice cream, and I was FREEZING, and 2) I had brought my own dessert anyway (always prepared!).

The flavor, as it was Sept 1 and it just changed out was ... pumpkin spice latte. Doh.  August had a pistachio with ricotta ripple that people raved about and sounded great to me, and I'm not really one for pumpkin spice.  But, still, I do like Salt & Straw, so of course I tried it.

And ... yeah.  It was aggressively pumpkin spiced, which I think is probably great if you like those spices, no doubt, but for me it was waaaay too much nutmeg and things I don't generally like.  I didn't taste anything latte about it either (which was fine, but an odd name for a flavor if it's really just pumpkin spice ...).  

It was served at a decent temperature, it still required a bit of time to soften nicely, but wasn't a total rock.  No freezer burn.  Good quality ice cream base.  But just not a flavor for me. 2/5 for the flavor, 3.5/5 for the quality.  My FA was excited to try it (this was the first day they had it) and she told me she took one bite and threw it out too.

Snacks.

1.5 hours before arrival, a snack basket was offered.  It had one kind of chips (Community Brand, salt & vinegar), 1 kind of granola bar, shortbread cookies, and these two items, cheddar popcorn and Skinny Dipped lemon almonds, both snacks I've had before elsewhere and enjoyed.

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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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Skinny Dipped Almonds

Skinny Dipped Almonds.  Healthy, but satisfying, slightly indulgent, coated nuts.  "The new chocolate covered almond," the company promises.

Hmm.  I can't say that Skinny Dipped Almonds sounded particularly exciting to me when I first encountered them.

"Finally, a chocolate covered almond that is healthy and indulgent. Our almonds are roasted to perfection then skinny dipped in a thin layer of artisan dark chocolate and finished with a whisper of cocoa, espresso or pure raspberry."

I mean, I love to snack, I like having things to munch on, but these just didn't sound like my sort of go-to item.  Still, having nuts to munch on is always good for me as they have protein, and the flavors did sound slightly promising.

Update Review, September 2025

Years ago, I tried Skinny Dipped almonds, and dubbed them pretty boring.  They weren't decedent enough for me.  I guess my tastes have changed, as the chocolate ones in particularly have really grown on me, for a snack.  They don't replace an indulgent dessert or anything, but, it turns out, in my older age, sometimes I do want just a hint of sweetness and a little chocolate alongside tasting an actual nice quality nut.  The chocolate ones have worked their way into my regular snack rotation, an actual 4/5 for me these days (sorry, no new photos, they look the same as before though!).  So when I saw a newer flavor, lemon, I decided to give them a try too ...

Lemon Bliss.

"Tastes like summer in a bag. Whole roasted almonds, kissed with maple sugar and sea salt, SkinnyDipped in a thin layer of creamy sweetness and finished with a hint of real lemon."

Since I had come around to really appreciate the chocolate ones, I decided to try the more unique lemon version, coated with a sweet lemon yogurt coating.  The base almond is the same, nicely roasted, strong almond flavor, good salt level, and the coating level is the same, enough to coat but not overwhelm.  They are sweeter than the chocolate varieties since the yogurt coating is sweetened and doesn't contain any bitter notes like chocolate, and yes, really do taste like fresh lemon.  I liked them, but they aren't what I'd find myself reaching for, as I don't really crave creamy lemon treats.  3.5/5.

Original Review, May 2017

Skinny Dipped Almonds come in 3 flavors (raspberry, espresso, cocoa), all of which come dipped in chocolate, and portioned into little 70 calorie bags.  They really are trying to help you make a healthy choices, portion controlled, and only slightly indulgent.

But you have to set your expectations accordingly.  "A thin layer of artisan dark chocolate" means truly that.  A thin layer.  Actually, I'd barely call it a layer.  I'd barely call it chocolate.  Think of it as a dusting of cocoa perhaps, and then try these, else, you will be disappointed, as I was the first time I tried a bag.  Once I did reset my expectations though, I liked these more than expected, and ended up trying all 3 varieties.

Dark Chocolate Raspberry.

"Whole almonds skinny dipped in a thin layer of artisan dark chocolate and finished with a whisper of raspberry."

The first time I tried these, it didn't go well.

I picked the most unique sounding flavor to start: dark chocolate raspberry.  I knew to expect only a thin coat of chocolate, but this really was an incredibly thin layer.  I can't say I tasted it.  I did taste the raspberry though, and although raspberry and chocolate are a fine combination, they didn't do it for me.  The raspberry was just too tangy with the biter chocolate and nut.  The package was tiny, but I wasn't really interested in finishing it.

