For $1.75 you get a little espresso cup’s worth of their thick house-made hot chocolate with or without whipped cream.  I choose with whipped cream, natch.  Apparently they make it there each day with dark chocolate, cinnamon and a “proprietary blend of spices” that one of the ladies behind the counter says she mixes each morning.  The cocoa itself was mildly spicy but not “hot” spicy.  If you have a relatively low tolerance for sweet beverages, this is not the drink for you.  At $2.75, regular size hot chocolate that looked like it was at least 8 oz is only $1 more, but the ladies at Spoon City said that most customers complained that it was too much and they couldn’t finish it.

While City Bakery isn’t in danger of losing hot chocolate customers to Spoon City, if you like your hot chocolate on the sweet and spicy side and enjoy the novelty of doing chocolate shots, this might be the post lunch treat you’re looking for.

Spoon City, 339 5th Ave. (btw. 33+34th), 212-686-1244

Related:
Spoon City Brings Shake Shack’ish Custard to Midtown

If you love the concretes they serve at the Shake Shack, but don’t have time to make it to the UWS or Madison Square Park on your lunch break, you’ll want to pay attention to this news. Spoon City, a tiny take out soup, sandwich, and ice cream window has just opened on 5th Avenue btw. 33+34th serving the exact same frozen custard they serve at the Shack. They’re not affiliated in any way, but according to the guy behind the counter Spoon City uses the exact same machinery, and the same ingredients vendor that the Shake Shack uses.

Normally I don’t know if I can tell the difference between ice cream and “frozen custard” (which apparently is a Coney Island specialty) but I do know this: the Shacky Road concrete from the Shack Shack is freakin’ amazing, and if this Spoon City can even replicate a bit of that magic here in Midtown, I’m all for it!

In other words, how could I walk all the way over there and not order something…

$4.75 gets you a small concrete, with one free mix-in (I went with chocolate custard + cookie dough.) It’s kind of pricey for ice cream (custard, whatever), but it tasted pretty awesome. I’m not enough of an expert to say if it tastes exactly like the Shack- but it was close enough. In addition to the concretes, they’ll also do milkshakes and floats or just give you custard in a cone. The menu had 15 flavors listed, but I only saw one custard machine and was under the impression I was just limited to vanilla or chocolate… but I guess not. (According to the menu each serving is “made fresh to order”.) There are also over 14 mix ins, which cost $1 each if you want more than just the one that comes free with any order.

In addition to the sweet stuff, they also have a few savory items like sandwiches, and soups from Hale & Hearty… but clearly the custard is where it’s at.

Spoon City, 339 5th Ave. (btw. 33+34th), 212-686-1244