A Cronut Fail

This was a post we wrote last month but due to various travels, we never got around to posting it. Sorry for our absence!

After hearing the hype surrounding the Cronut, we decided we had to attempt to taste it for ourselves. Having landed in NYC in the evening and promptly passing out in our beds, we easily awoke at about 5.30am (thank you jet lag!) and off we went to Dominique Ansel in SoHo. 

As we journeyed, we were reluctant to believe that the hype could be quite as big as we had heard. How wrong we were...

Arriving just after 6.30am, the queue was easily 250 people long, with those at the front (the pros) having set up camp with camping chairs and picnics. And so we joined the queue, with our hope slowly fading.

We found things to occupy the time, new hairstyles, reading, and mostly complaining that surely nothing could taste good enough to stand in line this long.

Having waited long past 8am (when the bakery opens) Samara went off to investigate our chances. She returned with news that the line was going to be at least another hour and a half, and it was highly likely they would run out before they got to us. We also found out August's new Cronut flavour was coconut, which didn't seem nearly as appealing as July's blackberry. With energy levels low, we made the executive decision to buy a few other pastries from the bakery (there no queue for all other pastries!) and leave the Cronut's until next time. 

We asked what the two most popular pastries other than the Cronut were, and were recommended a Cannelé and 'Dominique’s Kouign Amann'. 

The Cannelé was caramelised and crunchy on the outside, and soft and flan-like on the outside. With vanilla and a hint of Caribbean-rum it was rich and dark, and possibly a little too heavy for 9am in the morning!

The 'Dominique’s Kouign Amann' was by far our favorite. It is a effectively a caramelised croissant, with a crunchy caramel base and soft flaky pastry, it was absolutely delicious and certainly worth a visit to the bakery!

If you are interested in trying a cronut, we would recommend arriving before 6.30am, as this seems to be when the majority of people arrive, and if possible avoid arriving the day after the new flavour is released!

Lots of love,
Samara and Anna xxx

An Afternoon In Dublin

With the end of exams behind me, I decided to visit some friends in Dublin for the weekend. With all the obligatory catch-ups, and end-of-university celebrations out of the way, we spent an afternoon wandering around the city. Dublin is a fantastic city to explore. It is seeped in history- everywhere you look there are statues and monuments to great literary or political figures. And it doesn't hurt that there is a pub every 50 yards! 

After a stroll down Grafton Street listening to the street musicians we began to get a bit peckish, so we decided it was perfect time for lunch at The Market Bar. 

The Market Bar is a tapas restaurant set within an old warehouse (supposedly it was once a pig abattoir). With its red brick walls and lofty ceilings it has a great laid-back atmosphere,  and with it's lengthy bar I can imagine it to be an ideal place for a few casual drinks and nibbles with friends in the evening. 

With our eyes far larger than our stomachs we ordered two "large plates" which were far too much food for just the two of us.

I ordered the chorizo and feta salad (much to my friend's disapproval- 'how could anyone order a salad in a restaurant?!'), however it was delicious, spinach piled high with fried, spicy chorizo and drizzled with a balsamic honey dressing.

We also had the confit of duck, which was incredibly rich (thank god we also ordered the salad!), which arrived in a thick red wine sauce on a bed of cannelloni beans. 

Other than the food, my favourite aspect of the Market Bar was the decor. One wall is completely covered in shelves of old shoe blocks, while the others held some interesting (and bewildering) pieces of art.

Branches for antlers??

Feeling rather over-full off we went vowing never to eat again... until we reached Yogism. Yogism is a frozen yoghurt shop which allows you to self-serve a variety of flavours and toppings, and then... (here's the best bit) you are asked to guess the weight. If guessed correctly you are given it for free. Who can resist dessert when there's competition involved?!

Unfortunately our guess was 1 gram off the actual weight... next time I'm going back with a better guessing strategy! The shop has a bunch of old toys and games so we settled in to play (highly competitive) a game of Jenga. 

Until next time Dublin, you've been 'great craic'!

Love,
Fiona x

Around the World in 80 Bakes - Caffè Florian, Venice

Caffè Florian prides itself in being Italy's oldest café, first opening in 1720. It is located in the Piazzo San Marco, which provides the perfect setting for people watching! You have the option to sit outdoors and enjoy their famous orchestra, however we decided the 18th century interior was too hard to resist and decided to sit in one of the windows, in a ornately decorated room covered in frescos. 

Feeling ever so posh on our red velvet seats, we picked a range of desserts, teas and hot chocolates. Between the three of us we shared a hot chocolate, an almond tart and a chocolate tart, which each arrived beautifully presented with a Caffè Florian chocolate on top. Italian hot chocolate is renowned for being rich and thick, and this one did not disappoint. Ideal for a real chocoholic (an addiction we all suffer from), it was incredibly decadent, not too sweet and covered in a huge dollop of whipped cream. Perfection!

