The Shophound

WAIT YOUR TURN: Another Line Bedevils Customers At Madison Avenue's Ladurée

New Yorkers have come to expect seeing people waiting in line on the sidewalk for all sorts of reasons. Maybe it's the latest iPhone, any number of sample sales, the ridiculous Bleecker Street Magnolia Bakery line or the even stupider annual UGG store line which appears like some mysterious clockwork every Holiday Season. Add to the that list, the Ladurée line, which, by all reports, has become a daily fixture at the Madison Avenue home of the famed Parisian confectioner.

A tipster has told us that this particular queue has taken on epic proportions this months as New Yorkers are now waiting around the block to pick up some of the mouthwatering macarons that have made Ladurée famous. We passed by last night at around 7 PM, and the line still reached the corner of Madison and 70th street, populated either with people who were prepared to invest some time in their macaron shopping excursion, or blithely thought they would breeze in and pick up some treats, but decided to stick it out and wait their turn. While we would remind everyone that there are plenty of places in New York that sell delicious macarons, we will admit that Ladurée's are exceptionally tasty, and the folks running the store are not taking their customers for granted. We saw hat they are periodically treated to free snacks while the wait, which is more than we can say for the poor creatures sacrificing their dignity in the UGG line.

Ladurée 864 Madison Avenue between 70th & 71st Streets
Previously:
Mysteries of the Universe: Yes, People Are Still Lining Up In Front Of The UGG Store

SWEET SHOPS: Magnolia Bakery Invades Bloomingdale's

We suppose that it makes a strange sort of sense that cupcakes are now being sold under the same roof as Spanx.

Magnolia Bakery opened an outpost next to the Third Avenue entrance at Bloomingdale's (which has also acquired a shiny new canopy to the street). It is anly half a block away from Dylan's Candy bar, though we can't imagine that it could offer too much competition to that giant candy shrine. We have remarked a few times that macarons are the new cupcakes, which would have suggested that cupcake-centric bakeries should be on the decline, but sadly, this is not the case. It seems that macarons are the new cupcakes only for people who understand that they are different from macaroons that come in a tin from Manischewitz on Passover. For everyone else, cupcakes are still all the rage, and now they are invading our department stores.

On the one hand, The Shophound really supports and appreciates baked goods of all kinds, but on the other, we don't want to be faced with them at every turn. When we stopped by Bloomingdale's this week, it seemed like the Magnolia staff had not fully acclimated to their responsibilities, and by that we mean that we stood in front of the register for an awfully long time before anyone figured out that they should probably ring up our bran muffin (Yes, bran muffin. We do have some self control). Hopefully, they will get it together by this weekend, when Third Avenue's shopping crowds should be in full effect.

Honestly, we'll admit that a cupcake counter fits in fairly well with Bloomingdale's unique populist/luxury sensibility, so even we can't exactly fault management for installing the shop, but we just cant help thinking that we have long passed the point of "enough already with the cupcakes".

Magnolia Bakery at Bloomingdale's 1000 Third Avenue between 59th & 60th Streets, Upper East Side
Previously:
Cupcakes Carry On: Magnolia Bakery Takes Root In Bloomingdale's (7.14.2011)

INCONVENIENCES: There Is A Line Outside Ladurée On Madison Avenue Right Now OR Why We Didn't Get Any Macarons Today

We have already said many times that macarons are the new cupcakes, and if that's so, then Ladurée, the French Fabricant de Douceurs, would apparently be the new Magnolia Bakery. With its opening delayed by one day due to that hurricane, it appears that there were plenty of New Yorkers who were more than ready to invest time in being the first ones to shell out for $3 macarons. What more can we say? Obviously, we didn't go in because at some point, likely in the near future, we know that there will no longer be a line, and we will be able to waltz in for a decadent treat without so much tedious waiting (also our newish Yuketen bluchers were giving The Shophound vicious blisters, but that is really beside the point). Also, the macarons a few blocks up the street at La Maison du Chocolate are so very delicious that we can't imagine how Laurée could be all that much better. To put it simply, like cupcakes, there are so many tasty macarons around in Manhattan these days that there is no reason to wait outside on the sidewalk in a line to buy them.

