Cupcakes and Weddings

Last weekend, my friend Mona got married. She and I grew up together and were inseparable for many years. At her rehearsal dinner, we feasted on Lebanese food at Al Bustan and listened to lots of funny and touching speeches. Secretly, I hoped I'd get away without making one. I had plenty to say, but have never been a fan of public speaking. As the microphone kept getting passed around the room, I wanted to crawl under our table and hide. Soon enough, I found myself trying to explain to 125 people just how much Mona means to me.

At the wedding on Saturday at The Lighthouse at Chelsea Piers, a beautiful spot where I once sat next to Glen Close and made Matthew Modine think he knew me (more on that another day), I was so happy to see our friends, a big group that goes back over 20 years. I didn't want the night to end. This might explain why I let some of them persuade me and Daniel to attend the after party at the SoHo Grand.

We knew we'd pay the price the next day, and indeed we did. Leo woke up less than two hours after we got home and Nico soon after. My Mom had slept over and kept them entertained while we "slept in", but our little boys sound a lot like wild baboons first thing in the morning. Needless to say, we were dragging the entire day.

Daniel likes to tease me about how I eat too many sweets. On a day when we were dreaming about bedtime by 3pm, a few cupcakes from the new Butter Lane in Park Slope helped us both wake up.

Butter Lane
240 7th Ave (between 4th and 5th Streets)
Park Slope, Brooklyn

Black + White's from Lulu Cake Boutique

Leo and a bunch of his buddies are turning 1 this month. To celebrate, a friend is hosting a party in her backyard this morning. I volunteered to bring sweet treats and picked up mini black and white cookies from Lulu Cake Boutique yesterday. I read about Lulu on A Sweet Spoonful and was surprised I didn't know about it since I worked in Chelsea for four years. Turns out it's yet another place that opened after I left the neighborhood. I couldn't believe all the other new buildings, restaurants, coffee shops, and boutiques Daniel and I found while walking through there and the Meatpacking District yesterday. The High Line is still my favorite addition of all and it'll be expanding again this summer to include food trucks and an outdoor bar. NYC just keeps getting better and better.

Lulu specializes in classic American treats and has homemade twinkies, yodels, cookies and cakes. I love the swirly L on their labels and since Lulu happens to be one of the nicknames I've found myself using for Leo from time to time (usually when I'm speaking in a silly voice to distract him during a diaper change), it feels like a fitting treat for his first birthday.

I tried to wait till today to try one, but by about 11pm last night, I couldn't resist. It was one of the best black and white cookies I've ever tasted, but slightly too sweet since the icing covers the entire cookie and not just the top. I'm sure Leo, Nico and all their pals are going to love them. I can't wait to have another.

Have a great weekend!

Lulu Cake Boutique
112 Eighth Avenue (between 15th and 16th Streets)
Chelsea, Manhattan

Saturday in the City

At my friend's engagement party this winter, I sat at a table with a bunch of friends, people I grew up with in Westchester, and we all declared how sick we were of New York. Tired of the cold and concrete, we started plotting a group move to California. We fantasized about houses on the same block, trips to the beach, more space and sunny days. When our friend Ginger overheard us, she said something along the lines of, "Yeah, you all hate NY now. But just wait till spring comes. As soon as it warms up, you'll love it here again." How right she was. When it's 70 degrees, without a cloud in the sky, and flowers seem to be sprouting from every street corner and you can finally escape your cramped space and feel the energy that makes NYC so special, there isn't any other place I'd rather be.

This weekend's weather made me think of Ginger and her comment that night. We spent Saturday in the city with my cousin Brooke and her son Blake, starting off in Central Park with a walk along The Reservoir, a spot I used to run around when I lived on the Upper East Side ten years ago. From there, we made our way to a playground that Blake and Nico loved, but with ladders leading to secret tunnels and concrete walls and chains making it impossible to chase after two little boys, Brooke quickly changed its name from the Ancient Playground to the Awful Playground and we got out of there as fast as we could.