The almond tart was also a favorite - buttery pastry filled with apricot jam and almonds. Just the right amount of sweetness to counteract the rich hot chocolate, and we will never complain about the few extra chocolates thrown on top!

However, the cake we were looking forward to the most- the chocolate torte, turned out to be the most disappointing. Unlike the rich, moist, gooey-in-the-middle cake we expected, what we were presented with was dry, fairly bland and certainly not worth the hefty price. 

If you get the chance Caffè Florian is certainly worth a visit, and the setting is truly magical. However be aware that you are paying primarily for the experience and you could undoubtedly find tastier and more pocket-friendly places around Venice to have afternoon tea!

Lots of love, 

Fiona, Samara and Anna xxx

Weekend in Venice- Part 2

We began day 2 of Venice with a the a little food market in Rialto, near the centre of Venice, taking full advantage of the gorgeous weather with a food themed activity. 

First up was the fish section, Venice is famous for its seafood so it was buzzing with people.  Samara took the opportunity to take some 'edgy' fish pictures...

Where as Anna thought all the dead fish was just a bit gross... 

We moved on to the fruit and veg market; for some reason fresh fruit on a little market stall seems much more enticing compared with fruit from the supermarket...

We sampled their delicious Italian strawberries and a range of different dried fruits- including the rather unusual, yet surprisingly tasty kiwi!

Selection of dried fruit

Regular ice cream breaks are a must

Anna getting acquainted with the citizens of Venice

In the afternoon we headed up the St. Marks Campanile tower (or Campanile di San Marco in Italian). It's positioned in the the San Marco square- the main square in Venice- and gives spectacular views of the whole city. 

Although it looks intimidatingly tall from below, and a few of us questioned the possibility of all those stairs... it turned out there's only one way up- by elevator!

This meant we had just enough time to squeeze in a hot chocolate and cake once we were down.

After a long day of a lot of walking, evening drinks gave Fiona the opportunity to have a much needed Aperol Spritz. Suspiciously fluorescent but yummy all the same. 

Sitting by the canal watching the gondola's go by really was bliss...

For dinner we went to a traditional Venetian restaurant and Fiona sampled the Venetian speciality of 'spaghetti al nero di seppie'- spaghetti with cuttlefish ink. Although it looks exotic and frankly a bit unappetising, it's actually not bad- mild with a light seafood flavour. 

'Peace out Venice!'

A lovely few days, and the perfect relaxing trip before we all knuckle down and study for our various university/school exams. 

We'll be back soon, Venice!

Lots of love,
Fiona, Samara and Anna xxx

Weekend in Venice - Part 1

Last week we went on a weekend break with our mum to Venice. None of us had ever visited before, so we couldn't wait! After a short flight and loooong boat ride we finally arrived. Venice is even more beautiful than you'd expect. The sparkling canals and colourful buildings created the perfect setting for our weekend get away.

We stayed in the Pensione Accademia Villa Maravege (a mouthful we know!), a lovely little hotel, right on a canal. 

 Anna - Sunglasses found here

The first morning, despite aiming to be up early, we woke late and ate our fill of the extensive buffet breakfast (muesli, warm pastries, and wild strawberry cake - yum). Beside each guests teacup was a little chocolate egg- solid proof that Venice is great.

We ambled through the little streets and made our way to the Peggy Guggenheim Collection to soak up some culture. The museum houses Peggy Guggenheim's collosal collection of modern art, including works by Rothko, Pollock and Miro. 

Samara's favourite- Boccioni's bronze sculpture- Unique Forms of Continuity in Space (1913)

Anna 'inspecting' artwork up close


 

We spent all afternoon getting lost in the picturesque side roads (partly on purpose, partly as a result of our questionable map-reading skills). As there are no cars in Venice there is a strange kind of tranquility, which is totally different to the mad cities back home.

 

Fiona and Anna

  

After dinner, we went to what our guidebook described as 'one of the best gelaterias in Venice'. It was called 'Grom', and it was amazing. We opted for two flavours each, because, why go for one when you can have two? We sampled the classics - chocolate and strawberry, as well as more unusual flavours like tiramisu and salted caramel. 

If you ever manage a trip to Grom, make sure you taste our favourite ice cream combination: walnut and dark chocolate. Our mouths are watering just thinking of it... 

Happy Grom customers!

The perfect end to the perfect day! We could get used to Venice...

Us three (Anna, Samara and Fiona)

lots of love,
Fiona, Samara and Anna xxx