Levain Bakery – Harlem, NYC

I was hesitant to stop by after seeing all the photos and reviews in reference to the lines that wrap around the corner. My local friend also asked me how bad the line was when I said I went there. Well I didn’t pay much attention as to the days or times these lines were so bad but I can tell you that around 9am on a Saturday there were maybe 4 people inside aside from me and two were waiting for their order and one was behind me. I walked right in and got my cookies and left in less than 5 minutes so I am not sure what the deal is with the waiting. I have to check with I get a chance but I could swear they had plain chocolate chip cookies but apparently they do not. I got the chocolate chip and walnut cookies and OMG…I have never in my life eaten a better cookie. It was almost magical how they pulled this masterpiece off. Each cookie weighs in around what a small child weighs at birth. I ordered 4 cookies and he gave me the bag and I almost dropped it because I wasn’t expecting to need such a firm grip.

The outside consisted of a thin layer of crispy but not crunchy goodness. After breaking through the crisp exterior, it quickly caved in to the soft and warm interior. “Caved” in is a perfect description because that is how it felt as you broke through the outside. The inside felt like it just exploded. The flavor of the cookie wasn’t something that could be described as the best cookie I ever had. However, the experience of the exterior mixing with the interior was what bumped up the stars at least two places. I would possibly brave the well-documented lines for another cookie if I wanting to share the experience with someone who hasn’t been there before but I don’t see myself standing in a line around the corner if it were to get another cookie. I would absolutely go there again if there wasn’t a line of more than 10 minutes.