If baking or candy making is your passion, head straight for New York Cake & Baking Distributor. Here, baking pans, cake stands, mixing bowls, and utensils of all sizes, along with cookie cutters (hundreds, in all shapes and for all holidays), are crammed into one large room that smells faintly of chocolate. Cake decorators will have a field day checking out the food colorings, icing mixes, and other decorating essentials. Word is that Martha Stewart shops here. Though the prices aren't the cheapest of the lot, the selection is mind-boggling.
About a half-mile away is the imposing Chelsea Market building, an indoor food court that was once the home of the National Biscuit Co., maker of Oreos, Mallomars, Saltine crackers, and other packaged treats. Amy's Bread now bakes here, Hale and Hearty makes soups, and the Lobster Place sells fresh seafood. These and other vendors are housed inside the long mall that stretches from 9th to 10th avenues between 15th and 16th streets. Tucked behind a gelato stand is Bowery Kitchen Supplies, a stuffed-to-the-gills shop that sells to home cooks, restaurants, and the Food Network next door. Originally located in the Bowery with other restaurant supply stores, the shop sells pots and pans, glassware, china, bar goods, gadgets, knives, and more.
You won't get much farther in your search on an empty stomach. Either grab something from Chelsea Market's diverse offerings, or walk a half-dozen blocks to the lovely Cookshop. No, this isn't another place to buy Le Creuset or copper casseroles, but rather a cafe, complete with outdoor patio. A satisfying midday meal might include a seasonal vegetable salad, the daily pizza baked in a stone oven, or a classic burger, a masterpiece that centers around a grass-fed beef patty topped with applewood smoked bacon, Vermont cheddar, and chipotle ketchup (see recipe at right for a version inspired by Cookshop's). If you're walking all day, fortify yourself with spiced fries and mayonnaise.
