Once upon a bakery...happily ever after

Today’s post features a gem that will pop up often in our itineraries. Two Little Red Hens has that perfect combination of characteristics that make it a Sweet Magpies treasure: Great atmosphere, genius concept, and exceptional product.

I think a visit to Two Little Red Hens would be memorable if their treats merely tasted good; likewise people would be raving about the beautiful confections alone. But The Hens have the rare ability to accomplish both taste and aesthetics in one package – these desserts taste as good as they look, and some of these cakes are truly works of art!

This American bakery is a great spot to hit in the morning for a just-out-of-the-oven muffin and a beverage in one of the most functional disposable cups I’ve seen – you can slide the lid back and forth to seal the opening – how’s that for convenience on the go?! It’s also ideal for an afternoon pick-me-up, play date, or coffee break.

Two Little Red Hens is THE destination if you are looking to impress your guests or host with a scrumptious cake dripping in flowers or seasonally-appropriate icing décor. And from $11-18 apiece for the first size, you won’t break the bank serving 4 – 8 people. We’ve celebrated many milestones with a cake from The Hens.

To give you some added perspective, Bethenny Frankel, the reality queen of sweets (among other titles) has publicly voiced her weakness for their red velvet cupcakes.

Personally, the Brooklyn Blackout (in cupcake and cake form) is what keeps me up at night. As one of the Hens employees once said, honey, that cupcake is what keeps us in business. Dusted in chocolate cookie crumbs with moist, chocolate cake smothered in gooey chocolate icing and a chocolate pudding center, it doesn’t get much better than that.

I thought this particular visit would be an appropriate reward for braving the snow to make a class at the gym – nothing like cupcakes after a good sweat! Since it was before noon, I got my Brooklyn Blackout to go and started with a Triple Berry muffin and Vanilla-Grapefruit tea.

The 8 year old boy at the table next to me summed it up best when he announced to everyone in the little shop, ‘I was born in NY and moved to LA but Two Little Red Hens is just the best.’ Yep, a trip to Two Little Red Hens always has a happy ending.

Out and about in the neighborhood:

Located on 2^nd Avenue between 85^th and 86^th street, Two Little Red Hens lives in what’s left of the German section of NYC’s Yorkville neighborhood. It’s sandwiched between two Deutsche relics:

• Schaller & Weber: An authentic German butcher and grocery store, great spot to pick up high quality meat for your next BBQ or some Haribo gummi candy. Fun fact: Kids get a free sample of Bologna at the deli counter – a tradition since 1937!
• Heidelberg:  A charming beer hall serving traditional Oktoberfest fare. Not my favorite German restaurant in the city, but convenient when you have a hankering for a good bratwurst.
• UES rumor mill: According to a residential broker I spoke with, the empty space on 86^th St between 2^nd and 3^rdAvenue is the soon to be home of Fairway! Hope it’s true!
• Check out our previous post for more Yorkville hidden gems.

My Satellite Apartment

Sometimes (okay always) New York apartments are teeny tiny.  But when I need a little space, I also want ambiance, a great soundtrack and delicious food.  Good thing I live near my pseudo-apartment, Yorkville Creperie.

This is literally my home away from home.  Think a coffeehouse vibe, but with crepes and nutella.  It’s a cheap meal that feels fancy and you might just find you are always in the mood to go.  As you sip on $5 wine,  Jack Johnson, David Gray and Jason Mraz will serenade you over the speaker system.  Their sweet crepes steal the show, but you’ll also enjoy the savory varieties.

While you’re in the neighborhood, check out:
o   Beanocchios – for a cup of java in the cutest of café’s
o   Carl Shurtz Park – to walk off that nutella along the east river
o   Get a $20 mani/pedi (that’s not sketchy, we swear!) from Yong’s Nails
o   Pick up the best and affordable produce at U Don’t Know Nothin About Produce across the street

Who are the sweet magpies?

mag·pie \ˈmag-ˌpī\: A small scavenger bird that collects and hoards objects with a weakness for shiny things. In addition to decorating their nests with their loot, magpies are known to eat anything once it discovers it is edible. Worshiped in some parts of the world for their luck and gift of prophesy, in England these birds were named for their chattering and were good luck if seen in pairs.

We are much like magpies, although we aren’t as scrappy – we’re sweet. Enter sisters Amy and Lisa, urban magpies and blog-divas who made their nests in Manhattan and love discovering the small treats and sparkly treasures this great city has to offer.

Living in a city like NYC attracts a lot of visitors which we LOVE, because it’s given us plenty of practice putting together perfectly tailored itineraries that complement our guests. We are often tapped for suggestions and nothing makes us fluff our feathers more than feeling like sophisticated NYC locals!

We are magpies with action-packed agendas. The perfect Saturday is a well-planned day full of new streets and the possibility of a treat or treasure to bring home. We started this blog to share not only our hoard of itineraries, but our passion for New York City.

In our writing, we hope to take you off the beaten path and introduce you to those hidden gems and one of-a-kind places that make us squeal ‘I love it here’! We do not promise the latest and trendiest hot spot – as we believe some things are tried and true – but we will promise you our honest opinion and share what we feel is truly an experience you won’t want to miss.