Jacques Torres

Jacques Torres Chocolate
350 Hudson Street at King Street

While Momokuku's cornflake marshmallow and compost cookies have their place among the cookie elite, sometimes there is nothing like a freshly baked, warm, gooey, chocolate chip cookie. Jacques Torres is known as Mr. Chocolate, and yet up until this past weekend I had never had the chance to sample one of his chocolatey creations. Just one block south of Hudson street lies a Willy Wonka factory of sorts, with giant glass windows through which surveyors have a chance to watch as everything from chocolate bars to delicate chocolate truffles are painstakingly crafted by a team of expert chocolatiers.

Though tempted by pretty much everything else in the store, we sat down on one of several comfortable couches to sample Jacques' chocolate chip cookie ($2.50) which is offered warm, or off the counter to go. Measuring in at around 4-5" in diameter, this is no small pastry. The outside of the cookie was slightly crispy with a softer buttery center. When ordering a chocolate chip cookie, they mean chocolate chip, as there is certainly no skimping on the amount of semi-melted chips. We also tried the mudslide cookie which is a chocolate cookie with chocolate chips and walnuts, and while good in its own right, it is overshadowed by the chocolate chip cookie.

It's certainly the best chocolate chip cookie I have ever ordered (though I would love to be proven wrong if anyone has another suggestion) and Jacques deserves "brownie points" for creating a welcoming and comfortable environment in which to enjoy his creations. Next time you want to meet a friend at Starbucks, I would certainly suggest checking out Jacques Torres's chocolate store instead.