A couple months later, I tried again.  This time, I knew better what to expect, and I liked them much more.  I liked the crunchy almonds, nicely roasted.  I liked that they were slightly salty.  I could actually taste a little dark chocolate, and wow, yes, I could taste the dominant raspberry.  They certainly weren't an indulgent snack, not anything I'd consider a dessert, or use to satisfy a sweet tooth, but, compared to plain nuts, they were far more interesting.  3/5.

Dark Chocolate Cocoa.

"Whole almonds skinny dipped in a thin layer of artisan dark chocolate and finished with a whisper of cocoa."

Since I wasn't entirely into the intense raspberry, the next time I went for the simple cocoa version.  These nuts were basically the same as the raspberry, just, uh, without the raspberry?  Which meant that they were fairly boring, just roasted almonds with a tiny bit of cocoa coating, resulting in a slightly bitter overall experience, that wasn't particularly satisfying in any way.  I wouldn't get this flavor again.  Low 3/5.

Dark Chocolate Espresso.

"Whole almonds skinny dipped in a thin layer of artisan dark chocolate and finished with a whisper of espresso."

The final variety I tried was the dark chocolate espresso, which shockingly turned out to be my favorite.  Still the same basic roasted almonds, with a thin layer of cocoa, but the espresso had an intense flavor, bitter, but, tasty.  I also liked the hint of salt.

Did I want more of them?  Nah.  But they were my favorite.  3/5.

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LeLeCha New York

I have wonderful friends.  Like ones who scope out new Asian bakeries, get more goodies than they can possibly eat, and bring me some to try.  In this case, from LeLeCha, a Taiwanese bubble tea and baked goods shop that recently opened in the US, with its first location in New York in July.

"Get ready for an extraordinary tea & pastry experience, where East meets West in every bite and sip.  From iconic Dirty Buns to artisan tea creations — we’re bringing something truly special to the streets of New York."

LeLeCha does focus on the tea side of things, as you'd probably guess from their name, but both my friend and I were drawn to their Asian baked goods.  The lineup includes sweet and savory breads, loaves, buns, a few other danish style pastries.  I got to try one item from each of the Toasts, Breads & Buns, and Danishes sections of the menu.  I did try them a day old, so, I try to take that into account, but they were still fantastic, and I'm sure even better a day sooner.  I'd gladly have more goodies from this place anytime.

Branding.

The goodies came in a Wonder branded box, which I'm not entirely sure I understand.  The brand is LeLeCha, but they have "Wonder" scattered about their materials too.  And no clue what the dog thing is about.  But it was a distinctive box!

Buttery Cloud Loaf, Dirty Bun,
Butter Caramel Egg Tart (all pieces).

My friend brought me a sampler box of hunks of each of the items she got.  These are just the small pieces that she saved me, which still filled up a full box!  Most of the items are quite large in full form.

Buttery Cloud Loaf.  $8.49.

"Wheat flour and butter are thoroughly mixed and kneaded for a soft, fluffy texture. The homemade milk custard filling adds creamy sweetness, making every bite tender and rich."

The one right in front is the buttery cloud loaf.  Such a soft and fluffy loaf!  It was lightly sweet in the way that most Asian sweet breads are, and the custard filling was just the right amount of creamy goodness inside.  I really enjoyed it just as a snack, ripping off pieces of the soft fluffy bread, and I think it would be great for breakfast too.  I imagine you could toast or warm it, but I didn't find that necessary.  Very simple, but very enjoyable.  High 4/5.

They also make a loaf in a chocolate version (with cocoa-hazelnut filling and dark chocolate glaze), one with azuki red beans and pork floss (!), another one with coconut milk filling and coffee crumble topping, and a more plain one.

Dirty Bun. $8.49.

"Flaky pastry filled with rich chocolate cream, topped with a layer of green matcha powder."

Next is the dark one, the dirty bun. 

The bread itself had reasonable cocoa flavor, not super dark, but definitely chocolatey, and was standard Asian style slightly sweet bread.  As a day-old, it was a touch stale, but I can't blame them for that.  The chocolate cream filling was fantastic, great chocolate pudding flavor, and it added the strong hit of chocolate I was looking for.  The shards of dark chocolate that flaked off the top were high quality and delightful too.  4/5, good execution of a chocolate cream bun.

They also make a matcha version of this.

Butter Caramel Egg Tart. $4.99.

