How to eat like Cronut Girl in NYC
Photo by @cronutgirl on Instagram
Meet Cronut Girl
Cronut Girl is someone who knows food, especially desserts in NYC. I am one of the lucky few who actually know her true identity - she's like Gossip Girl! Not even the amazing pastry chef, Dominique Ansel knows who she is. Sorry sir, I'll never tell.
*UPDATE* - Cronut Girl informed me that Dominique actually knows who she is...they met on May 3 2016:
Btw Dominique does finally know who I am ;-) he met me at the Cronut 3rd bday private party in May that he hosted at his bakery!
1. Why did you create your account Cronut Girl?
I used to post photos of Cronuts on my personal Instagram page, but they'd get lost among my other pictures. I wanted sort of a Cronut® diary to document them. It started out as just a fun account for myself, then others started tagging me in their posts; there were so many great Cronut® photos on Instagram I started reposting them so I could share their mutual enthusiasm. To mix up my feed a little I'd throw in a photo of the DKA or Cookie Shot, but honestly I love all of Chef Dominique's creations and they are so beautifully crafted, sharing them is a must.
2. What has been your favorite Cronut so far?
There are been so many where I take a bite and think, "Ok, this one is now my new favorite!" but when people ask me what my favorite flavor is, my immediate response is December 2013's Valrhona Chocolate Champagne. March 2014 Milk & Honey with hint of Lavender is a close second. Honorable mentions go to June 2015 Key Lime Young Coconut and April 2016 Burnt Vanilla Smoked Caramel.
3. Where did your love of dessert and all things sweet come from?
My late grandfather had a massive sweet tooth. You could always find him standing in the soft serve line behind the kids waiting for his turn to swirl some ice cream in his bowl. Now that's me.
4. Does Cronut Girl have a go-to dessert/pastry you like to make? If yes, what?
I'm more of a pastry consumer than a pastry chef, so I should probably stick to eating than baking.. but I do make some awesome toffee chocolate chip cookies.
5. Will the public ever know who the real Cronut Girl is?
Ha! Well, it's not really top secret but I probably won't post any photos of myself on my @cronutgirl account. It's all about the Cronut®, not the cronutgirl ;-)
After drooling looking at all the amazing Cronuts and other desserts on her Instagram account, I reached out to her for some tips & advice on how to score one of these delectable delights.
How to score a cronut and other Dominique Ansel treats
Cronut Girl Tip: How to score a Cronut
The best way to get cronuts is via their pre-order site, but that is ordered two weeks out. If you're going to stand in line at the bakery, they open at 8am Mon-Sat and at 9am on Sunday. Best to stand in line about 30 min-1 hr before opening on weekdays, maybe earlier on weekends. I feel like Sunday is their busiest day. They limit 2 cronuts per person, but if you want their other goodies (highly recommended) then I would just order one cronut and share it. The second cronut you can save and bring home to SF.
Since I am the queen of procrastinating, I did not order two weeks in advanced, and seriously that was on me, ugh so annoyed. Plus I didn't have time to wait in line this time around, but duly noted, I am going order ahead so I can be one of those special people that is able to walk up to the front and pick up my Cronuts sans line.
Cronut Girl Tips: How to score other Dominique Ansel treats in NYC
1. The cookie shot isn’t avail til 3pm
2. Get the frozen s’more. so yummy
Photo Credit @cronutgirl
Cronut Girl's Top Spots in NYC
And because she's just an amazing person/friend, she sent me a list of her favorite spots in NYC! I put an asterisk* next to the places I checked out this past trip:
Soho
Dominique Ansel Bakery
189 Spring St, New York, NY 10012
Cronut
Frozen Smore
Cookie Shot
DKA*
DKA ice cream sandwich*
Paris-NY (like a Snickers cake)
Perfect Little Egg Sandwich (savory for bfast)
Avocado Toast
Soft Cheesecake
Laduree
398 W Broadway, New York, NY 10012 (just around the corner from Dominique Ansel Bakery)
Macarons of course
La Fraise (seasonal, not sure if still avail)
Tea selection is great
They have an amazing outdoor patio/garden for brunch, must have advance reservations
Prince St. Pizza
27 Prince St, New York, NY 10012
Try both pepperoni square pizza and a margarita slice*
I could literally eat more than just one slice. Tip: ask them to make it extra crispy when you order.
SOHO/Little Italy
Greecologies
379 Broome St, New York, NY 10013
Traditional unstrained yogurt
West Village
Dominique Ansel Kitchen
137 7th Ave S, New York, NY 10014
Brown sugar DKA
Brown sugar DKA ice cream sandwich
Burrata Soft Serve (Fri-Sun noon to closing)
Salt n Pepper Soft Serve (this one is really intense, great if you love black pepper) (Fri-Sun noon to closing)
Sage Smoked Brownie (also avail at In Situ SFMOMA but its a lot cheaper in NYC. smells like a pop brownie)
Ultimate Smore
Garlic Croissant
Keste Pizza & Vino
271 Bleecker St, New York, NY 10014
Pizza del Re
Chelsea
Chalait
75 9th Ave, New York, NY 10011
Matcha latte
Momofuku Nishii
232 Eighth Avenue, New York, NY 10011
Caci e Pepe
Caci e Pepe with egg (avail only on weekends for lunch)
make reservations online, walk ins welcome too
Midtown
Bibble & Sip
253 W 51st St, New York, NY 10019
Matcha Cream Puff
Earl Grey Cream Puff
Downtown/Financial
Takahashi Bakery
25 Murray Street, New York, NY 10007
Matcha Crepe
Lower East Side (LES)
Ice & Vice
221 E Broadway, New York, NY 10002
any ice cream
Juicy Spot
109 Ludlow St, New York, NY 10002
rolled ice cream
Clinton Street Baking Co
4 Clinton St, New York, NY 10002
blueberry pancakes*
Pancakes were fluffy and perfect!
Photo Cred: The Buttery Existence
East Village
Matcha Cafe Wabi
233 E 4th St, New York, NY 10009
Matcha latte
Chinatown
Taipan Bakery
194 Canal St, New York, NY 10013
rice cakes & diff flavored egg tarts
The Original Chinatown Ice Cream Factory
65 Bayard St, New York, NY 10013
I still have a long way to go before I finish this list, but I can't wait to go back to NYC to check out the rest of these treats! Thank you so much Cronut Girl! You helped make my trip so much sweeter.