With the promise of a sweet treat, we lured Blake and Nico back into their strollers. I wanted to go by Glaser's Bake Shop, a place I  discovered a few years ago. Open since 1902, it smells like heaven the minute you walk in, has an old-fashioned, homey feel and all of the rustic desserts—doughnuts, buns, cookies, pies, you name it—look amazing. On Saturday, I settled on a small black and white cookie, a dessert that always reminds me of New York. The black and whites at Glaser's are a nice alternative to the saucer sized ones sold around the city and I couldn't think of a better way to spend 70 cents.

My Mom lives nearby, so she met us at the bakery and we all walked to Carl Schurz Park, a lovely spot where the Harlem River, East River and Long Island Sound meet. Nico brought along his beloved stuffed bear and was sure to show him the pretty view before we watched little dogs lolling around at the dog run.

We ended our day at the park's playground. Leo's at the age where sitting on my lap while his brother plays just won't cut it. He wants a piece of the action. And on Saturday, he got just that when I let him go inside the sandbox. People without kids are probably wondering what the big deal is while those with just one might be shocked. I don't remember letting Nico go near the sandbox until he was at least 1 and maybe even older, worried about germs and whatever else is lurking in there. But just like everyone told me, once you have two little ones, you loosen up a bit. (Who am I kidding? You loosen up A LOT.) In this case, I'm so happy I did. Leo loved the sand. He loved it so much that he let out squeals of joy while letting it run through his fingers and swishing it around with his bare feet. In fact, he loved it so much that he tried to eat some by the handful, more than once. And that's where this new and improved and laid-back Mom tried to draw the line.

(My apologies for all the fuzzy images. I forgot my camera and had to rely on my blackberry all day. Looks like someone needs an iPhone...)

Glaser's Bake Shop
1670 First Avenue (at 87th Street)
Upper East Side, Manhattan
212-289-2562

Little Piglet List: The Best of Bococa

{One Girl Cookies, my favorite place in Bococa}

When Daniel and I moved four years ago, I wrote a post about my favorite places in Boerum Hill, Cobble Hill and Carroll Gardens, a group of neighborhoods known as Bococa. Since some spots have closed and I've found many new favorites, it's time to update the list. I've added categories to make it easier to read and included a few recommendations that aren't food-related. If you've never been to Brooklyn, I hope my list inspires a trip.

COFFEE 
Cafe Pedlar
210 Court Street (at Warren), Cobble Hill
Most people go for the Stumptown coffee. It's where I stop for chai tea and snacks before movies at Cobble Hill Cinemas or trips to Cobble Hill Park. The olive oil cake and blackforest bread are good for breakfast and I could eat their pretzel knot with brie and butter  any time of day.

SWEETS
One Girl Cookies
68 Dean Street (between Smith and Boerum Place), Boerum Hill
By far my favorite bakery in Brooklyn. I love the light blue walls, the swirly brown wallpaper, the buttery cupcakes and the cookies with pretty names. I'm addicted to their homemade yogurt and granola, too.

Nunu Chocolates
529 Atlantic Ave (near 3rd Ave), Boerum Hill
A lovely couple and self-taught chocolate makers, Nunu's owners use a single origin cocoa bean from a family farm in Colombia to make hand dipped caramels, ganaches and and other treats in their small shop. A big window encourages visitors to watch. Unlike other sweet shops, they serve beer and wine and are open till 9pm every night.

Betty Bakery
448 Atlantic Ave (between Bond and Nevins), Boerum Hill
When Daniel and I got married, we met with Cheryl Kleinman in a commercial kitchen on Atlantic Avenue to design our cake. A few years later, she and another cake designer added this bakery to the space. They have a big selection of sweets, but I usually lean toward the lemon bundt cake.

