Monday, November 2nd, 2009

Each month, My Upper West chooses an Upper West Side business as Pick of the Month.  These businesses are part of what makes our neighborhood great, and we highly recommend checking them out if you haven’t yet had the chance.  This month’s pick is Levain Bakery, at 167 West 74th, between Amsterdam and Columbus.  Click through to read about Levain Bakery.

Levain Bakery sits on the lower level of the side street off of Amsterdam, making for a somewhat hidden storefront to common passersby.  But don’t let the unassuming look fool you… walk down the steps into the tiny store to be hit with a wall of an aroma that can only be described as deliciousness, and food with taste to match.

The bakery was started by Connie McDonald and Pam Weekes in 1995, who came from other careers to achieve the goal of creating the perfect chocolate chip cookie.  The result, the bakery’s massive chocolate chip walnut cookie, accompanies three other cookie flavors to create a menu of arguably the best cookies you will ever eat.  The six-ounce cookies come straight out of the oven, and their gooey freshness are worth every cent of their $3.75 price tag.  Throughout Levain’s years on the UWS, buzz has spread about the cookies, with media from The New York Times to Zagat making the treats a worldwide legend.  The bakery is loved by high-profile names from Kristin Chenoweth (who calls the cookie “the best [she's] ever had, anywhere”) to big-name execs (who often mention Levain in Hamptons magazine interviews)… Levain was even featured on Oprah this year!

If you get a chance, stop into Levain to try one of the infamous cookies, and don’t count out their other offerings, from the $2 bomboloncini (filled doughnut) to the freshly baked artisinal breads.  If you want to know more, read about Levain’s history and latest news, or buy their cookies online, by visiting their website.

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