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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Mao's Bao

Mao's Bao is a food stall located in Chelsea Market.  They also attend food festivals and events around New York with their food truck, and provide catering services.  I've seen them several times, and was always drawn in, but didn't try them until now.

"Mao's Bao redefines the art of dumplings. Dive into the luxury of their JianBao, where each bite delivers a perfect contrast of fluffy softness and crispy crust."

As you may have guessed from their business name, Mao's Bao serves pan fried buns, jian bao.   Reviews are pretty blah - noting that even at the main food stall in Chelsea Market the buns are precooked, which really makes the crispy pan fried nature, well, not that, and noting that the buns have way too thick of wrappers, but I still tried them, when they were at a popup event I attended.

And yep, the reviews seem accurate.  It wasn't *bad* exactly, but certainly not good.  New York has plenty of great dumplings/buns, no reason to settle for such mediocrity. 

Menu.

The bao are available in some basic flavors: beef, pork, chicken, lamb, or vegetarian mushroom.  Each variety is a different color.  You get 6 for $15, or $2.40-$3 each depending on the variety. 

Bao.

 They look pretty, with the variety of colors.  The purple ones were particularly striking.

2x Beef Jian Bao, 2x Veggie Jian Bao, Noodles.

I tried two flavors, beef and veggie.  They came over noodles and mixed greens.

The noodles were very greasy.  Some minor vegetables included (a few mushrooms mostly).  I did not care for the noodles. 1/5.

The buns did have a crispy side, or at least, a side that was pan fried and crispy at some point, but they were now pretty soft.  The wrappers were really quite thick, and didn't taste like much of anything (I'll admit that the colors made my brain expect more significant flavor, I suspect if they were just traditional white bao, I may have been less grumpy that they had no taste).  I didn't find them very enjoyable either, and they too were fairly greasy. Really low 2/5 or maybe 1/5 wrappers.

Beef Jian Bao: Inside.

As for the fillings, the beef was a very spongy meatball.  It sorta reminded me of a slightly bigger meatball like those found in canned Chef Boyardee or SpaghettiOs.  It didn't have a particularly good flavor.  2/5.

The mushroom filling was much better, just minced mushrooms, but they were flavorful and enjoyable enough. Low 3/5.

Put this all together, and it is ... yeah, basically ... 1.5/5.  Just really not good.

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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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Van Leeuwen Ice Cream

I eat a lot of ice cream.  I eat it daily.  At least once a day, often twice, frequently as a topping on a warm dessert.  And when I'm in New York, in the summer, I eat even more ice cream/gelato/froyo than usual (although I have a strong bias towards soft serve during the summer weather, something about a soft serve cone in the sun just brings me such joy).  And yet I somehow never tried Van Leeuwen Ice Cream until now (even though I've heard of it, seen their pints in grocery stores, and walked by a location right next to my NY office a zillion times).

Spoiler: I was missing nothing.  But if you do want to try it, they have a slew of stores around New York (and other states), and sell pints nationwide in generic grocery stores.  It isn't hard to find.  They have been around since 2008 (started in Brooklyn) and offer up a good mix of generic crowd pleasing "safe" flavors, and some more interesting seasonal ones.  The regular ice cream is "French" style, which means more yolk than some other brands.  They also have vegan options.

I tried 4 flavors when I visited the shop in Chelsea.  I found the base ice cream for all flavors to be fairly average.  To be clear, I mean average for premium ice cream, I'm not saying it was like a generic cheapo base, but, it didn't stand out in any way compared to other local ice cream shops.  Even with abundant locations that seem convenient to wherever I am, and rarely any lines, I have no reason to return.  I also find it pricey, even compared to its (far better tasting) peers.

Mint Chip / Praline Butter Cake.

I sampled 4 flavors first, and was kinda let down by all of them, but settled for 2 since I was there and did want ice cream.

Mint Chip

This is a very simple flavor, but one I generally enjoy.  Classic minty base that wasn't too strong nor too artificial.  Loaded with lots of high quality dark chocolate flecks.  A simple basic flavor done well.  I like even more with fudge or chocolate sprinkles to accent it (and, ideally, whipped cream and strawberries!).  Higher 3.5/5.