Brooklyn Farmacy & Soda Fountain
513 Henry Street (at Sackett), Carroll Gardens
I'll always think of Brooklyn Farmacy as the place that introduced me to egg creams and Early Bird granola. It's one of those neighborhood sweet shops that everyone wants and kids of course are more than welcome. On my first visit, the owner treated me and a friend to some samples while our boys ran laps around the place. Oh, and the the back room is stocked with boardgames.

Blue Marble
196 Court Street (at Wyckoff), Cobble Hill
I was disappointed when a Tasti D-Lite opened on Court Street and not surprised when it closed and Blue Marble took its place. Best ice cream in Brooklyn, hands down. The sorbets are always tempting, but the strawberry ice cream makes me weak in the knees.

Sweet Melissa
276 Court Street (between Butler and Douglass), Cobble Hill
Before Cafe Pedlar opened up, I'd always stop by Sweet Melissa for six gingernsaps (crispy with an extra spicy kick) and a cup of milk before movies at Cobble Hill Cinemas. Now, I can rotate between the two.

RESTAURANTS
Saul
140 Smith Street (between Bergen and Dean), Boerum Hill
For a special occasion, Daniel and I favor Saul, one of a few restaurants in Brooklyn that has a Michelin star. It used to be a stone's throw away from our apartment, and though it felt funny to walk so little for a fancy meal, we did it any way.

Bar Tabac
128 Smith Street (on corner of Dean), Boerum Hill
A Boerum Hill fixture, Bar Tabac was also steps away from our apartment. The food is standard French fare, but you know what I really miss? The live jazz and bluegrass bands they have on the weekends. During the warmer months, the music would sneak through our windows.

Bacchus
409 Atlantic Ave (at Bond), Boerum Hill
A French bistro that holds a place in my heart for two reasons. My friends Mark and Allison had a lovely wedding there and it was where I celebrated my 26th birthday (or was it my 25th?) with a big group of friends. The food is good, but the backyard garden is better.

Lucali
575 Henry Street (at Carroll), Carroll Gardens
Inspired by Di Fara and way better than Grimaldis, this is one of my favorite pizza places in Brooklyn.

Prime Meats
465 Court Street (at Luquer), Carroll Gardens
Frank Castronovo and Frank Falcinelli are building a mini-empire on Court Street. With Prime Meats, they focus on German-influenced food, old-fashioned cocktails and local ingredients. I love the big, messy salads that are perfectly dressed and homemade soft pretzels. If only they took reservations and the wait on weekends wasn't so brutal.

Seersucker
329 Smith Street (between President and Carroll), Carroll Gardens
I love Seersucker for many reasons. They've brought solid southern food to Smith Street (not another French or Italian place). It's where I discovered Red Hook rose and that scallops and watermelon make a surprisingly good combination. They're steps from the subway and are for open breakfast at 8am during the week. Parents take note: Trips to nearby Carroll Park are best with buttermilk biscuits.

 Chestnut
271 Smith Street (between Sackett and Degraw), Carroll Gardens
I love the huge hidden garden and it doesn't get much better than homemade chocolate chip scones and poached eggs with wild mushrooms, toast and caramelized shallots for brunch.

Frankies 457
457 Court Street, Carroll Gardens
Frankies 457 is best with a bunch of friends because the bigger the group, the more Italian small plates you can sample. I'm partial to the pork braciole (make sure to get a side of gnocchi) and butternut squash ravioli. For a no-fuss dessert you'll never forget, their wine-soaked prunes are perfect. No reservations, lines are long and for warmer months, they have a wonderful garden.

Buttermilk Channel
524 Court Street (at Huntington), Carroll Gardens
Daniel and I like to go here on dates. The food is always top-notch and past meals have included duck meatloaf, fried chicken with waffles and a delicata squash tart. Maybe some day we'll bring the boys for brunch and see what they think of the $10 children's menu.

