Mariebelle Fine Chocolates: New York City

Seeing as how we had less than a week to explore New York City, Zhanna and I crammed a million to-do's in our schedule. One place we both really wish we could have spent more time in was SoHo. This artsy neighborhood in Lower Manhattan is filled with tons of trendy boutiques, architecture, restaurants and.....chocolate shops! I knew I couldn't come back to California without chocolate, so on a Sunday afternoon in SoHo, we tracked down one of the cutest chocolate shops I've ever been to - Mariebelle Fine Chocolates. The shop was so whimsical and colorful, I felt like I had stepped into a scene from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. Mariebelle carries everything from gourmet chocolates to gelato to hot chocolate. After spending a good twenty minutes walking around aimlessly, I ended up purchasing the best caramel & sea salt milk chocolate I've ever tried and a few other chocolates, including one with peanut butter and another with a passion fruit filling.

Mariebelle Fine Chocolates is located 484 Broome St. in New York, NY.

TLC's Cake Boss Cafe: New York City

Am I the only one who likes watching cooking shows on the Food Network and TLC while I'm running on the treadmill at the gym? There's something about Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives and Cupcake Wars that really gets me through 40 minutes of cardio. No? Ok, maybe it's just me...

Anyway, during one of the sunnier days in NYC, Zhanna and I were making our way through Times Square looking for a latte, when we spotted the Cake Boss Cafe. I ran in and picked up a coffee and biscotti for breakfast. After speaking to one of the store associates, I learned that the original restaurant that is featured on the TLC reality show is called Carlo's Bakery, and it is located in Hoboken, New Jersey. This particular Cake Boss expansion in NYC just recently opened about one month ago in the beginning of May. 

Cake Boss Cafe is located at 625 8th Ave. in New York, NY.

ChikaLicious Dessert Bar: New York City

On our first night in NYC, Zhanna and I we were on a major hunt for some dessert. I don't know if it was the sweet tooth talking, but I was in need of some chocolate STAT. I'd previously heard of Momofuku Milk Bar through Instagram, so we made our way over to Momofuku in East Village. Little did we know, this particular Momofuku location was TINY. Tiny as in "can't fit more than five people in the restaurant" tiny. So, we continued on our hunt for dessert elsewhere. A few blocks later, we ended up at ChikaLicious Dessert Bar, which by the way, is only a tad bigger space-wise than Momofuku. Somehow, we were able to snag a small corner table and indulge in our treats in peace (well, not really, since we were sitting shoulder to shoulder with complete strangers). Nevertheless, it was lots of fun!

Macarons!

Green tea soft serve.

A very rich chocolate cake.

ChikaLicious Dessert Bar is located at 203 E. 10th St. in New York, NY.