2019 Thursday Treats Roundup: The 10 Best Things I Ate This Year
Welcome to one of my favorite posts of the entire year: my 2019 Thursday Treats Roundup! If you follow along with my Instagram, you’ll know that each week, I share a Thursday Treat! These are desserts, drinks, or any other delicious items that I loved and just HAD to share!
In this post, I’m diving into the 10 best things I ate this year! I shared all of these as a Thursday Treat at some point during 2019 and I had a ton of fun revisiting these as I worked on this post.
If you are looking for more EATS posts, here are some of my favorites:
30 Iconic NYC Desserts You Need in Your Life
The 12 Best Desserts in Seattle
Ok, let’s get to it! Here are the 10 best things I ate in 2019 (in no particular order!)
Brookie Brioche Donut from PVDonuts
Starting off with doughnuts, what else?
I shared PVDonuts not once, but TWICE as a Thursday Treat this year! This specialty donut shop located in Providence, Rhode Island is known for its fluffy brioche-style yeasted donuts. They sell creative flavors like Cinnamon Roll Waffle, Brookie, and Strawberry Pop-Tart. They almost always sell out, so get there early to get your pick of flavors!
I tried PVDonuts for the first time during my weekend getaway to Rhode Island. It would be dangerous if they had a location in NYC (although I would LOVE it!) Luckily, I got to try them a second time just a few weeks ago. They did a one-day-pop-up in NYC. I joined the crowds and waited an hour to get my hand on the treats. So worth it!
Strawberry Mint Mojito Poptail from the MET’s Cantor Roof Garden Bar
I don’t know how it took this long, but in 2019 I finally learned about the rooftop garden bar at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This bar is only open seasonally (April-October) but if you visit during that time, make sure you stop by! You can enjoy some great views of Central Park and Midtown Manhattan from the roof.
You don’t have to order anything to soak in the view. But if you (like me) love a good mixed drink, treat yourself to a poptail! I indulged with the Strawberry Mint Mojito Poptail. It was my kick-off to my 4th of July weekend and it was so fun and refreshing!
Chocolate P.B.D. from Mister Dips
Is it summer yet?! Mister Dips is another seasonal spot and I’m counting down the days until they reopen. Delicious doesn’t even begin to cover this treat. The Chocolate P.B.D. is dark chocolate soft serve covered in a salted peanut butter dip and topped with chocolate, peanut butter, and a Reese’s Cup.
This ice cream is served out of an airstream in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Besides their crave-worthy ice cream treats, they also sell Dirty-Dipped Waffle Fries which are loaded with queso and scallions.
Frushi from Epcot’s International Flower and Garden Festival
Yes, frushi is exactly what it sounds like: fruit sushi! I tried this colorful and yummy treat at the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival in March. Each spring, this festival takes over Epcot. During the festival, you can enjoy a nice selection of food booths serving unique drinks, treats, and food items from international destinations.
I found frushi at the Hanami booth in the Japan pavilion. The pink rolls are filled with fresh pineapple, strawberry, and melon + coconut rice. They are garnished with whipped cream, berry sauce, and toasted coconut. Yum!
Cinnamon Toast Crunch Latte from The Salty Donut
I know what you’re thinking, “she’s sharing a donut shop but not talking about the donuts?!” Don’t get me wrong, The Salty Donut has some freaking amazing donuts. When you visit, don’t skip them! But you also NEED to try their creative Cinnamon Toast Crunch Latte.
I’m usually not a big cereal milk person. But I loved this drink. You can get it hot or iced (I tried both) but I definitely preferred the iced version. It isn’t too overly sweet & gave me some good childhood nostalgia vibes.
Strawberry Watermelon Cake from Black Star Pastry
When I told a friend I was visiting Sydney, her first reaction was “you MUST get the strawberry watermelon cake!” To tell you the truth, I wasn’t sure if I would love it. I’m more of a chocolate cake person. But once I tried all I could think was “OH MY GOODNESS this cake is phenomenal!”
