Finer Diner: 24 Diner, Austin TX

I need to talk to you about a very special diner called, simply, 24, in Austin, Texas. The name refers to how many hours they are open per day. Get it?

Now, to say "diner" might be ever so misleading. As they say on their website,

"When you hear the word diner, you probably think greasy spoon. 24 Diner is anything but. Essentially, we took all the elements of the concept we liked — classic American cuisine, good service, fun atmosphere — and turned it up about 10 notches. We offer chef-inspired comfort food, local & organic fare, a full bar and a killer beer & wine list. A finer diner, if you will. And you can stop in anytime. We’re open 24 hours a day."

But don't worry--just because it's "turned up about 10 notches" doesn't mean it's inaccessable. True, it's undeniably hip, and the dishes will cost a bit more than a greasy spoon, but it's worth it, because they do very fine work here. 

And plenty of it is sweet stuff. Since I was there for breakfast, I am mainly going to focus on morning sweets, but they do have a daily dessert list and based on everything I tried, I am going to go ahead and say you should probably try something. For instance, while browsing their Facebook page, I found pictures of desserts such as the Kentucky Bourbon pie (pictured above) and the honey cheesecake with graham cracker crust and lemon honey sauce (below).

If you love breakfast carbohydrates, you must get one of their Belgian waffles. It's a waffle a little different than I have ever tried, a yeast-risen dough with butter, Madagascar vanilla, and raw sugar. The high quality ingredients are evident from first bite--that light vanilla scent that permeates the waffle is tantalizing to smell as you're served, and it will definitely make your mouth happy. Oh, and it's served with fancy Grade A light amber Vermont maple syrup. And the butter definitely has some flavoring. Honey? I don't know. It's good though.

And you must get a shake. Shakes start with vanilla ice cream and then you can expand by adding quality ingredients such as single-origin chocolate, local strawberries, Grade A Vermont maple syrup, housemade syrups, and Texas Coffee Traders espresso. I suggest that you run, don't walk, for the Roasted Banana and brown sugar milkshake. This thing makes me want to do a happy dance. Like bananas foster meets banana cream pudding meets milkshake. And with fresh whipped cream on top! It makes you wand to do some happy banana dance or something. But please don't, because the clientele is hipster cool here. You don't want to lose your hip standing.

24 Diner, 600 N. Lamar, Austin, TX; open 24 hours. Online here.

Mac Attack: Ryba's Fudge from Mackinac Island, Michigan

Sometimes, a sweet comes along that makes you want to become their official ambassador and travel the globe spreading the sweet gospel, introducing everyone to this magical stuff. 

One such sweet, and you'll know exactly what I am talking about if you've ever tasted it, is Ryba's Fudge from Mackinac Island in Michigan.

If you are in any way tempted to say "I don't like fudge," well, I urge you to silence your dirty, untrustworthy mouth with a piece of a fudge unlike any other you have tasted. 

And while you let it melt in your mouth, let me tell you a little of the story of the late Mr. Ryba, who left a legacy as the "Fudge King" of Mackinac Island, and his fudge.

Mr. Ryba was born in Detroit on June 19, 1907 and grew up the eldest of five children in Utica, Michigan. He began working on the family farm, and in the mid 1930’s rented a storefront in which he began selling caramel corn and popcorn near a Detroit movie theater. In 1950, he grew both amused and irritated with a twelve year old boy selling The Detroit News outside his store. The young man had such a loud voice that Mr. Ryba always claimed he would scare his customers away. He also admired the young man’s drive, so he hired “Victor”, his eventual partner and son-in-law. Together they started making fudge. They were so successful, they branched out to sell at state fairs and other events that brought large crowds.

In 1960, they rented their first Mackinac Island store and began selling their fudge. Since that time, Mr. Ryba and his son-in-law have been a major force in the competitive fudge trade and have helped put this originally small resort town on the map. Also know as “the man of ideas,” Mr. Ryba helped transform this island into the place it is today. He was up at first light, a hands-on type person who was everywhere his many business ventures took him.

In March of 1996, he passed away at the age of 88. He left a major legacy in the generations that have followed in his footsteps. His son-in-law and grandchildren have continued in the fudge and candy trade, and today five stores are operated in the downtown area. Ryba’s trademark pink stores and pink bags represent the past and present of the fudge and candy trade. “Victor’s Caramel Corn” is the seed of the industry and what started the company so many years ago.

What started in Detroit, and moved to Mackinac Island may now be found at Chicago’s McCormick Place and Navy Pier. His grandchildren happily continue the legacy of fresh, quality fudge cooked in copper kettles and creamed on marble slabs. “When you see it made you know it’s fresh,” and we make it fresh daily at two of our downtown locations. Like Mr. Ryba, we’d be happy to put on a show!

