By Yana Krasnitskaya
There are a couple things I know to be true about the Upper West Side on a nice weekend morning. Every coffee shop is slinging either an iced coffee or cold brew approximately every minute. Every bench in both Central Park and Riverside Park is occupied with people enjoying the temperate weather and sunshine – almost always with a dog of varying size and thickness of fur lounging beneath their feet.
And the part of West 74th Street just short of the corner of Amsterdam has a very conspicuous line of people standing outside the original Levain Bakery. Everyone in that queue – be it tourist, Upper West Sider or otherwise – is more than likely there to purchase one of the scone-like, massive cookies that Levain is so famous for, but what most of them don’t know is that there is another hidden treasure slotted between that display of cookies and the day’s selection of bread, and that is Levain’s banana chocolate chip loaf cake.
A couple months ago, I had the strangest craving for banana bread. I intended to make it at home – I like mine with copious amounts of walnuts and semi-sweet chocolate chips. But alas, on that warm Saturday morning, it just wasn’t in the cards for me. The bananas were too ripe, and I was sadly out of unsalted butter. So I did what any self-respecting modern person would do: I turned to Google to help me out. The thing is, I’ve been going to Levain for years. As an oatmeal raisin cookie apologist, I have somewhat of a love affair with theirs, so you can imagine my surprise and delight when Levain came up in my search for “banana bread near me.” In fact, it was the second bakery that came up, with a couple pointed comments about how their banana chocolate chip loaf was excellent— so perhaps some of the people in line were not just in line for cookies.
Either way I was intrigued.
So I leashed my dog, Joey, a 12-pound Chihuahua-Jack Russell mix, and we embarked on the 10-minute walk to Levain.
Thankfully, the line was short that morning and we quickly made it inside the small bakery. I scanned the glass display, eyes sweeping over the array of cookies, and there, right where the review said it would be, on a little wooden stand, was the richest, thickest slice of banana chocolate chip cake I’ve ever seen.
Here is what I’ll tell you about this loaf: It’s full of the tastiest contradictions. It’s somehow both rich and incredibly light. The banana flavor is prevalent, but so is the chocolate that comes from the nicely melted chips studded throughout the loaf. The texture is that of an airy cake, rounded out by a proper chewy edge that’s nicely caramelized and leaves behind the rich and surprising aftertaste of butterscotch. I think it’s best when washed down with a sip of rich black coffee ($3.30) or one of Levain’s espresso drinks – either a latte ($4.95) —I like mine with almond milk— or if you’re feeling very adventurous, a cortado ($4.12).
Now is the time to be real with you and remind everyone that this banana chocolate chip loaf cake is in no way a diet-friendly food. It is as much of an indulgence as the aforementioned oatmeal raisin cookie ($5.75), and Levain’s most popular item: the chocolate chip walnut cookie ($5.75) – a stat confirmed for me by one of the lovely people working behind the counter.
Aside from the loaf and the absolutely scrumptious cookies, I am also a fan of Levain’s savory goods, particularly the sesame baguette. They were sold out of it that day but I was lucky enough to snap up a whole grain loaf ($6.75) – which goes well with just about everything from butter and jam to turkey and cheddar.
Levain, which comes from the French word for ‘leavened bread’ was originally opened in 1995 by two friends: Pam Weekes and Connie McDonald. They were both avid marathoners and bakers, and were constantly experimenting with the best way to carb load. As they say, necessity is the mother of invention, and in this case, it gave birth first to the chocolate chip walnut cookie; everything else followed. Today, Levain has over 20 locations nationwide – nine in New York City alone. There is merch – tote bags, T-shirts, even a baby onesie, if you want to start the obsession early; and the store’s shipping has expanded to all of the U.S. and Canada.
The original bakery, however, remains the one I visit, not just because of proximity but because there’s just something so charming, so quintessentially Upper West Side about the idea of waiting in line for a fresh baked good. It’s a communal experience, standing shoulder to shoulder with people, watching them pick out what they’ll have and then seeing the look on their face when they bite into the cookie – or the bread loaf for the first time.
And yes, I do highly recommend taking the loaf with you to the park and eating it on a bench. I had to be very careful to make sure Joey didn’t catch a crumb of the bread as he sat dutifully next to me.
That’s very Upper West Side of me too.
The Dish: Banana Chocolate Chip Loaf Cake ($5)
The Restaurant: Levain Bakery, 167 West 74th Street (between Amsterdam and Columbus). Open daily, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Read all Here’s the UWS Dish columns here.
Subscribe to West Side Rag’s FREE email newsletter here. And you can Support the Rag here.
Simply delicious