Desserts on a Mission

Location: 35 Cedar Street @ 10 Liberty Plaza

Price: Pricey Side ($$$)

Atmosphere: Plenty of room for seating; Wall Street clientele

Customer Service: Helpful and attentive; Not exactly the New York pace, but did not have to wait long * B+ for service*

What I ordered: Cassis White Chocolate Mousse (Cassis and white chocolate mousse layered over an almond biscuit)

Review: Delicious! The pastry was light and sweet. The texture of the mousse was smooth and creamy with fresh blueberries in the center. But, the cassis mousse overwhelmed the flavor of the pastry and the flavor of the almond biscuit due to the tartness of the cassis berry.

What I ordered: Raspberry Macaroon

Review: Whoa! Talk about a sweet cookie! If you love raspberry, this is the cookie for you. Personally, I’m a huge raspberry lover, so this cookie hit the spot. It was fresh and crisp with a soft center and raspberry filling.  Although the raspberry jam contributed to the sweetness of the cookie, it was balanced. They also have other flavored macaroons, such as chocolate, pistachio, and lemon. I’m sure they are just as good as this one.

Reviewed by Francesca & Melissa

Location: Madison Avenue and 30^th Street

Price: Average ($$)

Atmosphere: Cozy, European atmosphere; A few tables occupying the café; hidden treasure

Customer Service: The man that helped me was a little rude and did not speak; we paid and left *C+ for service*

What I ordered: Chocolate croissant

Review: Even at 9pm, the croissants were still fresh! It was flaky and the taste of butte was evident. However, the amount of chocolate was lacking. If you are looking for a chocolate croissant that is oozing with chocolate, then this is not the croissant for you. But if you want a croissant with a hint of sweetness, you found your treasure!

Reviewed by Zack

Location: 372 Third Avenue

Price: Average ($$)

Atmosphere: Grab & Go; Wall to wall selections

Customer Service: Terrible service; Maybe it was the woman that helped me or the workers are just overworked and underpaid; Slow, unfriendly, and not enthusiastic *D for service*

What I ordered: Tiramisu

Review:  Not only was the service bad, but the pastry was even worse. It was dry and not made with the right ingredients. It was way too sweet for tiramisu and the filling was stiff as cardboard. Anyone who has had real tiramisu knows that the topping is not to be made with buttercream and that the consistency should be creamy with a hint of coffee. Whatever I had, was not tiramisu, but some bad imitation.

What I ordered:   Cream Puff

Review: Looks better than it tastes. Clearly is was not a best seller because it tasted like it sat in the refrigerator for a few days. The puff pastry lost its crispiness and was soft and dry. The consistency of the custard was extremely thick and tasted like raw eggs. The strawberries garnishing the sides were rotting and the whipped cream center was clearly not French cream and tasted like cool-whip.

Reviewed by Francesca & Zack

Location: The Corner of 24^th Street and Park Avenue South

Price: Average ($$)

Atmosphere: The Credit Suisse/ New York Life hang-out; Plenty of seating unless you come when everyone decides to take a coffee break

Customer Service: Staff is very friendly and upbeat; they are attentive to your orders and fulfill them pretty quick. *A for service!*

What I ordered: Brownie

Review:  Not the best brownie I’ve ever had, but it will do. The brownie was not as fresh as I expected, lacking on the moist side.  However, it was the right balance of sweet and chocolate. There were some chocolate chips in the center and a hint of coffee running through the batter. A cup of coffee will intensify the chocolate flavor of this brownie.

Reviewed by Francesca

Location: 251 13^th Street

Price: A little on the Pricey side ($$$)

Atmosphere: Grab & Go; No seating, except for small stand-up bar by the window; Artsy

Customer Service: The two servers were extremely friendly and helpful. They did not seem irritated by all the questions we asked. They had great personalities and almost seemed as though they attended the Tisch School of Performing Arts. *A+ on service!*

What I ordered:  Cornflake Muffin Chocolate Chip Cookie

Review: The cookie had a sweet, but salty taste that almost tricked your taste buds. The salt was definitely coming from the cornflakes. SO, if you are not a cornflake fan, I would not recommend this item. It was also very soft and chewy, like it was fresh out of the oven (minus it being warm). Although the cookie was sweet, it did not have this overbearing taste of chocolate. It was the right balance between chocolate and cookie.

What I ordered: Blueberry and Cream Cookie

Review: This particular cookie is for those who truly enjoy the taste of blueberries and appreciate their tangy-ness. The blueberries gave the cookie a tart flavor that tickles the taste buds.  The cookie was made with fresh blueberries and was soft and chewy, like the cornflake cookie.

What I ordered:  Birthday Cake Truffles

Review: Talk about a sweet indulgence! This specific truffle hits the spot if you are having that ultimate sweet tooth craving. But beware, if you do not like raw cookie dough, this will not satisfy your craving.

What I ordered: Chocolate Malt Cake Truffle

Review: This particular truffle is the ultimate chocolate indulgence. It has a crumby shell with a rich, creamy filling. It almost tastes as though you are eating raw brownie batter. A glass of milk will compliment this truffle.

Reviewed by Francesca & Melissa