I need you to know that I love that story. I love the idea of such an enterprise--fudge as something that would please tourists and give them a unique sweet memory, as well as a treat to bring back home.

But more importantly, I need you to know how much I love this fudge. I, like some out there, am not the biggest-hugest fudge fan. Growing up with substandard "chocolate sand" varieties sold on the Jersey Shore, I have often found the stuff underwhelming. 

But this Ryba's fudge is different. I think that the pictures at least slightly conveys it, but not completely. The texture is nothing like the gritty stuff that all too often passes as fudge. This is the absolute smoothest fudge I have ever had. It is like silk on the tongue. It melts like ganache. It's sweet, but not obnoxiously so. It begs you to have another bite. Although it's so smooth that it's not so much a bite as a gentle avalanche of sweetness in your mouth.

I had a sampler, so there were plenty of types to try--plain, Chocolate Pecan, Turtle, Cookies and Cream, Peanut Butter, Chocolate Peanut Butter. One after the other, the fudge varieties were simple and straightforward--I wouldn't call them a fancy food, exactly, but each one was just as smooth and as simply exquisite as my first bite.

But don't take my word for it--take a five year old's. I watch and do baking and art lessons for two sweet girls every now and again, and the younger one, upon tasting the Cookies and Cream variety, said "this is really good stuff."

It is really good stuff. And for me, an evocative food memory, and a telling one. It was like the taste of this fudge was good enough to match my idealized memories of growing up by the Jersey shore, but this treat needed no filter of time or memory--it was just excellent, plain and simple.

Ryba's Fudge; for more information or to buy, visit ryba.com.

January 28: National Blueberry Pancake Day

Source: phoodie.info via Cake on Pinterest

May your National Blueberry Pancake Day be sweet, sticky, and very buttery!

Yes, you heard me right. Today, January 28, is National Blueberry Pancake Day. 

If you're in Philadelphia, or if you find yourself near Philadelphia, anytime soon, please celebrate by getting a "short stack" at the Dutch Eating Place in the Reading Terminal Market. Maybe it's better if you're not in Philadelphia today, though, they're only open Tuesday through Saturday (pancake day observed, anyone?). They are an Amish business, which is why they don't open every day, although many of the vendors are only there Wednesday through Saturday, so consider yourself lucky for the Tuesday. Plus, they wear the cutest Amish garb while they serve you. But I digress. These are some of the finest blueberry pancakes I have ever tasted--fat yet fluffy, with blueberries that taste sweet and tart and have a pleasingly plump texture (not dehydrated, not weird). Plus, they serve their (huge) pancakes with a "pat" of butter that is about the size of a deck of cards--can you see it on the left hand side of the photo above?

Dutch Eating Place, 1200 Arch Street (in the Reading Terminal Market); more info here.

CakeSpy Undercover: Revolution Bakery, Santa Fe NM

I'll be totally honest: sometimes, gluten-free baked goods just taste funny to me.

I know it's not their fault. They're made using a different type of flour--flours, in fact! It's not just a matter of swapping "all purpose" for "gluten-free". It's a little trickier than that. Most gluten-free baking is actually done with a mix of a few types of flour, to guarantee a good combination of flavor and texture.

And likewise, the taste doesn't always translate exactly. Some gluten-free flours will impart a more assertive flavor than white flour. That, I think, is what makes the goods kind of funny sometimes. Like, they taste too healthy or they have too crumbly a texture or something.

So when I taste a gluten-free baked good, do try to be aware of these things, that they will never taste exactly like their floury counterparts. 

But they still can be a thing of beauty in their own, gluten-free right. And an example of a bakery that has a good thing going on is Revolution Bakery in Santa Fe, New Mexico. 

At Revolution bakery, they have a big focus on bread as you walk into the cafe, but they also have a very nice selection of pastries and baked goods--they do cakes, too.

Keeping it simple, I chose a quinoa chocolate chip cookie (which was vegan, too) and a cinnamon roll. 

The chocolate chip cookie was very nice. It was crispy around the edges but slightly softer inside. It crumbled lightly when bitten into, like a coarser sort of shortbread, and the flavor was slightly nutty and almost oat-y, which made it taste like a health cookie, sort of. I say "sort of" because it was assertively cookie-ish enough to not ever be confused with a granola bar. This is the type of healthy sweet I like: one that I can tell myself is virtuous, even if it really isn't.

The cinnamon roll was likewise lightly nutty in flavor, which worked quite well with the yeastiness of the pastry. But what this treat is really all about is the cinnamon-sugar filling and frosting, which play together to create a symphony of sweet morning music tastes in your mouth. A very nicely done cinnamon roll. Had I tried this one not knowing it was gluten-free, I might believe that a hippie-ish sort had hid flax or something inside of the dough, but I wouldn't instantly proclaim it gluten-free just upon tasting it. It had a very nice texture, too.

