Clinton St. Baking Co. vs. Sugar Sweet Sunshine: An Acceptable Sweet Treat

I fully admit to not having a sweet tooth: when it comes down to it, if I have to choose, I’ll always order another appetizer instead of dessert. That being said, sometimes you just need some sugar to get you through the day. richNY/poorNY exposes two such sweet spots downtown to quench your desires.

richNY
I’d been hearing about the Clinton St. Baking Company for what seemed like forever before my college roommate dragged me there for a pie-and-cake date a few years ago. Since then, it’s become a favorite spot for something decadent every once in a while. Clearly, from its name, Clinton features an amazing variety of baked goods: huge thick slices of the best homemade blueberry and apple pie you could every wish for, which will set you back $7 for a slice that you’ll have to split.

But here’s the thing: the brunch at Clinton is absolutely amazing. I met a friend there recently for ‘lunch,’ which we decided was an appropriate meal at 2:30pm, in order to avoid the actual brunch crowd. I ordered the buttermilk biscuit egg sandwich, complete with delicious hash browns and homemade tomato jam. My brilliant friend got the homemade blueberry pancakes, which I have to admit, were out of this world. They come in a thick stack and are accompanied by a maple syrup sugar glaze that will make you swoon, I promise.

Save Clinton for a special occasion brunch or a splurge-worthy dessert fieldtrip, but either way, it’s worth the journey.

Clinton Street Baking Company
4 Clinton St.
$$$

poorNY
Recently a friend dragged me into Sugar Sweet Sunshine, an inconspicuous coffeeshop on Rivington St. that didn’t look like anything special. Well. I was wrong. Sugar Sweet is the best deal in town! For a dollar, delicious hot coffee, and for a dollar FIFTY, a cupcake so moist, magical and delicious it rivals the best of the best like Magnolia, (which I personally don’t care for all that much) or Crumbs. I think a dollar fifty is how much a cupcake should actually cost. And they’re amazing; definitely go for the pumpkin spice with cream cheese icing, or one of the TWO varieties of red velvet to brighten up your day or sweeten up an evening stroll. Warning: around 3:30 on weekdays Sugar Sweet gets swamped by local highschoolers, so if you’re trying to read something serious there, beware.

Sugar Sweet Sunshine
126 Rivington St.
$