Coffee & Treats in New York City

When a career as a fitness instructor instilled in him the importance of a balanced yet palatable diet, Stephen Charles Lincoln founded The Protein Bakery in 1999 to sate clients' sweet teeth while maintaining fitness-focused bodies. Lauded by Oprah Winfrey as "genuinely delicious," the bakery's cookies, brownies, and blondies—all baked in small batches daily—blend decadent flavors with nourishing whey protein and wheat-free, high-fiber ingredients. Perfectly cut brownie squares in flavors such as mint and espresso¬ mingle with peanut-butter and chocolate-chip blondies to create protein-packed snacks. Cookies in flavors such as oatmeal cranberry and chocolate chocolate chip pack up to 6 grams of protein each to forge healthy treats and help to jump-start the bodybuilding careers of dessert-addicted Muppets.

At Kelvin Natural Slush Co., there’s nary an electric-blue or cherry-red slushie in sight. That’s because the food truck’s all-natural slushes come in three base flavors—spicy ginger, tangy citrus, and green and black tea—and gain color from real fruit puree, chopped herbs, and natural mix-ins. Customers can design their own flavor combination or ask the staff for suggestions; favorites include tea slush with raspberry mix-ins, ginger slush and blueberry, and the “Arnold Palmer,” a half-tea, half-citrus slush made with ice hand-crushed by a vintage nine-iron. Stacked against other NYC-area food trucks, including ice creameries and a candy shop, Kelvin Natural Slush Co. took the award for best dessert at the 2010 Vendy Awards.

Alain Coumont couldn’t open his restaurant until he found the right bread. He spent his childhood watching his grandmother make loaves with simple ingredients—flour, salt, water—but bread made in this rustic style was no longer the standard. Coumont felt he had no other choice but to open his own bakery where he could make bread that possessed the crusty, firm heartiness he required. He named this bakery Le Pain Quotidien—literally, "the daily bread." Today, Coumont and his staff around the globe bake loaves without the preservatives, additives, and improvers that often corrupt the aroma and texture of good bread. Le Pain Quotidien also features a café menu centered on the resulting organic loaves, which uses them as a base for Belgian open-faced sandwiches and as a side to hearty salads, cheese boards, and soups. The staff also bakes a full menu of pastries, including apple-pear turnovers, organic muffins, croissants, and brioche.

Fresh out of the steamer, the bao at Golden Steamer are “tasty, with a fluffy, soft, appealing dough,” according to a Serious Eats blogger. The steamed Chinese buns come in a number of flavors, including a specialty breakfast blend filled with chicken, egg, and Chinese sausage, though roast pork and pumpkin remain crowd favorites. Customers can eat their bao at the shop’s four-seat counter or take a six-pack to-go and steam them at home.

When cupcake mania hit New York City, thousands of New Yorkers indulged in the updated dessert. The lines of people waiting for shrink-zapped cake included New Yorkers of every variety with a couple exceptions: people with food allergies and those eschewing the use of animal products. Fed up with the lackluster, dry cupcakes bearing the vegan name, baker Erin McKenna decided to create desserts that not only catered to a range of dietary needs, but were just as rich, chewy, and moist as the classic versions. The results have gained her acclaim from the Wall Street Journal, numerous vegetarian media outlets, and celebrities such as Anne Hathaway, who served BabyCakes on her wedding day. McKenna proudly displays the health-conscious ingredients that her recipes call for, from her gluten-free brownies to her cupcakes made with spelt—a complex grain with higher levels of protein than wheat. She avoids the use of eggs and dairy in all of her desserts, and uses natural agave to add sweetness to her muffins, traditional apple pie, and flaky biscuits. Clients can try their hand at her recipes through a pair of cookbooks, or by buying premade mixes.

Doughnut Plant was recently named one of The Huffington Post’s Best Indie Doughnut Shops, but the road that led to this accolade stretches back more than a century. Owner Mark Isreal’s grandfather Herman began his career as a baker in 1910, before he was drafted as a soldier in World War I. While stationed in Paris, Herman learned the art of the French baguette and experimented with his own recipes, which he put to use when he opened his own bakery upon returning to the states. Mark Isreal re-created his grandfather’s original donut recipes, and, upon moving to New York, Doughnut Plant was born. Homemade jams and glazes enhance each of Mark’s cake, yeast, and filled donuts. House favorites include the crème brûlée, which he fills with vanilla-bean custard before hand-torching them to caramelized perfection, or the Blackout, a chocolate cake donut filled with chocolate pudding, dunked in a chocolate glaze, and then covered in chocolate sprinkles. Alongside his preservative-free donuts, Mark serves Kobrick’s Coffee, Mighty Leaf loose tea, and homemade juices and nut milks pressed by the store, which helps retain three to five times as many nutrients per glass as store bought. During the summer months, the store also churns its own ice cream.