Baked goods are a bit spendy at this spot, but a lot goes into making a gluten-free baked good, and I think they're worth seeking out. So if you find yourself in Santa Fe, hit them up! Just remember to go early in the day, because they can tend to sell out of some things later on.

Revolution Bakery, 1291 San Felipe Boulevard; online here.

Pastry Profiles: Hamantashen, Famous 4th Street Delicatessen, Philadelphia

I love Hamantashen. Those jaunty hat-shaped cookies may be most strongly associated with Purim, the Jewish holiday, but really, they taste great pretty much any day of the year. And luckily, they're available pretty much any time of the year at a delightful spot called The Famous 4^th Street Delicatessen in Philadelphia. 

The famous 4^th Street is fantastic for many reasons, but most visually impressive is the sheer size of their baked goods. Seriously, the picture above doesn't quite give you an idea of scale. Their sweets are supersized: their cakes are baked in huge loaves, about 4 times the size of a regular piece of pound cake. Their coconut macaroons are the size of a softball;

the hamantashen measure about 5 inches across. While a mere look at the pricing might seem appalling ($3 for a hamantashen; $8 for an eclair), when considering the size of the goods, it's really quite appropriate.

But back to the hamantashen. Recently I picked up a few because I suspected that I would be able to double up and fill both my face and my soul with joy at once. 

I was right.

I'm not sure what experts would say, but for me, a successful hamantashen has a texture which falls somewhere between butter cookie and scone: very carb-y, lightly crumbly, but not crumble-apart. The Fourth street version managed to heighten my desired texture by attaining a crust that was flaky too. It was brushed with an egg wash for a pretty appearance and a nice light chewiness on top, which ensured that the cookie part crumbled and flaked in my mouth, not my hand. The cherry filling was good without being remarkable; the poppyseed and prune filling was more interesting, with a nice texture from the poppyseeds and the prune added a nice stickiness which contrasted the cookie with its mellow sweetness. It made me want to make like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz and sleep in all that poppy-fueled joy.

These cookies were perfect when paired with milk, and a delight as both an after dinner treat and a breakfast item. If you love Hamantashen, or think you might be willing to try to love it, Famous 4^th street is a good place to try, says this Spy.

Famous 4^th Street Delicatessen, Philadelphia; online here. 

CakeSpy Visits Hershey, Pennsylvania

Can you guess where I got this sweet treat?

If you guessed Hershey's Chocolate World, you'd be correct. I followed in Milton Hershey's steps for the journey, starting out in Philadelphia, which just so happens to be where he opened his first store:

...but then, unlike Milton, who probably had a different mode of transport in his time, I hopped in a car with a friend and headed westward to Hershey.

On the way, I couldn't help but stop for a store called Dutch Haven:

This is a magical place where, upon walking in, they give you a small slice of complimentary Shoofly Pie:

...and then we continued on to the Hershey attractions. When you get there, the first thing you'll notice is that the streetlights are capped with decorative Hershey's Kisses on them.

And the streets have names like "Chocolate Avenue". Forget Electric Avenue, this is the street I wanna rock down to. That's the Hershey factory in the back, by the way.

Now, it's time to walk into the Welcome Center. You'll see a big desk where you can sign up for activities such as "Create Your own Candy Bar", "Chocolate Tasting Adventure", and "Dessert Creation Studio". Most of the activities, you have to pay for.

While deciding which activities to do, we hit the gift shop. There, you'll find an amazing array of Hershey's products, with dramatic displays. It's very special to have a chance to walk around a land so laden with candy.

We decided on the (free) intro tour, officially called "Hershey's Great American Chocolate Tour" followed by the (pay for it) trolley tour.

The intro tour was sweetly hokey, and very fun. I mean...singing cows. I love it!

Oh, and they give you candy at the end!

Between the tour and the trolley ride, we hit the bake shop in the welcome center, where you can get sweets made using various Hershey products, such as cookies, parfaits, and more. Mental note: let's come back here after the trolley tour.

And on to the Trolley Tour it was. Unfortunately, the museum (a more historical attraction) wasn't open on the date of our visit, but we were able to take the Trolley tour, which is a kind of song-and-dance tour around town wherein actors perform and between songs and gags, explain some of the history of the town and show you some of the sights, including the school Milton Hershey founded, his private house, his birthplace, and of course the factory.

Off the trolley with our ears ringing from all that singing, we decided it was time for a sweet treat before heading back home. We settled on a cookie and a frozen hot chocolate. The dark chocolate cookie, which the employee informed me was made with Hershey's Special Dark cocoa, was a pleasant cookie. Fueled with sugar, we were ready to head back to Philadelphia.

Oh, but before I forget... if on your trip you've gotten your clothes covered with melted chocolate, you could go here to have them cleaned. Even the dry cleaner's logo looks like a candy bar!

Have fun--go visit Hershey! Find out more here.