Best Milkshake

GUEST POST: THE SEARCH FOR NYC’S BEST SHAKE, PART III

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Like every movie ever would suggest, New York is full of diners. One time Devin went to one and reviewed its chocolate milkshake.

Due to this pesky-but-wonderful thing called employment, I was unavailable to photograph the event. Sadly, Devin is not the type to take pictures of himself, or the world around him for that matter. In February he went to Singapore for a week and didn’t snap a single picture. Granted he was there for a conference and didn’t have much free time, but still! (Somewhat related: I sometimes try to imagine what Devin’s Instagram feed would look like, and I am stumped.) I am the type to photograph any and everything (Instagram: smoothliminal), so I managed to take this picture of EJ’s Luncheonette another time. And now…without further ado, I present unto you, the third installment of Devin’s search for New York’s Best Shake! (Note: Devin uses a 1-5 scale with 1 being the worst and 5 being the best.)

EJ’s Luncheonette

Exactly what you would expect from a diner shake.

FLAVOR: 3.5 – Hand-scooped but not gourmet ice cream.
CONSISTENCY: 3 – The man behind the bar could have used a little less milk. The shake was pourable.
PRESENTATION: 4 – As I said last time, everyone loves a bonus, and this shake came with a healthy extra 8 oz in the steel mixing cup. However, the plastic (though reusable) pintglass lost a few points. Also, there was no cherry as one would expect at such an establishment, but I didn’t mind.
AMBIANCE: 3.5 – EJ’s is a surprisingly classic diner for the Upper East Side.
ETHICS: 2 – The employees seemed happy but no guarantees about the cows or cocoa pickers. Kemps ice cream and generic chocolate sauce are classic diner, but one would hope Upper East Siders would demand better.
OVERALL VALUE: 3.5 – $5 is exactly what I would expect to pay for this classic diner shake; I only wish they used glass pints and local dairy.

Previous reviews here and here.

GUEST POST: THE SEARCH FOR NYC’S BEST SHAKE, PART III

Guest Post: The Search for NYC’s Best Shake, Part II

kristy, , , 2 Comments

I have a method for finding something specific to do in New York City. I search for whatever I want to do on Google or Yelp, look at the top five results and pick one without giving it too much thought. It’s a lot like plugging your nose and jumping into the pool. I’m a toe-dipper, myself; but you guys, New York is big. If you attempt to use the toe-dip method, you will get stuck. I repeat: you will get stuck.

And so it came to pass that on my birthday morning, Devin and I found ourselves at the top-rated restaurant in Yelp’s weekday breakfast & brunch category. And Devin found himself drinking a milkshake at nine o’clock in the morning. The things that man does for the sake of science, I tell you!

Here’s his review. (Note: Dev uses a 1-5 scale, with 1 being the least and 5 being the best.)

Clinton St. Baking Company & Restaurant

While the food at Clinton Street Baking Co. was great, the shake was a bust. I’m not sure if it was cheap ice cream or skim milk (I would not go so far as to accuse them of using ice), but this shake was bland.

Devin evaluates the presentation.

FLAVOR: 2 – It’s a bad sign when the whipped cream has as much flavor as the shake.
CONSISTENCY: 3 – The menu calls it a classic extra thick shake, but it’s more like extra thick chocolate milk. Not a soup, but nothing special.
PRESENTATION: 3 – While glass is good, if you are going to use the old fashioned diner-style, you should include the steel mixing cup with the extra shake. Everybody loves a bonus.
AMBIANCE: 4 – Bustling and lots of natural light, we had a nice brunch but did have to wait 30 minutes outside for a seat.
ETHICS: – Aah…I forgot to ask.
OVERALL VALUE: 2 – At more than $6, this is not much shake with not much flavor for your money.

‘No shake left unfinished!’
Guest Post: The Search for NYC’s Best Shake, Part II

Guest Post: The Best Shake in NYC

kristy, , 5 Comments

If you’ve been reading the blog for a while or know me in real life, you’ve heard of my partner Devin. I haven’t yet written a super lovey romantic post about him because ewww. Maybe someday I’ll figure out how to write a public love letter without simultaneously blushing and vomiting, but for now, let me just tell you one thing.

Once upon a summer of 2009, Devin came to Mexico to meet my family. One night while having dinner in the Copper Canyon, my mom asked him what his favorite food was. Without hesitation, he said, ‘Milkshake.’ My mother was aghast (milkshakes are not food!). Dev quickly corrected himself and claimed the Mexican burrito* as his favorite, but this was a shameless lie! His foremost loyalty is––and will always be––to the milkshake.

That’s why when we passed this sign in November, I interpreted it as a challenge for my favorite milkshake connoisseur.

Oh yeah?

It was thus decided that every time we pass a restaurant that boasts having ‘the best shake in NYC,’ Devin must attempt to verify that claim through a rigorous taste test! Below find Devin’s first review. (Note: Dev uses a 1-5 scale, with 1 being the worst and 5 being the best.)

* Mexican burritos are not the size of a human baby and do not have rice or other weird toppings. Just beans on a reasonably-sized tortilla. Mmmm!

brgr

(A milkshake review by Devin)

After our Thanksgiving trip to Philadelphia, we stopped at brgr in Midtown near where the Megabus left us. We really had no choice; their window advertised that they were ‘Voted Best Shake.’ Granted their award was for some berry concoction, but no award in the world could affect my shake order. It’s chocolate every time. brgr calls it “the Black & White,” but don’t fear; this is a classic chocolate shake.
 
brgr’s Black & White shake

FLAVOR: 4 – Bonus points for leaving some marbled veins of chocolate sauce but mostly mixed.
CONSISTENCY: 5 – Solid, solid, solid. 30 seconds upside down, and this shake doesn’t budge, yet it glides effortlessly up the straw; perfect.
PRESENTATION: 2 – We dined in, but brgr only has plastic cups. Not glass, not compostable. Not styrofoam, but still, not classy.
AMBIANCE: 4.5 – I like this place. Despite being new and a little fast food-y, the high ceiling has beautiful exposed beams and the single-person bathrooms are marked “vegetarian” and “carnivore.”
ETHICS: 4 – local and grass-fed = fresh and tasty, but I’m not sure their chocolate is fair trade.
OVERALL VALUE: 4 – At more than $5, brgr’s shakes are not cheap, but as I said, it’s a solid 16 oz, and I’d say that we got our money’s worth of chocolaty creamy goodness.

Guest Post: The Best Shake in NYC