We found chocolate chip cookie euphoria at Levain Bakery (167 West 74th Street). We normally like our chocolate chip cookie plain, with just chocolate chips, but Levain's signature cookie with walnuts in additional to the semi-sweet chocolate chips is exceptional, almost magical.
They're monstrously sized and much thicker than the average cookie. One cookie costs $3.50, which sounds like a lot for one cookie, but keep in mind that each cookie weights half a pound. It's really like a meal. But the best part is that the cookies are constantly brought out straight from the oven (thanks to the high volume) so they're nice and warm when you get your hands on them. You break the moist goodness in half and the chocolate oozes out. The sweet scent is intoxicating.
When we went last weekend, people were begining to line up the steps. Levain is located in a tiny basement space (almost what seems like the size of a food truck). It's probably the smallest bakery we've seen here and yet they pump out these extraordinary cookies.
Levain Bakery's cookies can be ordered online; however, you can't beat buying their cookies at their New York store that's just been brought out from the oven. Well, we might have desperate cravings for them after our move . . . we're craving them at this very moment. Congrats to the ladies on last week's Bobby Flay cookie beat down.