"Crafted with a rich 1:1.8 egg-to-milk ratio, the custard center is exceptionally silky and smooth. Hand-laminated pastry ensures long-lasting crispness, while the caramel sauce is slow-cooked by hand for deep, layered flavor."

And finally, hiding in the back, a hunk of the egg tart, which is nothing like any egg tart I've ever had before.  In fact, I had to search through the menu, and ask my friend who got it what this was, as it didn't seem possible it was the egg tart.  But it was.  And, she said it was massive, this was just a tiny hunk.  But if you had asked me what it was, I would have told you a creme brulee inside a croissant/danish crust.  

So yeah, what we had was a thick laminated pastry base, formed into a shell.  It wasn't flaky exactly, perhaps as it was a day old, but it was very well laminated, and clearly high butter.  The flavor was fabulous.  A very good pastry, just on its own.

But that filling!  Zomg.  Such a rich custard.  I guess, yes, an 1:1.8 egg to milk ratio does it as they say.  It was so thick and rich.  But not eggy at all. Sweet but not too sweet.  Really, really fantastic.  

Put it all together, and this one just hit all the high marks.  I think my favorite of the items I tried, and definitely the most dessert-like, 4.5/5.

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L'Industrie Pizzeria, NYC

When you tell someone you'll be spending time in New York, the inevitably start telling you all the places you *have* to go.  The best bagels/pizza/burger/pastrami/drinks/etc of their lives, yadda yadda.  Even locals get quite passionate about some of these categories, and pizza of course is a common one to debate.  Once you get past the variations like square pizza (generally frowned upon), places only by the slice or only by the pie, etc, you are still met with intense debate.  But there are a handful of places that nearly everyone has heard of, and at least agree are in the top.

L'Industrie is one of these places.  It is also one of those places where people line up and wait for quite a while for their slices.  Those who want a whole pie can at least order those in advance for pickup (but, no delivery, and they have 6 pie order maximums).  But most people seem to line up and wait, as part of the overall experience.  They do not take reservations.

L'Industrie has two locations, the original is in Williamsburg, opened in 2017.  They followed their success by opening a second location in Manhattan in late 2023.  Both locations are open daily, 12pm-10pm.  Both are equally busy, all the time.  

"From the City of Pistoia and the streets of NYC. We’ve come together to bring you L'industrie Pizzeria. With the artful techniques and passions of Italy blended with the flavors and characteristics of a classic New York slice. We work daily to bridge the gap between these worlds, while putting quality and passion above all."

They serve classic NY slices, but, more upscale versions of them.  The menu has 12 different curated pies on it.  No gluten-free options.  They also have a daily sandwich, soft serve gelato, and some Italian desserts (tiramisu, pistachio tres leches, cookies, olive oil cake, bombolone, etc).  No salads, no appetizers.  Just pizza and great desserts.  I like their style.

OMG, pizza.

I was thrilled, overjoyed really, when I arrived at an event to see the L'industrie boxes.  OMG.  Our hosts really brought it, with plenty to go around, a lineup of 6 different varieties (so half the menu), all of which they had to go fetch and transport to the venue, as they do not do delivery.  Dedication to serving us the some of the best pies in NY!  I was a bit sad they didn't get the fig jam and bacon one, but otherwise, happy to see the host's selections.

I tried to have restraint, and tried only 3 of the 6 kinds we had.  I'm glad I got to try 3, but my experience of each slice was fairly different.  One was ... exceptional, life-changing nearly, the others, forgettable.  That said, the great one was so great, I'll go back in a heartbeat.

L'Industrie Pie. $47.

"Prosciutto di parma and burrata."

I nearly started with their namesake pie, topped with burrata and prosciutto because, well, you kinda have to right?  And clearly many other people were going for it as their first slice.  But the prosciutto just wasn't calling out to me.  

Note that this pizza, when you get it fresh, it topped with the burrata and prosciutto after it is cooked, so those are cold toppings on the pizza.  You can see the burrata had partially melted here from being boxed up with the hot pizza, when first served, they are fresh gooey gobs.

Spicy Salami Pie. $37.

"Spicy Italian Sopressata."

I briefly considered the spicy salami too, but quickly moved on, as there were other meat toppings I was more drawn to.

Margherita Pie. $31.

"Tomato sauce, mozzarella, extra virgin olive oil, parmigiano, basil."

The basic margherita was easy for me to look past, although I did hesitate for just a second thinking it might be good to try just a simple classic one as a good base point.

Burrata Pie. $37.
(Signature).

