Yearning for Marzipan!
I am stricken. The sublime Elk Candy Company, late of East 86th street, and then of 2nd Avenue, has folded. Years ago, it was a tiny place where, I fantasized, wizened crones from the Bavarian woods ground almonds, sculpted marzipan pigs and bathed in dark chocolate. The store was virtually empty until Easter and Christmas, when people lined up around the block. Then it disappeared, to reemerge phoenix-like in a larger, wood paneled incarnation on 2nd ave in the low 80s -- still bursting with abstruse German goodies, excellent non pareils,
(or, as my English mother called them, hundreds and thousands), and a dazzling and whimsical array of sublime marzipan.
Does anyone know an even vaguely comparable Manhattan substitute??? For the marzipan, especially.
Add a comment:
Previewing your comment:
HTML Hints
Some HTML is OK: <a href="URL">link</a>, <strong>strong</strong>, <em>em</em>
Comment Guidelines
Post whatever you want, just keep it seriously about eats, seriously. We reserve the right to delete off-topic or inflammatory comments. Learn more at our Comment Policy page.
If you see something not so nice, please, report an inappropriate comment.
Start Talking!
Need a question answered? Have advice to share? Start a Talk topic now!
Sign up to get your questions answered and share advice.
4 Comments:
you might try the german kiosk in Grand Central Terminal's market (the one on the main level, not the food court below). They have some German treats and some (prepackaged) marzipan. And LiLac chocolates, across the aisle from them, sometimes has homemade marzipan, too. Otherwise, perhaps someplace in Bay Ridge or Greenpoint??
eleeb at 12:39PM on 12/10/08
Marzipan can be found pretty much anywhere. It comes in plastic wrapped logs. My neighborhood Gristedes even has it. It also comes in those goofy fruit basket things, shaped into bananas, oranges, apples, strawberries, etc. Italian pastry shops worth their salt also sell them. All the korean deli's in my nabe have some form of chocolate coated marzipan. I like to freeze it, chop it up, and drop it into pear sorbet as it's almost finished churning. Pretty damn good with a snifter of grappa.
simon at 5:18PM on 12/10/08
If you're willing to travel to Brooklyn for marzipan, Fortunato Bros in Williamsburg makes delicious marzipan that is really beautiful. They are great host gifts for holiday parites.
faycat at 12:12PM on 12/11/08
LiLac Chocolates... Locations in Grand Central Terminal and in the West Village (corner of Hudson and Jane St). They have marzipan acorns and marzipan rolls (log of marzipan coated in dark chocolate!) that are delicious. They make all sorts of traditional things like non-pareils, butter creams, fudge, turtles, etc.
nyclocavore at 4:07PM on 12/11/08