photos courtesy of thewanderingeater @ flickr
It’s hard not to fall in love with Bis.Co.Latte, the Hell’s Kitchen café that specializes in literally hundreds of hand-made biscotti. The narrow shop quietly occupies the corner of 47th and 10th ave and doesn’t particularly make a fuss about being there. No grand signs, no gaudy exterior- just the ridiculously amazing smell of fresh cookies from their in-house bakery.
Biscotti, Italian for “twice baked,” are oblong, crunchy little cookies that are perfect for dunking into whatever you please. And if you thought the Bis.Co.Latte biscotti were only almond flavored, think again. From Chocolate Chunk Orange Pecan to Marsala Wine with Black Pepper (yup!), this café shakes up tradition by concocting new and exotic flavors daily...
Biscotti, Italian for “twice baked,” are oblong, crunchy little cookies that are perfect for dunking into whatever you please. And if you thought the Bis.Co.Latte biscotti were only almond flavored, think again. From Chocolate Chunk Orange Pecan to Marsala Wine with Black Pepper (yup!), this café shakes up tradition by concocting new and exotic flavors daily...
The owner was quick to greet my friend and me upon entering the brightly painted shop. “Did you just move into the neighborhood?” she asked, “How do you like it so far?” It was refreshing to find an owner who genuinely cares about her customers and has a true passion for her business. So after eyeing the dozens of glass jars filled with every flavor of biscotti imaginable, I dazedly asked what she recommended.
“Well, it’s difficult for me to judge- I hand-make all of them!” she chuckled. A nearby customer insisted I try her absolute favorite: White Chocolate Lavender. I couldn’t argue with that. My friend and I decided on the sampler platter- 5 gigantic biscotti for the budget savvy price of $4.55 ($2.28 each). I also was in need of a dunking vessel, so I went with a mug of their illy© coffee. Our process of elimination was tedious, but we finally decided on: White Chocolate Peppermint, Chocolate Chunk Orange Pecan, Gingerbread, White Chocolate Lavender and the traditional Almond.
“Well, it’s difficult for me to judge- I hand-make all of them!” she chuckled. A nearby customer insisted I try her absolute favorite: White Chocolate Lavender. I couldn’t argue with that. My friend and I decided on the sampler platter- 5 gigantic biscotti for the budget savvy price of $4.55 ($2.28 each). I also was in need of a dunking vessel, so I went with a mug of their illy© coffee. Our process of elimination was tedious, but we finally decided on: White Chocolate Peppermint, Chocolate Chunk Orange Pecan, Gingerbread, White Chocolate Lavender and the traditional Almond.
Here’s the order of how quickly I devoured them:
White Chocolate Lavender: The customer is always right. It was by far my favorite and most unexpected flavor in the shop. I was wary the lavender would make the biscotti taste like scented soap, but it was delightfully aromatic while subtle to taste. My favorite aspect of the cookie was the handling of the white chocolate. Rather than in sparse chunks, it was melted into the batter itself, giving the cookie an overall white chocolate flavor with every bite. It was delicious.
Almond: The original! Perfection.
Chocolate Chunk Orange Pecan: I seriously liked this cookie. Strong orange flavor sprinkled with sweet pecans and chocolate chips. I only wish the batter were a tad more chocolate-y.
White Chocolate Peppermint: This cookie is only for serious peppermint lovers. The peppermint flavor was bold and tasty. However, it completely overpowered the silky flavor of the white chocolate. Still good, though- and flavored my coffee with each dunk!
Gingerbread: I wish the gingerbread flavor pervaded the cookie a bit more- there were only hints here and there of nutmeg and allspice. If only they pumped up the flavor, this cookie would be a sure winner.
As for the coffee, it was fresh and smooth. Upon dunking, the biscotti soaked up all the coffee flavor while still maintaining a good crunch.
Bottom line: If you like biscotti, go here. If you don’t like biscotti, still go here. The flavors are so diverse that even biscotti skeptics will find something to love. Their illy brand coffee is also great, and you can even order it in a bowl for all your dunking pleasure. Bis.Co.Latte, I shall return!
White Chocolate Lavender: The customer is always right. It was by far my favorite and most unexpected flavor in the shop. I was wary the lavender would make the biscotti taste like scented soap, but it was delightfully aromatic while subtle to taste. My favorite aspect of the cookie was the handling of the white chocolate. Rather than in sparse chunks, it was melted into the batter itself, giving the cookie an overall white chocolate flavor with every bite. It was delicious.
Almond: The original! Perfection.
Chocolate Chunk Orange Pecan: I seriously liked this cookie. Strong orange flavor sprinkled with sweet pecans and chocolate chips. I only wish the batter were a tad more chocolate-y.
White Chocolate Peppermint: This cookie is only for serious peppermint lovers. The peppermint flavor was bold and tasty. However, it completely overpowered the silky flavor of the white chocolate. Still good, though- and flavored my coffee with each dunk!
Gingerbread: I wish the gingerbread flavor pervaded the cookie a bit more- there were only hints here and there of nutmeg and allspice. If only they pumped up the flavor, this cookie would be a sure winner.
As for the coffee, it was fresh and smooth. Upon dunking, the biscotti soaked up all the coffee flavor while still maintaining a good crunch.
Bottom line: If you like biscotti, go here. If you don’t like biscotti, still go here. The flavors are so diverse that even biscotti skeptics will find something to love. Their illy brand coffee is also great, and you can even order it in a bowl for all your dunking pleasure. Bis.Co.Latte, I shall return!
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