"Tomato sauce, mozzarella, burrata."

I moved on because I saw the burrata pie, and that was clearly the answer for me, for my first slice.  A notch above the margherita, and in the direction of their namesake pie, just, sans the pork product.  And *this* is the one that turns out to be their signature pie.  I immediately understood why.  My goodness, this was an exceptional pizza.

It came with the expected big gobs of burrata well distributed on top, along with some less well distributed basil.  Again, when you get it in person, the burrata is applied after cooking, so not as melted in as it was here, the heat from the pizza had melted it a bit (which was fine with me!).

Burrata Pie (slice).

I selected a slice, and dug in.

My goodness.  I was blown away on all levels, even with extremely high expectations.  It lived up, surpassed even.

The crust was perfectly crisped, dusted with a tiny bit of flour, lightly chewy.  It was the right thickness to hold its shape well but not overwhelm, the back crust was puffy and had a slight char. Very good crust.  I'm not a crust person usually, but I wanted this crust.

The sauce is what blew me away, just the right level of tang and sweetness, and applied in the proper amount so that I tasted it in every bite, but it too did not overwhelm. And then of course the cheese and burrata on top, perfectly melted, and just dreamy.  The ratios here were right too.

Every element about this was done well, just really exceptional all together. I don't think I've had a better pizza of this style before.  5/5.  Nothing I'd change.

Pesto Hello Pie. $38.

"Crumbled Spicy Pork Sausage, Nut Free Pesto."

Next, I went for the Pesto Hello, an odd choice for me as I'm not a huge fan of pesto, but the spicy crumbled pork sausage really did call out to me.  It also had (not on the menu description) gobs of ricotta dotted on top.  This one was ... fine.

It actually had no sauce (I was expecting pesto spread under the cheese), but instead was a white pie with the pesto zig-zagged on top only.  The pesto was fairly standard, classic pesto taste, but there wasn't a lot of it.  

The sausage was as excellent as I hoped it would be, super flavorful.  I wanted even more hunks of it, or bigger hunks, as I loved it so much, and it was fairly minimal.  4/5 sausage though.

The ricotta was standard, slightly herby.  Same great crust.  But I found the slice a bit boring, besides the sausage.  Kinda dry.  It was excellent sausage but the rest of the slice wasn't compelling enough for me. 3.5/5 overall, although the sausage really was a 4/5 itself.  I wouldn't get this again, but I could imagine getting the sausage on another pie (they do allow customizations).

Tartufo Pie. $37.

"Mozzarella, braised cremini mushrooms, ricotta and truffle oil."

And for my final slice, I went for the tartufo, sorta because I had been really loving mushrooms on that trip. It too was one of their white pies, no red sauce, and it came with the same dots of ricotta on top.  The truffle (oil) aroma was strong as I picked it up.

It let me down.  The truffle oil is definitely the first thing I tasted with this one.  It was fine, but definitely dominant, so, be prepared for that.  But that is really all I tasted, no other flavors really came through.  It was fairly oily from both the truffle oil and the cheese.  It did have a good distribution of mushrooms on top as well, but I found myself really wishing it had some kind of sauce, and that the truffle oil was tamped down.  It did still have their great crust though.  The ricotta again made it eat a bit dry (besides all the oil).

But really all I tasted was truffle oil. 3/5, my least favorite.  I wouldn't get this one again.

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Alaska Airlines Lounge, Terminal 7, JFK

Oh, JFK Terminal 7.

It's ... the worst.  Tiny, drab, etc.  But at least there is an Alaska Airlines lounge, where I was captive for 2 hours.  My visit was on a Monday, from about 10:15am-12:15pm.

Setting

The lounge is located up a level, right past security.  There were, literally, just 2 other guests there the majority of the time I was, so it was quite empty.  

Entrance.

The entrance feels a bit grand, with a long hallway and lots of light.

Main Area.

The lounge is fairly small, but had virtually no one else in it, so this was not a problem.  The space has several seating types, a small buffet, a bar, and a barista.  Bathrooms, no showers.  No private work areas, no kid's play spaces.  Pretty basic, but relatively peaceful (I wish they weren't playing generic office music so loudly, but otherwise, it was fine).

Window Counter.

I appreciated the high counter so I could stand, although chairs were provided.  Unfortunately the view was of construction, but hey, natural light, standing desk, and power outlets, all I needed really.

Bar.

The bar was vacant during my entire stay, but presumably if I had approached someone might show up to make a drink?