Breuckelen
268 Clinton Street (at Verandah Pl), Cobble Hill
Formerly Cafe on Clinton, a place where my friends Marie and Joe had one of the most intimate weddings I've ever been to, this landmark building is now home to Breuckelen, a restaurant with innovative food and a rustic fruit tart that my friend Olivia compared to those her French mother makes. Don't forget to check out the pretty row houses and adorable Cobble Hill Park next door. 

Henry Public
329 Henry Street (between Atlantic Ave and Pacific Street), Cobble Hill
Many people go for the old-fashioned cocktails. I prefer the humongous turkey-leg sandwich with fries.

Brucie
234 Court Street (at Baltic), Cobble Hill
A casual Italian restaurant and market that's good for a big group of friends or a quick meal at the bar. The space is warm and funky with mason jars covering light bulbs and cool tiles along one wall. I love Eataly in Manhattan, but would be just as happy with any of Brucie's prepared foods.

Cafe Luluc
214 Smith Street (between Butler and Baltic), Cobble Hill
I've had many long lunches at Cafe Luluc. I love the bright red leather booths and for a French bistro, they make some pretty good fish tacos.

SPECIALTY FOOD SHOPS 
Los Paisanos
162 Smith Street (at Bergen), Cobble Hill
The first year I lived in Boerum Hill, I begrudgingly bought my meat at Key Food. Then a co-worker told me about Los Paisanos. In the neighborhood for over 40 years, this is a place that seems so Brooklyn. After a few visits, I felt like family. I'm a sucker for their specialty sausage, grilled olives and pumpkin ravioli.

Sahadi's
187 Atlantic Ave (between Court and Clinton), Cobble Hill
A Middle Eastern market that's great for olives, coffee, dried fruit, cheese, sacks of spices, nuts, grains, and fresh loaves of bread, Sahadi's just might be the place I've missed most since leaving the neighborhood. I'd always go in for a few things and leave with a cart full of stuff. Go during the week, if you can. Weekends are a nightmare.

Fish Tales
191 Court Street (at Bergen), Cobble Hill
When I lived in Boerum Hill and Brooklyn Heights before that, I would buy my meat at one shop, my cheese at another, and for seafood, I'd go to Fish Tales. The fish is by far some of the freshest you'll find.

Smith & Vine
268 Smith Street (at Degraw), Cobble Hill
I always make a beeline for their $12 and under table, the perfect place to get a good bottle for cheap.

Stinky 
261 Smith Street (between Douglass and Degraw), Cobble Hill
Opened by the owners of Smith & Vine, Stinky is conveniently located across the street. Cheese is the star here, but they carry all sorts of other gourmet stuff. I like to give their Stinky onesies as baby gifts.

HOUSEWARES
Enamoo
109 Smith Street (between Atlantic and Pacific), Boerum Hill
This quirky shop has everything from plants to armchairs. Our apartment in Boerum Hill didn't have air conditioning so we picked up a few vintage fans that I'm sure we'll have for years. Their selection of Bklyn shirts and sweatshirts is good, too.

A Cook's Companion
197 Atlantic Ave (between Court and Clinton), Cobble Hill
Whenever Daniel and I had big dinner parties, I always found myself running to Cook's Companion for a tablecloth or a ramekin and on one occasion, a 9-quart Le Creuset.

KIDS
Acorn
323 Atlantic Ave (between Smith and Hoyt), Boerum Hill
Full of handmade and wooden toys that don't blink or make noise, this is my favorite place to buy gifts or new foods for Nico's play kitchen.

CLOTHES
Dear Fieldbinder
198 Smith Street (at Baltic), Cobble Hill
Overall, I don't like shopping for clothes, unless I'm at Dear Fieldbinder. The owner and her staff help, but don't hover and I always end up wearing everything I buy again and again. It's where I always go when I need a new dress or something special.