Now, if they were giving them away for free...

Ladurée 864 Madison Avenue Between 70^th & 71^st Streets, Upper East Side

CUPCAKES CARRY ON: Magnolia Bakery Takes Root In Bloomingdale's

If you ask The Shophound, we would tell you that cupcakes have been done to death. There is certainly no shortage of cupcake bearing bakeries in the city, and they have become something of a a cliché among those who like to think of themselves as trendsetters. It's not that we wouldn't happily consume a cupcake of you put it in front of us, but it is fancy French macarons like the ones we scarfed down at La Maison du Chocolat or from the imminently opening Ladurée that are the current bite-sized sweet indulgence of choice. That shift in status won't slow Magnolia Bakery from expanding throughout the city, however. Having staked out territory in the West Village, Upper West Side, Midtown and Grand Central Terminal, the bakery that can be credited/blamed for creating a craze for twee little cakes will finally be serving the East Side not from its own store, but from an outpost in Bloomingdale's. Slated to open in September, the in-store shop will be open from 7:30 AM to 10 PM offering the bakery's full line of confections.

Unexpectedly, the shop will located at the central Third Avenue entrance which usually leads right into the Men's department. It's not that men won't eat cupcakes, but, possibly because of the bakery's association with the TV show "Sex And The City", they have something of a trendy, girly image. This particular spot would seem to be more appropriate for a pretzel bar, for example (There is already a burger restaurant downstairs in the Men's Department). Issues of gender mores aside, however, we aren't worried that the bakery counter won't be successful since there is still a great number of people for whom the word "cupcake" triggers an involuntary urge to stand in line and salivate. As impressed as we have been with Bloomingdales' ongoing efforts to update and upgrade its flagship, we can't help thinking that in this particular instance, the legendary store has fallen a little bit behind the curve.

Magnolia Bakery at Bloomingdale's opening in September, 1000 Third Avenue between 59^th and 60^th Streets, Upper East Side

SUMMER INDULGENCE: In Which We Are Forced To Taste All Kinds Of Chocolate

We really had no idea that chocolate could be seasonal. After all, will a truffle taste different in June than it does in January? Would a loved one take offense if presented with spring's ganache at the end of the Summer? Could our waistline stand to find out the answers to these burning questions?

The real question is could The Shophound possibly refuse an invitation from La Maison du Chocolat to sample their Summer collection at their Madison Avenue store? In case you are still wondering, we would probably accept an invitation from them to sample a crumb, so we made sure we were first in line yesterday afternoon to taste the famed chocolatier's latest.

First we started with a taste of the Salvador Raspberry Mousse Cake. One of the company's first creations, it is hard not to resist the dark chocolate and raspberry confection, but this was just the beginning. Next up was the Macaron Sylvia (pictured at right). It seems pretty clear that Parisian style macarons are the new cupcakes (a huge step up) and this cocoa and milk chocolate version would be a worthy contender with its honey tinged ganache center.

We were already sort of reeling at this point when we were faced with the centerpiece of the offerings. A collection of five specially flavored chocolates named "Chiberta", after the Basque town that gave us Robert Linxe, the founder of La Maison du Chocolate. They are meant to be consumed in sequence like a flight of wine, and available only until Labor Day. Had we already indulged too much to take on five more pieces of chocolate? Probably, but it would have been horribly rude to beg off at this point, right?

First off was Etizia, a rich milk chocolate ganache with more delicate honey notes. Next came Txokolate Iluna, a can't-miss classic, smoky dark chocolate ganache. Forcing ourselves forward, we came to Praliné Macaron filled with almond praline and bits of dark chocolate macarons. Next came Almond Paste with Patxaran liqueur covered in dark chocolate, and finally, we came to Espeletako Piperra, an unexpected combination of dark chocolate ganache and bright red peppers.
Yum.