You’ll find this cake at Black Star Pastry, and they claim it is the world’s most Instagrammed cake. (I believe it!) The cake is beautiful, light, and airy. It is made of:
- 2 layers of almond dacquoise
- rose-scented cream
- a slice of watermelon+strawberries
- pistachio & rose petal garnish
It was originally created as a wedding cake! How fun would that be?!
Ube Waffle from Operator25
While we’re talking about Australia, I’ve got to mention this beautiful waffle I tried at Operator25. I’d heard Melbourne had a great brunch scene so I wanted to check it out for myself. Operator 25 was my first stop in the city and after one bite of the waffle, I knew I was going to fall in love with Melbourne! This trendy brunch spot is located in a historic telephone exchange building and today you can enjoy waffles and coffee in the space!
This was my first time trying ube & I don’t understand why it took me so long! This delicious ube (purple sweet potato) waffle is topped with poached pears, jackfruit, strawberries, white chocolate sauce, and coconut and black sesame ice cream.
Street Tacos from Mexico City
In Mexico City, I ate more tacos than I can count. The best tacos I tried were from Los Cocuyos. This unassuming stand has been serving delicious tacos for more than 50-years. Allow yourself to be a bit adventurous and order the eye, brain, or head tacos. Or (like me), opt for the campechano tacos, which include sausage and a little bit of everything else. Trust me (and Anthony Bourdain who also stopped here), this place is fantastic.
I also took a taco + bike tour (which I can’t recommend enough) in Mexico City. During this tour, we biked around the neighborhoods of La Roma and Condesa. We stopped at 4 taco spots and ended at a bar to try mezcal. My favorite stop on the tour was El Auténtico Pato Manila for Asian-influenced duck tacos.
Rum Swizzle from Bermuda
Let’s just say I had more than one rum swizzle in Bermuda. But when I visited this incredible island back in June, I couldn’t resist trying their national drink! You can find this tasty drink all over the island. Each bar offers a slightly different variety but the general recipe includes a blend of 2 types of rum, orange juice, pineapple juice, lemon juice, bitters & Bermudan falernum (a sugary syrup).
The Rum Swizzle originated in 1932 at Bermuda’s Swizzle Inn. The drink was made in a large pitcher with fresh citrus from the island & swizzled until foamy. I tried the original and also really enjoyed the elevated version from The Crown & Anchor at the Hamilton Princess.
Oversized Cookie from Milk Bar
In 2019, I realized how much I actually love Milk Bar. Back in 2018, I tried their cereal milk soft serve and (I hate to say it) it wasn’t my favorite. I never enjoyed drinking the leftover milk from my bowl of cereal so it’s no surprise this wasn’t my favorite treat.
BUT, this year I tried the life-changing B’Day cake truffle, which is now one of my all-time favorite NYC desserts. Milk Bar also opened its NYC Flagship store this year, where I got to make this delicious oversized cookie! My creation was: Chocolate Dough with chocolate chips, mini donut cerealsies (basically crunchy cereal prices coated in chocolate), & B’Day crumbs! I also joined the Milk Bar Cake Brigade this year and I’m so excited to eat more delicious Milk Bar treats in 2020!
Bonus: Pujol’s Taco Bar
Ok, this wasn’t a Thursday Treat, but I can’t talk about the best things I ate this year without mentioning Pujol.
During my trip to Mexico City, I had the chance to experience a 10-course meal at Enrique Olvera’s incredible eatery. Pujol was awarded 12th on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants List for 2019. This usually isn’t my scene, but I managed to score a spot at Pujol’s taco bar and I couldn’t resist.
The taco bar experience is a 10-course tasting menu at a set price (it was 3332 pesos or $170 USD with tax included for me). This price includes alcoholic beverages and, unfortunately, if you don’t drink the price is the same. If you want to drink, you can choose between mezcal, beer, or wine pairings for your courses.
I loved this restaurant because it didn’t feel pretentious. I would normally feel way out of place at a 10-course meal. But Pujol was the right balance of elevated and approachable. A few people were wearing jeans and they didn’t stand out.
The entire 10-course meal was incredible but my highlights were the street snacks that started the meal and the crispy churro I had for dessert!
Alright guys, those were the best things I ate in 2019! What were your foodie highlights this year? I can’t wait to keep sharing more Thursday Treats in 2020!
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