SHOES
Soula
185 Smith Street (at Warren), Cobble Hill
My three pairs of shoes that get the most compliments are all from Soula, including La Canadienne winter boots that my friend Karlyn loves to tease. Looks can be deceiving. They might be suede with a wedge heel, but they're unbelievably warm and waterproof.

GARDENING
GRDN
103 Hoyt (between Atlantic and Pacific), Boerum Hill
At our old apartment in Boerum Hill, we had a lavender tree, roses, hydrangeas and grass that Daniel had to mow. For the three years that we could garden, we splurged on plants and other outdoor essentials here.

HOLISTIC THERAPIES
Element Natural Healing Arts
518 Henry Street (at Union), Carroll Gardens
I started going to Element for acupuncture in 2002. Those days, the owners were working out of a doctor's office in Brooklyn Heights. Now they're in a much bigger space. Acupuncture is still their specialty, but they offer yoga, massages, other holistic therapies and even occasional dinners with local chefs on their roof deck as well. My midwife recommended acupuncture to kickstart labor with Leo. I went to Element for a few visits and wouldn't you know, he arrived right his due date.

Brooklyn Food Favorites 2010

To kick off my first day of 2011, I'm remembering some of the Brooklyn spots I frequented in 2010. Many are old favorites and a few are new. Happy New Year!

Bklyn Larder
This is where I cheated on the Park Slope Food Coop and my favorite ice cream parlor a lot. Their toasted almond gelato is unreal and the first flavor I've liked as much, if not more than the strawberry from Blue Marble. It's also where I treated myself to the easiest—and most expensive—Thanksgiving ever.

Thistle Hill Tavern

The neighborhood place I've always dreamed about. It's affordable, kid-friendly, and the food is seasonal, often local, and downright delicious. 

Bark
Every time I got rid of old clothes and toys at Lulu's Then and Now, I'd walk a few blocks to blow my earning on high-end hot dogs.

Brooklyn Fare

The perfect place to splurge on a fancy 33rd birthday celebration with a big group of friends.




One Girl Cookies
It's rare that I eat breakfast anywhere other than home. But for my favorite bakery's homemade yogurt, granola and stewed fruit, I'll make an exception. Their coconut coffee cake is the last thing I ate before going into labor with Leo.

Cafe Pedlar
Where I go to get snacks before movies at Cobble Hill Cinemas—the pretzel sandwich with brie and butter is the best. It's also where I recently spent a rare afternoon alone with a chai latte, black forest braid and my new favorite cookbook.

Four and Twenty Blackbirds
The place I almost walked right by when it first opened because black bars on its window made it easy to miss. I'm forever thankful for my friend Karlyn who suggested we peek in. I've been back countless times for Brooklyn's best pie.

Brookies from Baked
A dessert I could eat every day.

Nunu Chocolates
The place where I led my first food tour. I love the handmade chocolates, cozy brown and blue space, and the friendly couple that owns it.

Mast Brothers Chocolate
I always keep a stash of these at home. Pricier than most, they're discounted at the Park Slope Food Coop. This makes my monthly shifts worth it.

Seersucker
Solid southern food makes this one of the best places to open on Smith Street in awhile. I visited a few times this summer and discovered two things: Red Hook rose, and that scallops and watermelon make a surprisingly good combination. 

The Double Windsor
A bar with really good food where Daniel and I shared a flight of beers and a salad with duck confit on our first night out after becoming parents of two.We saw The Swell Season in Prospect Park after.

Dub Pies
Decaf mochas with pretty froth designs make my day. Flaky meat pies are nice too.

Five Leaves
The place where I ate outside on a cold December day with a friend and two little boys, bumped into Kiefer Sutherland on his birthday, and must visit again before 2011 ends.

The Brookie

Meet the brookie, a brownie cradling a chocolate chip cookie from Baked. It's dreamy. For weeks I had a note to buy 4" pie tins on my to-do list so I could make a batch myself. I'd found the recipe, and it seemed easy enough, but I knew having six Brookies in my apartment would be dangerous. Daniel has restraint when it comes to desserts. I don't. 

