A Taste of the Outback is as Close as 79th Street

Burke & Wills - Upper West Side
226 W 79th St., New York, NY 10024

Have you ever had a sudden craving for sweetbreads? Can't say that I have. What about kangaroo? Ever wake up one morning and crave a 'roo burger? Well, at Burke & Wills you can satisfy all the outback cravings you never knew you had.

The restaurant located at the 79th Street subway stop on Manhattan's Upper West Side isn't exotic in name or even decor. The small drawings and maps hanging on the wall are the only indications that the restaurant serves Australian fare.

Below the restaurant's skylight, we nestled into our two-person table against the wall and cracked open the leather menu to look for the typical one-page insert detailing the options for Restaurant Week. One did not exist. Instead, the waiter informed us that we could select from the regular menu--one appetizer, one entrée, one dessert each. Nothing was off limits, though a few items did explicitly indicate a $5 or $10 additional charge.

Justifying the additional $5 charge (when have I ever seen kangaroo on a menu?) I ordered the kangaroo loin to start, followed by the spiced duck breast, finishing with a warm chocolate cake. My Restaurant Week partner in crime ordered veal sweetbreads to start, and then enjoyed his kanga-experience in burger form for the main course. For dessert he had the affogato.

Levain Bakery Cookies Are Not Cookie Cutter Perfect--They're Better

Levain Bakery - Upper West Side (Also in Harlem and the Hampton's)

167 West 74th Street

New York, NY 10023

My cousin goes down in the in Hall of Foodie Fame for this recommendation.

As though it were no big deal, she slipped in the name Levain Bakery over lunch the other day. Despite her lack of fanfare, I knew the bakery must be good for her to have mentioned it. I just didn't know just how good.

Having no prior knowledge of the Levain Bakery's cookies, my expectations were moderate, which is unusual in a city where every "hot" foodie trend spreads like a pandemic through Buzzfeed, Twitter, and casual conversation. But when I sidled into the line crowding to the door, I realized maybe this was a hot trend I had missed.

As a grab-and-go basement bakery, the queue moved quickly, ushering in the stalwart patrons who had been patiently waiting through wind and spitting rain. With the chocolate chip brioche out of stock, I opted for the double chocolate chocolate chip cookie, which arrived not warm but hot. Levain defies the flat, cookie cutter feel of chain stores (Think Mrs. Fields, if you dare make the comparison.) As with any fine work, the imperfections contribute to, rather than detract from, the brilliance. In the case of Levain Bakery, what you receive is a mildly misshapen, mountainous cookie that gets your hands messy and melts in your mouth--but I guarantee you wouldn't want it any other way.

After also trying the walnut chocolate chip (also delicious), I would recommend the double chocolate instead. The walnut cookie's sugar content carried a zealously sweet imprint of blanched sugar. Left unchecked, this sweetness becomes too overpowering to continue eating after just a few bites. In contrast, the bitter cocoa in the double chocolate chocolate chip enriches the dough and eliminates any trace of processed taste. Nevertheless, the cookie is rich enough that halfway through my chocolate cravings were satiated. In a moment of unexpected self control, I saved the rest for later.

And I am so glad I did. After a night in the refrigerator, a Levain Bakery cookie is still soft enough to sink your teeth into--like a block of fudge. It is the breakfast of champions.