I've never understood why people would waste a perfectly good bagel by piling it with butter instead of the far superior spread, cream cheese. Now, it seems like I'm no longer alone in celebrating a bagel's best friend: According to Grub Street, a cream cheese shop is opening in New York City, and it's one brilliant idea I wish I had.
Growing up on Long Island (where the bagels are far superior than in Manhattan, don't @ me) I mostly subsisted on everything bagels with just enough vegetable cream cheese. At Becky's Bites in the East Village, however, bagels aren't the only thing getting cream cheese love. The shop, which, according to its website, opens to the public on Friday, July 28, promises "a range of novel cream cheese inspired bites." Bagels are of course on the list, as are parfaits, tiny tarts, and cookie sandwiches.
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Becky's Bites has a particularly challenging mission. According to the company's press release, the goal is "to make New York City known for its cream cheese in the same way the city is famous for its bagels."
That's not to say that it can't achieve that goal by creating tasty treats with a cream cheese base. One thing I'm particularly excited about? The "Beckaroos," which will seemingly mimic fave childhood lunchbox snack, Dunkaroos. (Who said giving kids frosting and cookies midday was a bad idea?)
Every treat at Becky's Bites is made in New York, though not necessarily the city: The cream cheese comes from the New York Hudson Valley, which makes sense, considering there aren't exactly an abundance of cows in Manhattan.
While the cream cheese shop is one of a kind, it's hardly the only niche food store that calls NYC home. In January of 2017, Greenwich Village saw the opening of Dō, a cookie dough shop that boasts confections made from raw (but perfectly safe to eat) cookie dough.
Okay, Becky's Bites: I'm coming, and I'm bringing my own spoon.