The benefit of the tiny one-bite (maybe two bites in a few cases) jewel-like morsels at Crave.it, a new Italian bakery and café in Chelsea is that they compose a smorgasbord of first experiences.
The confections are not only lovely to behold, but allow for one to either try many different sweet or savory delicacies, or exert self-control in the name of waist-friendliness.
Confections at Crave.it in Chelsea. (Edward Dai/Epoch Times)
“I want to bring the Italy that I know to New York City, and I want to do it right,” owner Selvaggia Pizzetti said of her contemporary Italian bakery.
In Italy, aperitivo time, with a Campari or Aperol, and a little something to look forward to.
The chef, Peruvian-born Alejandro Quinones, made his way from the Americas to Europe and back, but has spent most of his time in Italy, working in bakeries.
Europeans, he said, prefer less sweet desserts, and would opt for dark chocolate in desserts over white or milk chocolate.
But wherever he is, Quinones is keen to cater to the local palate, which means sweeter desserts here. But at the same time he wants to steer away from a tendency he’s noticed. “Americans want to cover the flavors. When I go to a restaurant and read the menu—so much stuff in a dish. It doesn’t mean the dish isn’t good but they really have to decide.”
At Crave.it, most desserts are still less sweet than they would be at an average city bakery—and they’re also much lighter, something Quinones is very conscious to create.
He may pair pineapple and prosciutto with cream cheese, or raspberry and prosciutto crudo. He said they might not seem likely combinations, but they work.
Confections at Crave.it in Chelsea. (Edward Dai/Epoch Times)
One of his recommendations is the mousse mascarpone, a veritable work of art encased in a tiny, terrarium-like glass, with many components: a tart shell, cream, sponge cake, coffee syrup, mousse mascarpone, chocolate ganache, and savoiardi (a lady finger biscuit).
Confections at Crave.it in Chelsea. (Edward Dai/Epoch Times)
The menu features hard-to-find items like Xaeti Veneziani (Venetian polenta and raisin cookies), caramella di acciughe (anchovy caramel candy from the Emilia Romagna region), and pizzette (bite-size pizza made from pastry dough, and sold by the pound).
Most of the offerings are so delicate that one member of the kitchen staff decided to bring tongs to assemble them.
As well the bakery features seasonal housemade gelato, including unusual ones like strawberries and mint, peach and saffron, and carrot-orange.
Crave.it
545 Sixth Ave.
(212) 255-4048
www.craveitnyc.com
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