Food & Drink

I arrived just past 10am when breakfast was being served.  I expected it to swap over to lunch sometime around 11, maybe 11:30am, but even at 12:15pm when I left, it was still breakfast.

I always love lounges for snack mix, and sadly they had none.  The highlight for me was the Coke Freestyle machine with plenty of flavors and varieties of drinks.  The barista coffee and chocolate chips were also satisfying.  

Brewed Coffee (Stumptown).

For those who want a quick fix, there is pre-brewed Stumptown coffee, both regular and decaf.  I tried both, they were pretty harsh, I suspect it had been sitting there a while. Given how empty the lounge was, and the fact that they have a barista, I'm not sure why you'd go for this.

Tea.

Also self-serve tea.

Decaf Americano.

But myself, and the two other guests, all went to the barista.

I ordered a decaf Americano, and was asked what kind of milk I'd like.  I said, "Uh no milk in an Americano ... " and sorta wondered what I'd get.

The result though was still good, hot, right ratios of espresso and water, and hopefully actually decaf.  Smooth, low acid, just a very pleasant cup of coffee actually.  4/5.

Muffins, Bagels, Toast, English Muffins.

On one side was the basic breakfast breads: toast (and a toaster), English muffins, bagels (including individually wrapped gluten-free ones).  

I was drawn to the muffins.  There were four kinds of large muffins (blueberry, cranberry streusel, corn, and cream cheese carrot).

Corn & Blueberry Muffins.

Indecisive and bored, I started with two muffins, corn and blueberry.  The blueberry one had a tiny bit of streusel on top (the ones that looked like cranberry had considerably more).

Blueberry:

This was not a bad muffin.  It didn't have that stale or highly processed taste to it that so many lounge/buffet/gas station muffins have.  It didn't necessarily taste homemade nor bakery fresh, but, for the type of muffin it was, it was far above average.  It was loaded with big, juicy blueberries.  Moist and well baked.  A sweet, almost cake style base.  Compared to great local bakery muffins, this was only a 3/5, but for a lounge muffin, it was definitely better than I'd expect, so coming in at 3.5/5 given the context, maybe even higher.

Corn:

I got this one really wanting cornbread.  I'll admit that.  So I was let down that it wasn't a much stronger corn flavor, and that it had no grit.  After all, it wasn't cornbread (although some corn muffins really do head in that direction).  It was well baked muffins, even, consistent bake, moist inside, good crumb structure, but it was again a cake style muffin, not a denser, gritty cornbread.  The corn flavor wasn't very strong.  But it tasted fresh, not too processed, and was again better than I'd expect in this setting.  3.5/5.

Carrot Cream Cheese Muffin.

After about 2 hours in the lounge, I was feeling peckish, and when 12pm came and went without the buffet changing to lunch, I went back for another muffin as "dessert" after having some salad.  This time, I went for the one that looked flecked with carrots, and stuffed with cream cheese.

It was fairly mild in the carrot-ness, definitely more of a plain (sweet, cake style) muffin with some shredded carrot rather than a carrot cake adjacent item pretending to be a breakfast item.  Besides the carrots, there was little else carrot cake-esque: no spices I associate with carrot cake, no nuts/raisins/pineapple, just, a basic sweet cake with some carrot.  Ok, I take that back, I thought it had no raisins, but near the base of my muffin, I found exactly two.  The cream cheese element was just that tiny amount on top, I had hoped it would extend into the core, again, I was hoping for it to be more like carrot cake with generous cream cheese icing.

So, did this satisfy my "I want real dessert like carrot cake" desires?  No.  But it was a perfectly acceptable morning muffin of this style (still not bakery fresh, or wholesome, but fine). ***.

Pancake Machine.

Since it is an Alaska lounge, of course they had the pancake machine.  It amused the few guests in the lounge.

French Toast / Scrambled Eggs / Omelet.

For hot foods, there was also French toast sticks, and basic eggs.

Bacon / Sausage / Hash Browns.

Along with breakfast meats and hash brown patties.

Oatmeal Toppings.

No cereal, but hot oatmeal or granola were available with some toppings.  I quite liked the chocolate chips.

Yogurt / Fruit / Jam.

Several kinds of sweet yogurt, jams for toast, cream cheese, and blueberries came next.

Salad / Cold Cuts / Eggs

And finally, some mixed greens and grape tomatoes, assorted cold cuts, and hard boiled eggs.  Ken's packaged dressing was available in a slew of flavors (I saw ranch, Italian, French, honey mustard, probably others).

I had a little of the salad, it was fine but very simple.

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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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