19 Jun 2014

Melt Bakery, NYC

Imagine walking down the streets of Chinatown on a hot New York summer day. The heat is blistering and the sun (the same one you wished for during the long winter) is harsh. You would love a cold drink or perhaps even some frozen treat. There doesn’t seem to be much here except clothing retailers on Orchard Street though. You swivel your head from side to side in the vain hope that you might find something interesting to eat or drink when suddenly you chance upon a small bakery / shop tucked away between two big establishments. It is Melt Bakery.

The Jackson and The Morticia

Be careful though. You might just miss it and you definitely do not want to do that. It has bright colorful round signs of all sizes with mysterious sounding words like “The Classic,” “The Morticia,” “The Lovelet,” and the “The Elvis.” The signs themselves look so appealing that they pull you into this small shop that is also a bakery and has big freezers everywhere. You are greeted with a cheerful hello by the girl who is perched atop a high stool and you look at the models of these beautiful ice cream sandwiches sitting on the counter. Should I get the red cookie one or the chocolate one with the sparkly sugar on top? You finally decipher the mysterious words. The Lovelet, it turns out, is cream cheese ice cream sandwiched between two red velvet cookies and The Elvis is a peanut butter cookie sandwich with banana ice cream.

cinnamon cookies for The Cinnamax

My favorite is The Jackson though. You won’t read the name on any of the signs but ask the shop girl and she will dig deep into the freezer and pull out a mini sandwich for you. It is a mango lassi flavored ice cream with pistachio cookies and the flavors just burst in your mouth. They are authentic Indian flavors and ones my grandmother will be proud of.

The Lovelet

Julian Plyter is the creative head and chef behind this enterprise. He and his partner Kareem started vending these sandwiches at the Hester Street Fair in 2010 when they felt that the market needed some ice cream in between cookies! Local sustainable and honest food is their goal and Julian has been known to pick his own peaches and figs for the ice creams straight from his parent’s farm in upstate New York.



They are currently vending from their store on Orchard Street as well as every weekend at the Hester Street Fair