Praline Butter Cake

"Nothing makes us happier than this Praline Butter Cake Ice Cream. We can thank Louisiana for the praline and Mardi Gras. But you don’t have to throw beads to get your hands on this creation; sweet cream ice cream with praline and pieces of brown butter cake."

Definitely an interesting and fun flavor.  It was certainly sweet, but not too sweet.  It was loaded with reasonable size hunks of the gooey, sweet, buttery butter cake.  An enjoyable flavor, unique, and my favorite by far of the four flavors I tried.  That said, it still wasn't exceptional, the base ice cream just fairly average premium ice cream.  Low 4/5 if I was stranded in a small town, but 3.5/5 for NY really.

Sweet Corn & Blueberry Jam

"Nothing makes us happier than this Buttermilk Berry Cornbread Ice Cream. We mix in pieces of honey cornbread with buttermilk ice cream. Then we add in swirls of sweet and tart raspberry. You add your spoon. Before you know it we have a mouth band."

I thought I'd love this!  But I didn't really taste the corn, and the fruity swirls just overwhelmed.  Very sweet in a fruity way.  The swirl also seemed a bit icy.  It was fine, but not what I was looking for. Low 3/5.

Brown Sugar Cookie Dough Brownie

"Nothing makes us happier than this Brown Sugar Cookie Dough Brownie Ice Cream. Dark brown sugar ice cream. Cookie dough. Brownies. It’s a collection of all the best stuff. Like an ice cream platypus whose den is your mouth."

I found this one very boring.  Yeah, it was a slightly interesting sweet base from the brown sugar, and yeah, it had hunks of cookie dough and brownie, but I didn't really think anything stood out, and the mix-ins were overly chewy.  Another low 3/5.

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Stellar Pretzels

Regular readers of my blog know that I am an avid snacker (hence, why Fridays are exclusively dedicated to snack food reviews).  Popcorn (flavored) is my number one probably, followed closely by snack mixes, but, I do go through pretzel phases.  The thing is, I'm super fickle about pretzels.  I dislike probably 90% of the pretzels on the market.  I strangely often prefer gluten-free ones.  I also, as you may expect, tend to go for yogurt or chocolate coated, heavily seasoned, etc.  But every once in a while I do appreciate a more standard pretzel, which lead me to try Stellar pretzels.

Stellar snacks is a high end snack brand, started by a mother and daughter who had a "dream of crafting pretzels infused with passion."  The use high quality flour (grown and milled in the US), fancy salt imported from Italy, natural seasonings, etc, etc.  And they make pretzels.  Just pretzels.

The pretzels currently come in 3 savory flavors (salted, French dijon, or herby) and 2 sweeter (Maui monk, sweet & sparky). All are braid style (besides one simple salt variety of thins).  The form factor, 1-2 bite braid shaped pretzels with two strands, it turns out I like considerably more than simple sticks or common twists.  For the flavored varieties, the double strand twist serve to catch even more coating between the folds, which is a huge plus in my book.  Bring on the seasoning!

 

Another point to know: all are vegan, which is notable as they have such a strong (vegan) buttery taste.

Simply Steller.

"Classic pretzels with a wholesome twist. Simply Stellar pretzel braids are infused with naturally rich vegan butter and sprinkled with the perfect pinch of sea salt. Delicious on their own or paired with your favorite dip, these vegan pretzels are a canvas for flavor."

To form my baseline opinion, I started with the basic plain pretzel, dubbed "Simply Stellar".  As noted above, I really liked the bite size braid shape.  The flavor of these was shockingly buttery, buttery even for a regular, let alone vegan, pretzel.  You definitely need to be in the mood for a buttery style, rather than more bland plain base.  Salt level average.  Basically, a pretty decent, specifically buttery, pretzel, if that is what you want. 3/5. 

Sweet & Sparky.

"Taste the spark in our signature zesty buffalo seasoning. A delicious flavor combination of sweet and then heat, these vegan pretzel braids pack a punch. Be warned that each crunchy bite will leave you craving more! If you're a fan of spicy snacks, look no further."

