Monday, October 21, 2013

RECAP: 2013 NYChar Pumpkin Crawl!

What a delicious day!

We had an ambitious list of places to go to, and I think we earned our PUMPKIN (7 letters, 7 spots!).  See below for where we went, and feel free to follow or make your own day of pumpkin eats this Fall!  Thanks to all my pumpkin friends who came out to join me.


NYChar Pumpkin Crawl
  • Cafe Medina (17th St bt W Union + B'way) - Pumpkin Corn Bisque, $4.50 - It was a bit of a chilly day, so it was perfect to start with a soup.  This one has a little kick to it, and we love the corn kernels inside!
  • Heartland Brewery - Smiling Pumpkin Ale, $2.50 (5oz - sampler size) - We missed the pumpkin and cinnamon notes, but it was still refreshing.  TIP: Just order from the bartender and don't try sitting, esp if you're just drinking - he's a lot more helpful than the rest of the staff.
  • Union Square Greenmarket (Open Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat, 8am-6pm) - We walked through to take pictures with the pumpkins and enjoy the bustle of the market.
  • Cafe Orlin (St. Marks bt 1st and 2nd Ave) - Pumpkin Pancakes with Cinnamon Yogurt, $11 - An East Village staple, it was busy even at 2pm!  Pancakes were fluffy and so delicious.  Definitely shareable for 8 - it's so big!
  • Klong (St. Marks bt Cooper and Astor Pl) - Right down the street from Cafe Orlin, the Pumpkin Chicken Curry, $13 was absolutely delicious and just what I was hoping for on our P-Crawl.  It has the right sweet/spice and large pumpkin chunks to top it off!
  • Sundae & Cones (10th St bet 3rd + 4th Ave) - Finally made it to this "ice cream paradise", and I loved it!  Not only did the Pumpkin Ice Cream, $3.75 taste just like pumpkin pie, the Thai Iced Tea, Guava, and others we tried were amazing - and there's a taffy? sort of texture that makes it extra fun to eat.
  • Sugar Sweet Sunshine (126 Rivington bt Norfolk + Essex) - One of my fave bakeries in the city, if not just for the name itself!  "The Nog" pudding with egg nog + pumpkin was rich with Fall flavor, $2.50 for a small.  It's seasonal so you have to get it now.  Try the Spicy Pumpkin Cupcake as well, only $1.75!  
Two more on the list that we didn't have any more room for (will plan another time to go):
  • 12 Corners (155 E Broadway) - Apparently an amazing new latte spot, especially for the Pumpkin Pie Latte!
  • Four + Twenty Blackbirds (3rd Ave bet 6th + 7th Ave, Brooklyn) - Another bakery that has been on my list to go to for Pumpkin Pie and many other treats.
Happy eating!