Tea & Sympathy...and STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING!!!!

We had a lovely meal at A Salt & Battery (review here), but ABF (that's Awesome BoyFriend for you new visitors) & I weren't ready to go home yet. We walked around a bit before deciding to stop for some hot tea at another favorite spot of mine: Tea & Sympathy.

T & S is a tiny little spot just a few doors down from A Salt & Battery. They have high tea, sandwiches, hot and cold food, but for me, they do desserts best. I managed to convince ABF to make some room for a few sweet bites.

First, the tea--ABF ordered a pot of English Breakfast, and I ordered a pot of Earl Grey. They came out in steaming hot pots with lovely, eclectic teacups.

My first and last (until this ABF visit) taste of their sticky toffee pudding a good 8 years ago, and I've been thinking about it ever since. It's a delicate yet slightly dense cake swimming, deliciously swimming, in a pool of custard. ZOMG this custard!!

ABF ordered the ginger pudding, which also comes in its own custard bath. This was too gingery for my taste--almost bites you back, but ABF liked it. However, we BOTH preferred my sticky toffee pudding overall. So. Good.

Tea & Sympathy always has great, friendly service, and I've yet to try a custard that tops theirs. I mean not in London proper, not in my kitchen, nowhere! Blast! ABF & I are on our way back as soon as we can make it happen!

Tea & Sympathy
108 Greenwich Avenue
New York, NY 10011
(212) 807-8329

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A Salt & Battery

As you may already know, ABF spent almost 7 months last year living in London. I think he's kind of missing it (in fact, I'm pretty sure), and I know I'm always longing for another visit. I decided that for Leap Year (aka Sadie Hawkins Day), I would treat ABF to some good old fish & chips in NYC's unofficial "Little Britain."

A Salt & Battery is a tiny space--only a handful of seats inside--but oh is it worth squeezing in and snagging a seat!

The menu is pretty basic-- a few different types of fish, bangers & mash, and other typical British fare. Yum!

We started off with some adult beverages--an icy-cold Strongbow (hard apple cider) for me. Crisp, tart, with just enough sweetness.

ABF ordered a Fullers London Pride beer. I'm not so into the beer, so I declined his offer to try it.

For my fried fish, I went with the haddock (my second choice if cod is not available), getting the smaller portion, which rings up at around 8 bucks. Their parsley (?)-tinged tartar sauce is FANTASTIC.

ABF ordered the same size but got the pollock (also $8). They were both delicious, and I am pretty sure I couldn't tell the difference between the 2 fish in a blind taste test.

It wouldn't be fish & chips without the chips (which come separately at A Salt & Battery)--these were quite tasty--meaty bits of potato, not too-cooked.

And our favorite side: mushy peas. These aren't as GREEN as the ones at Chip Shop, but they are just as delicious. So good.

We shared some typical British treats--a deep-fried Mars Bar ($4)--which to me is like a Milky Way but somehow so much better. It's super-rich, so splitting it was a good idea. Melty, caramel, deliciousness.

ABF ordered the banana fritter ($4), which probably makes your American mind think of a large, fried dough funnel cake type dessert, but this is literally just a deep fried banana. A ripe, sweet, almost melt in your mouth banana. Good, but I'd say the Mars bar was better.

It's not fancy-shmancy, but the food at A Salt & Battery is flat-out delicious. Tender, flaky fish that's not burnt to a crisp, savory mushy peas and tasty chips--and deep-fried desserts! Leave your passport at home and have a tasty meal in NYC!

A Salt & Battery
112 Greenwich Avenue
New York, NY 10011
(212) 691-2713

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Caffe Dante

My friend Carlota treated me to dessert and coffee the other night at a well-known spot for serious sweets, Caffe Dante. We'd been there once before, but it had been at least a few years, and I hadn't tried their tiramisu, which Carlota said is the best she's ever eaten. That's enough to get me to go. ;)

Dante's serves sandwiches and other savory eats as well, but we were there to focus on the sweet side. They had a beautiful, colorful array of gelato and sorbet, including a seasonal flavor: pumpkin! I almost got that, but the mousse caught my eye and that was that. I have no regrets! ;)

We shared the tiramisu and the chocolate mousse--both portions were more than generous. The tiramisu was clearly fresh, and you could smell the coffee and the liqueur. It was extremely light, fantastically flavorful, and definitely one of the best tiramisus I've ever had. Yum.

To go with the tiramisu, I ordered a steamed milk with amaretto. It came in a striking presentation and was quite delicious. The amaretto wasn't as strong as I expected; it was subtle and not-too-sweet. Perfect pairing for the tiramisu!

Carlota got the hot chocolate which came with a glorious crown of real whipped cream. I sampled a taste and agreed it was quite heavenly. I just might get that next time.

The other dessert was the monster-sized chocolate mousse. This. was. lovely. It was light, but it had real depth to it. The chocolate flavor was strong and serious and real. As delicious as it was, we couldn't quite finish it, though I did go back for a few more spoonfuls even though I was full, because it was just that tasty!

Every bite was delicious, and I will definitely go back to try one of the many other tempting desserts on display (like maybe that pineapple cake!!) This spot is worth visiting more than once!