While I was visiting Long Island, I was able to go back to La Bonne Boulangerie. I got two things from there this time. One was the chocolate rugelach, which was still very good. The other was a Chocolate Yogurt Loaf Cake. That was also good. Two days later and it still tastes good. This is a yogurt cake with a chocolate streusel swirl and a crumb topping.
The cake itself is massive. When you slice into it, you are able to see the nice swirl of chocolate streusel in there and the layer of crumb topping.
Front ViewSide View
There were three main elements that I focused on while I was eating this. The first was the cake layer. The cake was very moist, not too dense. A good pound cake consistency. The next part was the streusel layer. This did not have a heavy chocolate flavor to it. The chocolate was barely noticeable, but the overall flavor was good. The consistency worked well with the cake layer. The last part was the crumb topping. I’ve enjoyed this bakery’s crumb topping on other treats, and this is no different. There wasn’t a thick layer that took away from the flavor of the cake. And the crumb topping wasn’t a hard crumb topping that hurts your teeth when biting into it. This actually worked really well when combining with the cake and the streusel.
When I ordered this chocolate yogurt cake, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I thought I would like it based on previous good experiences, but I wasn’t sure if it was something I would order again. This definitely is worth a repeat, when there are a lot more people to share it with.
I look forward to my next visit to Long Island my next stop at La Bonne Boulangerie in East Norwich. I might get the same thing, or I might try to enjoy something new. A happy stomach helps me keep positive thoughts. Stay positive!
Sometimes timing can work out, so I took the opportunity to travel again for a few days up to Long Island. On the drive up, I was looking at the trees that were to my right. There were some nice shades of green, a couple of yellows and oranges, but reds and browns were sparse. It was still nice to see the scenery of the drive.
I made a stop at the Grover Cleveland Service Area on the New Jersey Turnpike. I decided to order something that I’ve had a few times at this stop, the Gobbler Sandwich. This was purchased at reFresh & Co. The sandwich has gridlled bread, gridlled turkey, stuffing, gravy, and a cranberry aioli. The standouts of this sandwich are the stuffing and gravy. The bread is gridlled, which is the only thing I’m not enthusiastic about. Heating the bread on a griddle makes it greasier than if it were toasted. The bread is thinly sliced, so the butter that was put on the griddle makes the bread a bit soggy. The flavor is good, but the texture was not of my liking. I’ll still get the sandwich again, because the overall flavor is really good.
When I was on Long Island, I was able to get a couple of good meals. I had a gyro from Greek Cove in East Norwich. This has very large portions, so I was able to share about half of the gyro meat and still had a huge sandwich. The pita bread and tzatziki are both really good. The red onions have a nice crispness to them and add good flavor. The seasoning on the gyro also added to the traditional flavors. There are two good Greek places nearby – this one and It’s Greek To Me in Syosset. They both bring back fond memories of living in Greece when I was younger.
I also had the opportunity to go to La Bonne Boulangerie again, but I’ll write a separate post about that. I also had a slice of white pizza and a pepperoni pinwheel from Mario’s in Oyster Bay. The white pizza has a nice combination of flavors with the Romano, ricotta and mozzarella cheeses.
When I drove back down from Long Island, I was able to look at the trees on my right (opposite side of when I drove up). There was more color on this side. There were the multiple shades of green, yellows, orange, some yellowish-orange, some vibrant browns and some dashes of red. If I wasn’t driving on the Turnpike, I would have stopped to take some pictures. Very nice scenery. My playlist was going, so I had some good music as well. I was very happy when “Sir Duke” started playing. Good sing along music, as well as the dancing while driving which was probably a sad spectacle to see.
There were a couple of stops on the way down. I stopped at the Thomas Edison Travel Plaza and got a brownie bite from Pret a Manger again. Still as good as ever. I also stopped at Chesapeake House in Maryland. I once again went to Earl of Sandwich. I asked about the Holiday Sandwich, but they don’t have that one yet. They let me know it will come the end of October or early November and will be there through the beginning of the year. I’ll have some opportunities to get it, so I’m not worried. I was going to ask for the Original 1762, but the words that came out of my mouth were The Full Montagu. I probably ordered it since I got the Original the last time. I’ve had The Full Montagu before, so I know it’s good. Roast beef, turkey, swiss, cheddar, lettuce, tomato and mustard sauce. The sandwich was still good. The roast beef was easy to bite through and the combination of flavors with the turkey and the cheeses were perfect. The bread had a nice flavor, texture and bite through. The mustard sauce brings it all together. I kept the tomatoes in for the picture, but took some of them out while eating (not always my thing).
I still consider myself fortunate to be able to travel and to eat at all these places. Some of these places are repeats – but that’s just because they are good. I’m also grateful that I’m able to visit with and spend time with my family. It helps bring out the positives.
September 7th was a day of many goodies and sweets, and my sweet tooth (more like teeth in my case) was very happy. I started the day by picking up some treats at La Bonne Boulangerie in East Norwich. I got some Chocolate Rugelach for breakfast and a chocolate iced brownie for later on. This bakery is a go-to place for me when I’m in the area. I get their Chocolate Rugelach most often, but they also have other assorted pastries, cakes, cookies and treats that are also good. This day was no different. It started with some fantastic Chocolate Rugelach and ended with a delicious brownie. What I enjoy most about the rugelach is how soft and moist it is. Some rugelach can be a bit dry or overly flaky, but theirs is always really good.
We went over to Roosevelt Field in Garden City later on. My main reason was to go to the Nordstrom Ebar. I go to the Ebar from time to time, but wanted to make this stop since it is time for the pumpkin flavors. I ordered myself a medium Pumpkin Spice Ice Storm and it did not disappoint. One thing that stands out with their pumpkin drink is that they use a scoop of pumpkin pie mix. This not only helps with the flavor, but it also helps with the consistency of the Ice Storm. This is one of the places where I will get a pumpkin frappe multiple times while it’s available.
We also took a stop over at Carvel in Syosset for some ice cream. I know that we went on a Saturday, which is contrary to the Wednesday is Sundae, but I had a craving, so we went. Carvel is another place that brings up fond family memories. There used to be a shop right across the street from my dentist’s office. So we would go to the dentist and then walk to Carvel afterwards for a treat. When family is in town, we tend to go on Wednesdays, since that is when Carvel has their buy one, get one free promotion for soft serve sundaes. Carvel does soft serve ice cream really well. When we got there on the 7th, I decided to order their special flavor: Kit Kat. I had it topped with hot fudge and whipped cream, and it made for a very tasty sundae. The Kit Kat soft serve has a chocolaty base with some finely ground pieces of cookie in there.
I did actually eat real food in between all the sweets, but these sugary treats were definitely the highlight of the day!
Noninsightfulness 