Next I moved on to one of the sweeter and more savory offerings, the "Sweet & Sparky".  These were a very fascinating, complex, flavor.  Same base pretzel, some base high butteriness, but also lots of savory notes (cayenne, vinegar, garlic, paprika, onion, garlic, red pepper), and sweetness, particularly in the aftertaste (from both regular cane sugar and monk fruit).  Very complex, although more just savory than spicy, I wouldn't call them buffalo nor spicy, as they describe.

3.5/5.

Maui Monk.

" Loaded with the savory taste of Maui onion and finished with a hint of sweetness, these vegan pretzel braids satisfy crunchy cravings with their irresistible flavor. Maui Monk is beloved by serial snackers and culinary connoisseurs alike."

Next, the sweetest offering, Maui Monk, although this one still has quite a substantial savory component from the Maui onion (and garlic).  

They did have a slightly onion flavor, and were slightly sweet, but the buttery flavors really overwhelmed. The butter is just a touch too strong for me; I really wanted to taste more of the Maui onion. Grumpy at the promise of onion but barely tasting it, so, low 3/5.

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Petee's Pies

Petee's Pies is, you guessed it, a pie company, located in New York city.  They have two locations there.  They also ship nationwide.  

"We're based on a simple concept: make the best pie money can buy using real ingredients. We make our pies using seasonal local produce and natural fair-trade sweeteners. Our crust is made with organic flour and grass-fed butter from New York State.  In other words: we make damn fine pie for damn fine people."

Petee's full pie lineup is pretty lengthy: all your expected fruit pies (apple, sour cherry, blueberry), all of which are available with either full double crust or crumb topping, cream/custard pies (banana cream, chocolate cream, key lime meringue, coconut custard - note: not coconut cream, lemon chess, salty chocolate chess, black bottom almond chess), and then some more unique offerings like their signature guava mascarpone and brown butter honey pecan, along with seasonals like "spring cordial" with elderflower lemon meringue and rose crystals.  All use all butter crust.

Petee's has been on my radar for years, as they get pretty good reviews and are well known in the pie scene in NY, but somehow they hadn't made it to the top of my list.  Luckily, I didn't need to seek them out: they came to me, as many desserts and baked goods do, as surplus from another team's event at my office.

  

I had my eyes on the more unique ones, plus the banana cream of course, but since I only got to try the pies when they were leftover after someone else's event, I didn't get to pick the flavors.  I really did enjoy all the pies I tried, and would gladly get them again.

Banana Cream. $45.

"Old-fashioned vanilla pudding topped with fresh banana slices and dolloped with whipped cream."

Of course I went straight for the banana cream pie, even though it was looking slightly worse for the wear.   

I started with a bite of crust.  Oooh, this was good crust.  Super rich, buttery, flaky.  Very good crust, the butter level in particular was fantastic.  **** crust.

I moved on to the filling, pretty thick, smooth vanilla pudding.  Definitely on the sweeter side.  No strong vanilla flavor (nor banana flavor to it), just sorta basic (but good) pudding.  Standard size banana slices, not too mushy.  Lots of (also sweetened) fresh whipped cream.  Pretty classic banana cream pie contents, well made, but borderline a touch too sweet for me.  No twists or deviations from the classic here.  ***+ filling.

Overall, a very good banana cream pie, and wow, the crust, it made me very excited to move on to the fruit pies.  I think low **** overall, I just wish the sweetness was slightly tamped down.  My favorite of the pies, but only slightly.

NY Sour Cherry.

"We use Montmorency cherries from upstate New York in our Sour Cherry Pie-- and we don't sugarcoat 'em either. We let their vibrant, tart flavor take center stage. This bright red cherry pie with a nice big scoop of ice cream will knock your socks off."

I moved on to fruit pies.  I again started with the crust.  It was a slightly different crust than the banana cream, definitely darker, thicker, likely due to the fact that this one is baked with filling compared to the blind baked cream pie.  It was again quite good - very flaky, strong buttery flavor.  Definitely bakery quality pie crust (compared to say grocery store, or often, restaurant quality).  What you want from a standard pie crust really.  Low ****.

The sour cherry filling was good - slightly tart, slightly sweet, some goo but not much, soft whole cherries that were cooked down.  I could indeed taste the sour element, slightly tart, definitely not too sweet.  Clearly made with real cherries not canned pie filling.  As they say, definitely even better with a scoop of ice cream.  Another low ****, it was certain a good pie, but not memorable beyond being "hey, that was a good classic pie".  

