Review: Dominique Ansel Bakery
Waiting in line for the Cronut at Dominique Ansel Bakery on a chilly morning must be some rite of passage in New York by now. Even though the Cronut craze has died down considerably since its inception in 2013, the steady line of tourists that flock in from all over the world for this flaky pastry have still made the wait in the mornings a rather painful experience. So it’s important to ask oneself before coming, is it really worth it?
tl;dr – Yes, but only if you don’t order the Cronut.
If not the Cronut, what should we get then? Let’s walk through the process.
When you first walk into Dominique Ansel, you’ll likely be greeted by this scene:
See that long line stretching all the way to the back? Yeah, that’s the Cronut line. Tip #1: If you have limited time or patience, avoid this line and just go towards the left for the non-Cronut line. You’ll be able to order everything else off the regular menu, except for the Cronut. The obvious benefit to waiting in this line is that it’s relatively short – no more than perhaps 5-6 people in line at a time, and the cashier will likely be nicer to you, since they don’t have to explain what a Cronut or DKA is for the millionth time. You’ll save a lot of pain and anxiety by choosing this line, and you’ll still get to try some amazing things.
Are those Cronuts I see…?
But of course, I just had to get that Cronut, so I braced myself as I waited for 30 minutes in line, all the while watching the bakers and cashiers frantically try to take and complete everyone’s orders. As a side note, I called the bakery beforehand in the morning to ask if there were any Cronuts left, and the person told me that if I got here before 10am (on a Thursday morning), that I would likely be able to get my hands on one – I would definitely recommend this if you don’t want to come here at 7am and wait.
As I neared the front of the line and saw that the Cronuts were quickly disappearing from the baking trays, my heart beat faster and faster…
OMG, why are there so few left?!
Some other things that I saw as I neared the front of the line: freshly baked Dominiqu Kouign Amanns (DKAs), Cronut postcards, and beautiful pastries sitting behind the glass cases, ranging from cheesecakes to pavlovas to eclairs. One particular pastry caught my eye due to its relatively simple appearance compared to the other desserts – the Cotton-soft Cheesecake, which brings me to Tip #2: Try one of their other amazing desserts or pastries (DKA)!
DKAs!
Some of the most popular items on their menu: Cookie Shot, Frozen Smores, Canneles, DKAs, Lemon Madeleines, and Macarons.
After I reached the front, I ordered one Cronut, a Perfect Little Egg Sandwich, and the Cotton-Soft Cheesecake. For May 2016, the flavor of the month was Brown Sugar and Rhubarb Thyme. Tip #3: It might be a good idea to order something both savory and sweet from the menu – at least for me, ordering too many sweets can give me a sugar headache.
After I got my food, I headed to the back of the bakery to enjoy my brunch in the bright seating area. There were lots of others dining there as well.
The first item up for the taste test was the long-awaited Cronut. Mine looked a little bit over-fried on the outside, but when I cut into it, the inside layers seemed fine. Overall, I thought it was overly sweet, and I had to remove a lot of the icing on top as well as the filling on the inside. The pastry itself was a bit soggy and not as crispy and flaky as I had thought it would be, perhaps a result of the batch sitting outside for a few hours. Kind of a let down after such a long wait, but I could imagine that if it was freshly prepared and had less sugar, it would have been an unforgettable dessert.
Next up was the Perfect Little Egg Sandwich, which was absolutely incredible and is the one item on the menu that would make me a regular here at the bakery. The egg is perfectly fluffy and has just the right amount of cheese melted on top. The toasted brioche buns are incredibly soft and definitely have that “melt in your mouth” texture. What an incredible breakfast sandwich – aptly named “perfect”.
The egg was so incredibly fluffy – 10/10 would order again.
And last but not least, the Cotton-soft Cheesecake! I think after eating a really sweet Cronut, the sweetness in the cheesecake was definitely a little lost. The texture was amazing though and exactly how I prefer my cheesecakes – airy and light instead of dense and hard. The bruleed top was a nice touch as well. I would definitely order this again, though I am really curious about the other dessert offerings!
Despite my initial agony at the long line, I do believe that my visit to Dominique Ansel Bakery was worth it, if not for at least learning what to order the next time I’m here. Waiting in line for the Cronut was a good learning experience and also one that I won’t repeat in the future, but I will definitely come back for that egg sandwich!
Price: $$
Final Rating: 4/5 (5/5 if no Cronut)