Even given how many gimmicky food-brand-themed restaurants have opened in our lifetime, food lovers appear ready to openly, unreservedly embrace the Nutella Café in New York. The brand's second restaurant, following one in Chicago that launched last year, officially opened its jar-shaped doors on Wednesday, and already more than 100 fans of that mouth-watering, chocolate-y hazelnut spread were lined up to be among the first to try it.
We were there too, to sample and capture for your viewing pleasure (where are you Taste-O-Vision?) the many, many ways they've managed to serve Nutella. You can, of course, order crepes delicately squirted with the stuff — they're prettier, if not much different from, the kind you can get at any street fair creperie. But there are other, more creative offerings as well: Nutella-filled croissants, croissant French toast, pound cake panzanella, chia hemp-seed parfait, frozen Nutella pops, sourdough toast with ricotta and fruit, creme brulee, grilled banana bread, shakes, hazelnut blondies, hot cocoa, and more.
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The visual experience at this café, located on University Place and 13th Street, isn't just limited to the food. Though it's not quite Willy Wonka's factory, the place is designed to immerse customers in the brand.
"Everything you see, from our hazelnut flower chandeliers and lamps, to the milk walls and the white of the sugar, to the browns of the Nutella, we even have a ceiling that looks like the spread of Nutella all the way across — so you're really going to feel like you're in part of Nutella, and it's a great thing to be a part of," Rick Fossali, the café's VP of operations, told Refinery29.
Once you've had your fill on location, you may not want to leave empty handed. You can pick up a jar of the stuff with a customized label and continue this madness at home, too.