For Ferrara’s Pastry

I love lobster tails, both kinds. The seafood version is to die for with melted butter and the best can be found at Scoma’s in San Francisco. However, when we are talking about the best pastry version, luckily that answer is a lot closer to home for me. Ferrara Bakery and Cafe in Little Italy New York City is where I want to live out my final days. 

For those who may have never heard of lobster tail as a dessert, let me tell you what you have been missing. Lobster tails are Italian pastries that have a hard, crunchy shell (sort of in the shape of you guessed it- a lobster tail) that is filled to the brim with French Vanilla custard.  Rarely it may have a cannoli filling but those aren’t as good. Powered sugar goes on top for fun. The combination of the crunch and semi-sweet filling is over the top. Since I am not really into sweets, the texture adds to the appeal. It is my all time favorite kind of dessert. Every year if I am home for my birthday it is what I have for breakfast. It is the best way to start a special day. For that matter, it is also a way to make any day special.

So naturally when I was watching The Best Thing I Ever Ate: Last Supper, and lobster tails were mentioned you can imagine how excited I was. Chef Alex Guarnaschelli said the lobster tail at Ferrara Bakery and Café was the best thing she ever ate; I knew I had to check it out. 

When I finally got there, I ordered the iced cappuccino with my lobster tail. That was the perfect drink to wash down my treat. As for the lobster tail itself; it arrived on a beautifully decorated dish. I was so excited I could barely sit still. I closed my eyes and took my first bite. I was in heaven! But this lobster tail was a little different than I pictured it. The crusty exterior was traditional but the filling was thicker than I expected. It was like a combination of the two types of filling. But it was extraordinarily good. Now I know why they were featured as the perfect last supper.

As a general rule, we should do whatever Chef Alex Guarnaschelli says, especially when its advice like this: put coffee in one hand and lobster tail in the other, taking turns biting each until you are done. It might the smartest and tastiest thing I ever heard. I definitely used this system during my visit.

Now for those who want to try additional treats, this place has all kinds of goodies.

There is plenty of seating, actually two floors of seating so it is very unlikely you will have to wait. If you are hungry for food first, they also have several lunch sandwiches that were very delicious. Apparently when ordering here you cannot make a wrong choice.

After eating my heart out, I went outside to take some photos. There was a classic 1960’s car parked on the street playing Bobby Darin’s Beyond the Sea.  The atmosphere made me feel like I was in a movie. The sights, smells, and foods on that block are worth a trip. 

For further information:

http://www.ferraracafe.com/nyc/