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