Churros at La Churreria & Lady M Confections

One of my first NYC meals of 2012 was at La Churreria with Mr. Foodandpants.  Though I believe there is no finer churro than the ones served in body-packed Little Brazil during Brazil Day, the idea of a new eatery specializing in these golden-ridged rods was something I just had to check out.

From the same owners of Socarrat, La Churreria offers a small menu featuring breakfast rolls, sandwiches and churros.  The restaurant is tiny, with just a handful of small tables and a few barstools, and gets packed quickly.  Luckily, this old man slammed down his hot chocolate and left after finding my intense stare particularly disconcerting.  Works every time!

Josh requested we order a bikini to share.  I was all for it, because who doesn't love food named after swimwear, served as little toasted, triangle-shaped beauties?  I can't stop smiling just thinking about it.  Consider me easily charmed!

This bikini came with Spanish ham, cheese and caramelized onions.  Though the sandwich appeared thin and rather simple, the taste was a surprisingly perfect balance of savory and sweet.  Caramelized onions should be a cast member appearing in all sandwiches.

We made quick work of the bikini and promptly moved onto the paper cone of churros, freshly fried to order and lightly dusted with soft white sugar.

You can see Josh in the background, impatiently awaiting for the churro photo session to end.  What a good friend (with a cool Casio watch).

The churros can be ordered with a small cup of melted chocolate, and it is the only way it should be ordered, as the sugar lends little sweetness to the fried stems, but a luxurious swirl in the pool of dark chocolate can quickly remedy that situation.  Such a lovely snack.

After, Josh and I hopped the 6 to the UES and stopped by Lady M's in hopes to experience their ridicuously gorgeous banana mille feuille, which Josh pronounces beautifully, and I butcher with my rough, Texas roots.

Unfortunately, the stars were not aligned for us, and there were no banana mille feuille to be had.  The remaining offerings included their namesake Mille Crepe featuring 20 layered crepes.

A wondrously sleek-looking strawberry shortcake.

And the craggly, rectangular strawberry mille feuille.  

Naturally, we grabbed slices of all of these.  Unfortunately, the narrow-spaced cafe was filled to the brim with ladies that tea that afternoon, so we took our bakery box to a nearby park bench to enjoy.

I am somewhat embarassed with how quickly I was able to stuff this slice of strawberry shortcake into my mouth, but it was cold, and for whatever reason, the buttercream frosting just lubricated my throat so well.

The cake was airy and light, and the strawberries were fresh and sweet.  It was basically everything one would expect a fine strawberry shortcake to be, but there is little else to remark upon this perfectly unremarkable slice of cake.  

On the other hand, the strawberry mille feuille was a lovely mix of textures, with crispy, buttery puff pastry cradling layers of cream, strawberry and sponge cake.  I suspect the banana mille feuille might be even more brilliant, and I see that verdict in my future soon. 

La Churreria

284 Mulberry

New York, NY

Lady M Confections

41 E 78th St

New York, NY