Also, please don't mind the very odd itty bitty mini slice that some previous monster left in this pie ... this is how I found it (seriously, who does that?!).

Wild Maine Blueberry. $40.

"A fresh and delicious pie made with scrumptious organic wild blueberries from Josh Pond, Maine. Only a quarter cup of sugar in a whole pie to let the natural sweetness and flavor of the blueberries shine through."

The blueberry was fairly similar to the sour cherry, although a bit sweeter, and with smaller fruit.  But very similar pedigree of great crust, not much goo, and not overly sweetened. I think the sour cherry was slightly better as I liked the pop of tartness it had, but this was pretty close behind.  Low ****.

Hudson Valley Apple. $40.

"Our apple pies feature individual varieties of apples sourced from local orchards. New York State grows more apple varieties than any other, and our apple pies are a celebration of classic New York and heirloom varietals."

I don't frequently pick apple pie given other pie choices, but I tried this since it was there and took just a sliver, and then immediately went back for more.  The crust was again very very good, as I now knew to expect.  The apples were really nicely cooked, not too soft, not too al dente.  No skins on.  Lightly spiced, but not aggressive in any way.  Again not much goo.  It was quite enjoyable, I think my second favorite, above even the cherry and blueberry pie, which really surprised it.  I think this one would be fantastic with their crumble top too, but alas, we had only the double crust pies.  Another low ****, one of the better apple pies I've had in few years.

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Rooted Coffee

Random extra donuts show up regularly in my office.  I eat donuts basically at least once a week.  I know all the boxes of all the top places in town by sight, from way down the hall.  I thought I knew all the donuts in the area.

And then one day, I walked into the microkitchen, and found regular takeout boxes full of donuts.  Not a signature pink donut box, or even a generic donut box.  Not a fancy box from a bakery or cafe.  Just a regular, large clamshell, box.  Several of them.  No branding.  No frills.  

In the boxes were some cake donuts, rarely my donut of choice.  I tried a little scrap of a cinnamon sugar coated one, and ... well, huh.  It was good.  Great flavor, lightly crunchy exterior, plenty of cinnamon sugar ... but I was on my way out the door, and I really didn't need a donut as I had another dessert lined up for that night.  And then I noticed a really, really strange donut ...

Oh Mega Donut (GF). $4.75.

"Housemade gluten free donut. nutrient dense, high in omegas from chia seeds, hemp seeds, flax seeds! sweetened with coconut sugar."

I took one tiny bite piece that someone else had cut up of another, entirely out of curiosity, as I wasn't sure why this savory looking, seed covered, healthy thing was in a box of donuts.  I ... strangely loved it, and quickly snatched up a full size one.

I later set about figuring out where it came from.  It took some searching, but my research lead me to Rooted Coffee, a plant based (e.g. entirely vegan) coffee shop / cafe based over in the East Bay.  Ok, so, uh, vegan donuts?  I was even more amazed when I saw that this one, the Oh Mega Donut was also ... gluten-free?!  Yes, I'm telling you that this vegan, gluten-free, no refined sugar, loaded with omegas from flax, hemp and chia is strangely delicious.

Because it is.

But that isn't to say it is really anything like an actual donut.  Think of it more like a muffin, just one in donut shape, to start.  It had a deep, hearty, taste, yes, healthy, but not in a way that was off putting to me.  I tasted maltiness, perhaps molasses or something, that I suppose was the coconut sugar?  It wasn't savory, it was sweet, but not nearly as sweet as a normal donut.  It reminded me somewhat of a bran muffin, just without bran, or a morning glory, but without the mix-ins.  Really, it was unique, and hard to really describe.  I also loved the chew to it, a bit like a mochi muffin, presumably due to the gluten-free nature, but it totally worked.

And as for those omegas?  The seeds were on top, and I'm guessing within, but I didn't taste any of the bitterness nor grittiness I associate with them.  

In short, this was really just enjoyable, in a healthy but not too healthy way.  When I later did research to find out what this was, I saw another person refer to it as "strangely deliciously", and I think that really does sum it up well.  I'd gladly get another.  ****.

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