At this point it seemed impossible to go further, but then we would have missed the pink Champagne. When we finally felt it was time to go, a voice called us back. The ice cream was coming out in just seconds, and who would want to miss that? Five choices were offered including Strawberry and Raspberry sorbets and ice cream in Pistachio and, of course, Chocolate, but we went with the ever so subtly salty Caramel. In the end, we couldn't have been more sated if we had been locked in the Wonka factory for a weekend, but in the event that we felt a bit peckish later, we were given a pair of cocoa covered truffles and a couple of those sumptuous macarons to take home.

Ultimately, we still hadn't gotten an answer to our question, but we didn't mind so much. It turns out that chocolate is good. All. The. Time.

La Maison du Chocolat 1018 Madison Avenue at East 78th Street, Upper East Side

THERE GOES THE WAISTLINE: Doughnut Plant Hits Chelsea

In case you think we have been totally immersed in Fashion Week, we're here to let you know some news that actually runs counter to the concerns of the moment.

Doughnut Plant is finally open in the Chelsea Hotel! In fact, it opened its doors only yesterday.

Yes, there was much hand-wringing over the emptying out of most ot the famed landmark's retail tenants, but we can't complain too much when their replacement is the best doughnut store ever.

And yet, we feel somehow ambivalent. You see, The Shophound was always comfortable with the temptation of Doughnut plant when it was safely tucked away only on the inconvenient Lower East Side. Of course, we could always pick up a few at Zabar's or Dean & DeLuca, but that's not nearly as irresistible as an entire shop of those treats with a full selection of natural, seasonal flavors. We don't actually live particularly close to Chelsea, but we find ourselves there often enough, and we aren't entirely comfortable with such temptation in such a convenient spot. We'll just have to consider it as a challenge to out willpower.
Starting tomorrow...
or maybe Thursday.

Doughnut Plant at the Chelsea Hotel, 220 West 23^rd Street between 7^th & 8^th Avenues, Chelsea

THE TJ'S WATCH IS OVER: What To Know About The West Side Trader Joe's

Our Trader Joe's watch is officially over here at The Shophound. After suffering with one overcrowded, undersized branch on 14^th Street for so long, Manhattan has finally been graced with two additional locations in quick succession. A few months ago, you may remember us rhapsodizing over the new Chelsea branch with its spacious aisles and painless check-out lines. It was like they fixed everything that sucked about the other one to make it like the Trader Joe's of our dreams.

Apparently, some dreams are meant to be shattered.

Oh, after Chelsea, we had such high hopes for the new Trader Joe's at 72^nd & Broadway that opened on Monday. It isn't a rage inducing maze of gridlock like the one on 14 Street, but neither is it like the pleasant, airy Sixth Avenue version at all. The store is entirely underground and divided into two levels —already a problem. Diary, produce and other refrigerated foods are on the upper lower level, and everything else is on the lower lower level. Both floors are arranged in a weird, L-shape, and it seems like the management is still not sure what kind of configuration the inevitable checkout line will take, but at the moment, when busy, it will stretch along the produce aisle, creating an annoying obstacle for anyone who just wants to grab some hummus or a bag of baby spinach, not unlike the chronic situation down on 14^th street. Of course, there's one thing about the stores that is no fault of the folks at Trader Joe's. The Upper West Side comes with it's own indigenous menaces, and chief among them is a surplus of moms with strollers and various and sundry other kids scrambling around. West Siders will know what we're talking about, and that's not even considering the abundance of, God forgive us, old folks. We know. Elderly shoppers have just as much right to their frozen Chicken Tikka Masala as anyone else, even when we are tripping over them, but we all know the hazard they can present in a supermarket. We're not even judging the store on its madhouse opening day. Even somewhat settled down a day later, the place is still something of an obstacle course forcing a constant refrain of "excuse me" before you're done.

The crowd frustration is only reminiscent of its neighbor Fairway, famous for its combative shopping experience, so everyone in the neighborhood should actually be used to that sort of thing by now. Anyone who thinks that TJ's going to present some sort of threat to the mighty Fairway isn't really looking too closely at the two stores. Trader Joe's,while ostensibly a supermarket, is a great source of well-priced staples like peanut butter, but its big draw is the range of house-branded specialty items like frozen and packaged, prepared foods. It can't possibly compete with Fairway's fresh produce, gourmet cheeses deli, fish and meat counters or even its branded products, which are usually quite competitively priced. In fact, the stores complement each other more than anything.

