To frit or not to frit? That is the question. And if the fritters are from Dean & Deluca, the answer is an emphatic: FRIT. I love apple fritters. They were among my favorite Sunday treats as a kid. Last year I realized that it had been years since I had my last fritter. I became fixed on breaking my fritter fast and intent that my first frit be hot and fresh from the bakery. I even posted on the Serious Eats NY Talk section for fritter recommendations. Alas, I only got one response that recommended the non-hot fritters at Dean & Deluca. I proceeded to ignore that recommendation for some months until the fritter craving kicked back in and I came upon one of my co-workers on her way back from Dean & Deluca, fritter in hand. It looked so good, I had to go get one for myself.

The fritters ($3.50) come from D’Aiuto bakery. These beauties are crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, studded with apple pieces, and covered in plenty of sweet glaze (so much that it soaks into the apple fritter inards). If you ask nicely the folks behind the counter will briefly warm it for you. Hot and fresh, no, but hot and delicious? Yes.

After some googling, I discovered these fritters were featured in New York Post’s article on the city’s best doughnuts, apparently you can get them for $2.25 at the mother bakery on 8th ave and 30th street. Hmm, this seems worth the field trip. Permission to step out of bounds for the sake of the ML community, Mr. Brooks?

In the meantime, if you have the Rock Center Privilege Card you can save 10% at the 48th street location.

Dean & Deluca, 9 Rockefeller Center (48th Street btw. 5+6th Ave.), 212-664-1363

The Pumpkin Doughnut ($3) was a spiced cake doughnut topped with candied pumpkin seeds. According to Doughnut Plant’s twitter, the pumpkin doughnuts will be around as long as pumpkins are in season. The doughnut itself is sweet and moist and nicely spiced with a hint of pumpkiny goodness. If you like pumpkin treats, this is one to get in before pumpkins disappear for the year. The Village Voice calls it “something to stand in line for.” While you’ll pay a .50 premium for DP doughnuts at Dean and Deluca, at least you don’t have to deal with the crazy lines downtown. For it’s central location, I’ve never found the 48th street Dean and Deluca to be particularly crowded, though that may change now that it’s Christmas tree time.

The Cranberry Doughnut ($3) I tried was a yeast doughnut with a cranberry glaze. The cranberries come fresh from the Union Square Greenmarket and according to DP’s Facebook page they expect to have them “until the season is over, end of Dec around that time.” With the cranberry doughnut, all the cranberry flavor is in the glaze. If you pound your doughnuts in quick bites, you might find the cranberry flavor to be a bit subtle. If you’re more of a dougnut savor-er, you’ll enjoy and appreciate sweet and tart textured glaze. In any case, it does make for a very pretty doughnut, if you’re having an office holiday party or breakfast. Though I didn’t see it yesterday, apparently the cranberry doughnut also comes in cake doughnut form with “cranberries chopped and folded into both the dough and glaze.”

Anybody spotted these at other Midtown Dean & Deluca’s? (New York Times peoples, we’re looking at you.) Let us know in the comments.

Dean & Deluca, 9 Rockefeller Center (48th Street btw. 5+6th Ave.), 212-664-1363

Two Little Red Hens

• Actual Bakery Location: 1652 2nd Ave (btw. 85+86th), UES
• Favorite Item: Brooklyn Blackout Cake

This dark and luscious number never fails to leave me intoxicated in a sugar coma, post-consumption. Regardless, I return to it over and over again. And no, there are never regrets. Tiers of chocolate cake layered with chocolate pudding, finished off with frosting and a smattering of cake crumbs. Too sweet? Of course! But in just the right ways that you would expect and want. Where to get it in Midtown: Dean & Deluca

Sage General Store

• Actual Bakery Location: 24-20 Jackson Ave., Long Island City
• Favorite item: Carrot Cake Cupcake

The girls over at Lunch Studio have already spilled wonders on this oversized cupcake creation. Carrot cake and a smother of whipped cream cheese frosting. Simple and classic, no surprises here, just pleasure all around. Where to get it in Midtown: Dean & Deluca

Ceci-Cela Patisserie

• Actual Bakery Location: 55 Spring Street, Nolita
• Favorite item: Cherry Danish

A base of flaky pastry (only on non-humid days), a layer of supple pastry cream and cherries studded throughout make this number easy on the eyes and tongue. Ceci-Cela does fruit danishes in other flavors, including pears and plums, but cherry, with a bright tart pucker, is the best. Where to get it in Midtown: Joe The Art of Coffee

Tisserie

• Actual Bakery Location: 857 Broadway, Flatiron
• Favorite item: Croissant Bread Pudding

Tisserie’s Croissant Bread Pudding is one of the few bread puddings that I enjoy at room temperature. Torn croissant cuts are soaked in an eggy and cream heavy mixture, then baked till the outer layers turn all golden and crisp. The innards remain custardy, lightly sweetened, and very dense. Where to get it in Midtown: Oren’s

This Chick Bakes

• Actual Bakery Location: Wholesale Only
• Favorite item: Vegan Peanut Butter Cookie

The Pomegranate White Tea cookies are fun suprises, as were the Whoopie Pies (which, are sadly, no longer sold), but I’m invariably drawn back to the Vegan Peanut Butter cookie, crumbly and unexpectedly satisfying. This Chick Bakes keeps an interesting rotation of products at Joe’s in Grand Central, so sweets and pastries never get boring with this bakery. Where to get it in Midtown: Joe The Art of Coffee