I tried my first one after a visit to the Waterfront Museum, a barge at Pier 44 in Red Hook that my friend Caitlin told me about. She said it was a great place to take kids, especially on Thursday afternoons when admission is free. 

I like to plan outings that are near good coffee shops or bakeries or other special spots for food. With an infant and toddler, it's hard to sit anywhere and have a full meal, so I look for places where we can linger for just a little while. Plus, what could be better than a floating museum followed by brookies at Baked? Not much. We had the perfect afternoon. 

To get to the barge, we parked at Fairway and walked toward the water. We met the cheery captain who let Nico ring a bunch of bells, and were all mesmerized by the Rube Goldberg-style ball machine, a Dr. Seuss-like contraption. 

After, we played in the gardens nearby, sat by the water and watched the sun set. Thanks to Baked, I have a new favorite dessert. Thanks to Caitlin, I found my new favorite place in Brooklyn. 

Waterfront Museum

290 Conover Street at Pier 44

Red Hook, Brooklyn

718-624-4719

Baked

359 Van Brunt Street

Red Hook, Brooklyn

718-222-0345

Holiday Cookie Crawl

With one child, it didn't seem as crazy to take the subway 12 stops (or more) in search of really good sweets. With two, things are more complicated.

So, while I really would love to bundle up my boys and have them sample holiday cookies all over the city with me, it's just not going to happen. Not this year.

Instead, I'm dreaming about where we'd go if we could. For my latest Mommy Poppins post, I checked in with seven of my favorite spots and found out what they're baking this year. Because in my opinion, a cookie crawl is the perfect way to spend a holiday weekend. Or any weekend. Actually, make that any day of the week.

I did try these mini fruit mince pies at Dub Pies and thought they were delicious, but to make sure there are more holiday sweets in my future, I'm going to christen some new cookie cutters next week. But first, I need the perfect sugar cookie recipe. Any suggestions?

Four & Twenty Blackbirds: Brooklyn's Best Pie

I've been spending a lot of time on a certain block in Gowanus. Close to the F stop on 4th Avenue, it has two important places. One spot makes Nico very happy (and though Leo is only 5 months old, he seems to enjoy it, too). The other motivates me, no matter how sleep-deprived I am, to schlep a baby and a 2 1/2 year old there almost every week.

Nico and Leo's place is Powerplay, a children's gym that has classes and an indoor playspace. Four & Twenty Black Birds, home to Brooklyn's best pie, is mine.

I've never really been a pie person. I usually crave crisps and crumbles, or brownies, cookies and cakes. But these pies are all I want lately. My favorites are filled with in-season fruits. Not sticky sweet, they have a double-crust and are sprinkled with raw sugar. On my last visit, I ordered slices of Spiced Plum Fig, Salted Caramel Apple and Plum Crumble.

Opened by two sisters from South Dakota, Four and Twenty Blackbirds is small and cozy. Some seem to come in for their morning cup of coffee while others linger at a big wooden table. The pies are perfect, but other baked goods, such as fat morning cakes stuffed with figs, or strawberries or prunes are also pretty addictive. It'd be a good place to relax with a friend and enjoy some sweets and a hot drink. For now, I get mine to go. I wait till both boys are asleep, then I heat my slice gently in the oven and eat it with some Greek yogurt on the side.

At $4.50 a slice, it's not the cheapest treat out there. After apple picking a few weeks ago, I found their Salted Caramel Apple Pie recipe and considered making it myself. Reading the instructions, I remembered that it takes a lot of time and patience to make a really good pie, especially when making your own double-crust. These days, I'll happily pay the Elsen sisters to make it for me. Again, and again, and again.