On the plus side, while the new TJ's is not ideally configured, it makes up for a lot of its shortcomings with convenience, at least as far as far as The Shophound is concerned. Of the three Manhattan locations, it is the closest to us by far, though we have to admit that we may still occasionally go out of our way to the Chelsea store as well. We would rather have a sub-par, somewhat frustrating Trader Joe's nearby than not at all. 14^th Street, however, we are totally done with.

And so ends our Trader Joe's watch. Now that there are three stores in Manhattan with another in Brooklyn, more local branches would certainly be welcome, but no longer particularly life-changing.

Trader Joe's 2075 Broadway at 72^nd Street, Upper West Side

ALL YOU CAN EAT: Foodies Brave A Heatwave For The First Taste Of Eataly

If it hadn't been one of the doggiest of the dog days of August, there might have been even more people waiting on the sidewalk at 23^rd and Fifth. They were willing to suffer in the Summer heat to be among the first to see Eataly New York, an import version of the famous all-encompassing Italian food palace which opened yesterday at 4 PM, and not a moment before.

Relatively innocuous from the outside, Eataly sprawls inside like no other market we have seen in the city. Imagine a Fairway-sized store with nothing but lovingly presented Italian food. Nearly every aspect of Italian cuisine is represented in depth including a mozzarella bar, pizza, an entire counter devoted to fresh pasta, shrines to seafood and salumeria, and aisle after aisle featuring every possible brand of dried pasta. The tables are not bare for random seat-yourself dining, but set for waiter service as each section appears to have a special menu for its category. Further exploration uncovers a book section stocked by Rizzoli and housewares from Alessi.

It is an impressive undertaking —even a daring one given the current economic climate, but there's no better customer base than food-obsessed New Yorkers for this sort of venture, which could make Eataly a must-see destination for the season. It presents food the way, for better or worse, so many like to see it here in New York: slightly overwhelming but with upscale authenticity.

It looks like this time, it's for the better.

Eataly New York 200 Fifth Avenue at 23rd Street, Flatiron District
Here's a liveblog from the experts at EATER with menus and more detailed info.

More photos after the jump

ETA CONFIRMED: Trader Joe's Upper West Side Opening Date Confirmed

We did have a couple of sneaky photos of interior progress at Trader Joe's upcoming store at Broadway and 72^nd Street, but that's wasn't very interesting once we learned yesterday that the store is slated to start receiving customers on Monday September 20^th. Though the website still lists it as 'Coming Soon', those signature hibiscus shirts don't lie. We were expecting October or November, so this is an especially pleasant surprise.

Hell, we just got used to shopping at the new, relatively hassle-free TJ's on Sixth Avenue, and soon we will only have to pop down to 72^nd Street! Ah, convenience.

The new store will go head to head with West Side stalwart, the mighty Fairway, and while we don't expect the local favorite to lose much to the popular interloper, it's worth noting that the store at 74^th Street has been spruced up just a bit, probably in anticipation of the coming competition. Regular Fairway customers will have noticed that the most cramped aisles have been slightly reconfigured and widened which has actually helped somewhat in making a visit to the store less of a road-rage inducing experience (seriously, sometimes it's like combat shopping in there).

Previously:
Upper West Side TJ's Watch: Wood Paneling & New Hires Appear At Trader Joe's On Broadway

UPCOMING FOOD PALACE: EATALY Has A Preview

The lucky, lucky folks at EATER got a preview of the long awaited Italian Food complex Eataly hosted by Joe and Lidia Bastianich and Mario Batali. The 50,000 square foot emporium will offer nearly every aspect of Italian food from markets to restaurants and even a cooking school. It sounds kind of like a Chelsea Market concept devoted to Italian cuisine which is more than OK with us. Eater has a whole gallery of pictures and details about what the complex will include when it opens at 4 PM on Tuesday August 31st.

Plan on breaking your diet that day big time.

Welcome to Eataly, a 50,000 Sq. Ft. Italian Culinary Funhouse (Eater)