They are a quintessential neighborhood bakery that you would expect to find in a small town, but they happen to be right near one of the busiest areas in the city, Times Square! They specialize in southern style baked goods, drinks, and food items. Some of their most popular items include their Lemon Bars, Drop Biscuits, Sweet Tea, Chicken and Dumplings, and their Chocolate Chip Cookies. Since I worked there twice a week, I got a chance to try most of their items and can vouch for all of them! My favorites were their cake slices (you get a huge slice and it is some of the best cake that I have ever had), brownies, lemon bars, biscuits (I seriously have never had biscuits as good as theirs), chicken & dumplings soup, mac and cheese, corn bread, cinnamon scones (tastes like a cross between a scone and a cinnamon roll), and their muffins. Oh, and even their coffee is amazing! I know the list is pretty long, but it is because everything is just that good. I have never had anything there that I didn't like.
But, unfortunately for me, the location of the bakery is pretty much out of the way of anywhere that I go in the city, so I hadn't been back in over a year. This morning, however, I decided to go back and pay them a visit. I was immediately greeted with a beautiful display case of about 5 different muffin varieties, 3 different scones, warm biscuits, breakfast sandwiches, and hot coffee. It was so difficult to choose one thing because there were so many baked goods that I wanted, but I had to limit myself to one item as to not completely sabotage my efforts to eat healthier. So, I ultimately decided on my favorite muffin there- the Coconut Almond Muffin. Not only is it my favorite of their muffins, but it is the best muffin that I have ever had, and that says a lot because I have had A LOT of muffins.
When I took my first bite, it was just as delicious as I remembered. The top has an amazing crunch to it, and the inside is very fluffy and soft. The almond flavor really comes through in every bite, and there is tons of coconut and almond slices in the actual muffin which makes it even more delicious. Most muffins that I have had don't have the crunchiness on the top that you look for, but all of the muffins at Donna Bells have it. I have tried their chocolate chip, banana pecan, peach, and blueberry bran varieties and they are all just as good. I also got a cranberry muffin for my sister and she had the same reaction as me--she said the best part was the top because it is crunchy on the outside but so soft on the inside. You can really tell that they are baked fresh and they care about what they are making (just as a side note, my sister was planning on saving it, but she finished it on the subway ride before she even made it to work, which is a testament to how good it was!)
Basically, if you are in the city you MUST go to Donna Bells! It is on the corner of 49th Street and 8th Avenue, which is just walking distance from Central Park and Times Square! It has a nice homey, neighborhood feel to it, and you will be able to find something for everyone. A lot of the more famous bakeries in NYC have lost their edge and are just tourist attractions, but Donna Bells is the real deal.
They have their menu posted online and it updates with their daily specials, so you should definitely check it out (www.donnabellsbakeshop.com). They also have such an amazing story...it is owned by three best friends, one of whom is Pauley Perrette from NCIS. The bakery is named after Pauley's mother, Donna Bell, and most of the original recipes were hers. Oh, and if you are planning to visit (which you should be), I recommend going on the early side because the best things tend to sell out quickly!
No comments:
Post a Comment