Four & Twenty Blackbirds
439 3rd Avenue (corner of 8th Street)
718-499-2917

Second Food Tour: A Movie, Cookies and A Lot of Toddlers

I led my second tour last week and it was a lot different than my first. This time around, there were 7 Moms (including myself) and 8 kids (one 5-week old, six 2-year olds and a 6-month old). I expected a bit of chaos, but got a lot more than that.

Since the majority of the kids were toddlers, we started off at the Big Movies for Little Kids film series at Cobble Hill Cinemas. It was the first movie experience for many of the children, and surprisingly, they all sat fairly still throughout the two short films, happily munching on popcorn.

Afterward, we walked over to One Girl Cookies, on Dean Street. Before moving to Park Slope a few years ago, I lived right across the street. I still miss that block, the neighborhood, and my proximity to some of Brooklyn's best sweets, a lot.


From the first time I stepped inside One Girl Cookies, it's been one of my favorite places in all of Brooklyn. First, I love the decor: blue walls, swirly chocolate brown and cream wallpaper, white subway tiles, and butcher block counters. It's hip, cozy and cheerful with an old-fashioned feel. I actually thought a lot about One Girl Cookies while coming up with ideas for my own kitchen (if you click, scroll down to see the one I'm referring to).


Cookies are the main attraction and I love One Girl's approach. About the size of a silver dollar, they can all be eaten in one or two bites. They're fun to order, too. Named after members of the owner's Italian family, they offer great ideas for baby names (think Lucia, Penelope, Cecilia, and Juliette) and you can't help but wonder about the women that inspired these dainty treats.

They're all addictive, although if I had to choose, I'd say the Olga (mint ganache sandwiched between two sugar cookies) and Lucia (a shortbread, caramel, and chocolate layer bar) are the best. As if the cookies weren't enough, there are unbelievably moist cupcakes topped with a crown of icing, Il Laboratorio gelato, ice cream sandwiches, fudgy brownies, chocolate or pumpkin whoopie pies, and a rotating menu of cakes, too.

Originally a mail-order business that owner Dawn Casale started in her West Village apartment in 2000, One Girl Cookies moved to Boerum Hill in 2005. Dawn now runs the business with Dave Crofton. They first met when he applied for a job as a baker and are now married. Together, they've created one of the best bakeries in Brooklyn. It's a place where you want to linger and try every single sweet.

I had been in contact with Dawn about my food tours and arranged to have some sweets ready when we arrived. As expected, the kids devoured most of them. Quickly. See that hand with chocolate-covered fingers reaching for a cookie? That's my son, eating what was probably his tenth one. And this smiling little guy is Dash, another very happy customer.

After attacking the sweets, the kids were ready to run, climb, jump and turn the place into an indoor playground. There were kids running toy cars over what we soon found out was Dawn and David's family tree (displayed on a delicate material that could be easily damaged) and others trying to climb shelves in the store. Then there was my own son who was trying to swipe sweets from the window display.

Sitting in a movie theater for an hour and then gorging on sugar was clearly not the best combination for a pack of 2-year old boys. A better idea would have been to stop in the shop, pick up some sweets and head to a nearby park. Lesson learned!

To help me plan future tours, I asked all the Moms to send me feedback. The one who joined with her 5-week old (and who found me through This Little Piglet!) said how nice it was to get out and spend some time with other moms. She said she felt comforted by the fact that there was no reason to feel nervous if her son suddenly cried or freaked out. Her comments and the experience itself reinforced my original plan to focus on parents and babies. New parents are usually the most desperate to connect with people who are going through the same changes they are. And when your child mainly sleeps and eats, you can actually sit, talk and savor the food you're eating! Hopefully, I can find a way to include older children on future tours, but for now, I'm sticking to babies 12 months and under.

My next tour is on Tuesday along Atlantic Avenue and two Moms with newborns are already coming. Contact me if you're interested in joining, or spread the word to any new parents you know. I'll be posting more details soon.

One Girl Cookies
68 Dean Street
212-675-4996