Sunny day+free cheese = complete happiness

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There's nothing like real cheese. I'm not sure I'd ever had any fresh or local cheese until I tasted Artisinal Premium Cheeses at an event last November. Fresh, creamy, tangy, and, most importantly, real come to mind. During the absolutely wonderful 60 degree day, Meg and I walked around lower Manhattan and tasted things (it was a good day).

We started off with croissant french toast at home. Both of us were skeptical about how they would taste, but the flaky-chewiness of the croissants worked with the french toast process. After visiting Lindsay's gallary on West 27th, we had a quick slice and a Mango Madness at the Il Panino pizzaria. Quite passable.

Our next stop was the Big Booty Bread Bakery on West 23rd. The name and the window display sucked us in. The selection looked good: heavy dulce de leche influence, little chocolate. We got a loaf of dulce de leche bread and a strawberry/cream cheese booty bun. I'll give an update on the bread, but the bun was quite good. It had a good chewy/cakey balance and they didn't go overboard the filling. Unlike most filled pastries I've had, the booty dough was interesting enough to not need the filling. I'm pretty sure Nutella or dulce de leche booty buns might be in my future.

From there, Meg and I split up: she to the library and me off to the Union Square Farmers' Market. It was amazing. It was a new world. Instead of the fruit vender and the baker and the four other random stalls, there were 10 fruit venders and numerous bakeries and flowers and buffalo meat and cheeses. I splurged and got some great artisanal goat cheese from Coach Farm: one mild fresh goat cheese and one lightly aged one with peppercorns. There was an ultra-aged one with peppercorns but that was a bit too intense for me.

I walked around some more and read in Riverside Park. In a while, we'll be going out to dinner. There will be a sepperate post later.

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Cheese, Bread, Farmers' Market, Pastry