Doughnut Plant

• Actual Bakery Location: 379 Grand St., LES
• Favorite item: Blackout Cake Doughnut

Just as chocolaty and decadent as the Brooklyn Blackout Cake from Two Little Red Hens, but extra special because these are not only coated in cake crumbs but also deep-fried. Oren’s, Dean & Deluca, and Joe’s keep a steady rotation of different flavors from Doughnut Plant, but you can never go wrong with this classic. The Strawberry Yeast Doughnut is always a tasty fallback. Make sure to come in the early mornings for doughnuts – they’re usually sold out by noon. Where to Get it in Midtown: Oren’s, Joe The Art of Coffee, Dean & Deluca

Erica’s Rugelach

• Actual Bakery Location: Brooklyn, NY (Advance orders only)
• Favorite item: Raspberry Cinnamon Rugelach

At $1.25 a piece, I like to get a few of these and munch on them throughout the day. Raspberries and cinnamon make an unusual, though perfectly paired combination. I believe that Erica’s makes one of the best rugelach in the city (though I’m open to other suggestions), always generous with the currants and walnuts. The cream cheese pastry dough is always spot on, delicious and consistent. Where to get it in Midtown: Joe The Art of Coffee

Balthazar

• Actual Bakery Location: 80 Spring St., Soho
• Favorite item: Sticky Bun

Everyone knows about Balthazar’s Sticky Bun. And if you don’t, you should be thoroughly ashamed of yourself. This is not your usual doughy and plush bun. This is a crisp and flaky number – imagine sticky glazed croissant laced with sweet pecans and raisins. It’s tiny in size compared to the average sticky bun, but you’ll quickly discover that looks are deceiving once it hits the bottom of your belly. Where to get it in Midtown: Oren’s

BisCoLatte

• Actual Bakery Location: 667 Tenth Ave. (btw. 47+48th), Hell’s Kitchen
• Favorite item: Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti

Chocolate. Hazelnut. A classic combination. Merge the two in a piece of BisCoLatte’s biscotti, and dunk in your morning mug of coffee. BisCoLatte ranks high in my books precisely because they cut their biscotti on the thin side. Too thick -> breaks your teeth. Cut it thin and you’ll expose the optimal amount of surface area for coffee dunking. Where to get it in Midtown: Joe The Art of Coffee

Corner Cafe & Bakery

• Actual Bakery Location: 1645 3rd Ave (btw. 92+93rd), UES
• Favorite item: Chocolate Farm Muffin

The Chocolate Farm Muffin is the “lightest” of the sweets mentioned in this post, even with a generous swirl of cream cheese in the batter. It’s not dark, not very decadent. Remember the texture of Betty Crocker and Duncan Hines chocolate cake mix? Think something along those lines, only really really tasty. I could easily down three of these muffins in a sitting. Where to get it in Midtown: Joe The Art of Coffee

Dean & Deluca (Multiple Locations)

• 620 8th Ave. (on 41st St.), 212-221-0312
• 1 Rockefeller Plaza (on 48th btw. 5+6th), 212-664-1372
• 9 Rockefeller Plaza (on 49th btw. 5+6th), 212-664-1363
• 235 W. 46th St. (btw. 7+8th), 212-869-6890
• 156 W. 56th St. (btw. 6+7th), 212-586-2970

Oren’s Daily Roast (Multiple Locations)

• Grand Central Terminal (2 Locations)
• 830 3rd Ave. (btw. 50+51st)

Joe The Art of Coffee, Grand Central Terminal (in the Graybar Passage)

Post and photos by Kathy YL Chan

Other posts by Kathy on Midtown Lunch:
Everything You Wanted to Known About FreeFoods NYC But Were Too Cheap to Try
A Food Porn Guide to Navigating Your Way Through Cafe Zaiya
More From Dainobu: The Good, The Bad, & The Udon
Hawaiian Island Grill Won’t Remind You of Oahu, But This Fat Guy Didn’t Mind

Dean & Deluca seems to be opening more of more of these new lunchtime take out spots. At the end of last year they opened the branch on 48th btw. 5+6th (right around the corner from another Dean & Deluca location) and now another has opened on 55th 56th btw. 6+7th. But this one is kind of different… they’re serving burgers! Kind of exciting, and they looked pretty good being grilled behind the counter. Unfortunately, they are all over $10 so I think I’ll just stick with the Burger Joint or Five Guys. But there is a menu of under $10 sandwiches and hot panini that look kind of appealing- and completely different than anything they have the other Midtown locations.

For those D&D fans who work in the southern part of Midtown, there is a big Dean & Deluca that will be opening on the ground floor of the New York Times Building (on 8th Ave. and 41st Street) but no word on when that will be happening.

I hate over-priced food, but there is a soft spot in my heart for Dean & Deluca.  Probably because I could spend hours roaming the big one in Soho (even though I’ve never actually buy anything), just staring at the meats and cheeses and flavored salts and meats and fruit and bread and cheeses and seafood and meats and cheeses and desserts.  Did I mention the mention the meats & cheeses?

Anyway, Dean & Deluca opened their third spinoff in Midtown yesterday, on 48th btw. 5+6th (on the North side of the street).  Unlike the “Cafes” in the Paramount Hotel, or the one next to the Rock Center skating rink (which is right around corner), this location is pretty spacious and will have a much larger focus on lunch.  The normal array of baked goods and sweets are there, but the prepared foods section is much larger, and they even have a station where you can order a custom made sandwich (the other two only sell pre-made sandwiches).

More Dean & Deluca porn after the jump…