Chocolate Babka and New York City: Union Square, James Beard House, Grand Central Terminal

At the end of March, we spent a few days visiting New York City with Evan and Claire. I will be featuring our kid-friendly trip to NYC in a series of five blog posts. Today I am sharing Union Square, the James Beard House, Grand Central Terminal, and a recipe for Chocolate Babka.

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Check out the rest of our trip here:

• Dark Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies and New York City: American Museum of Natural History, Times Square
• S’mores Macarons and New York City: Choco-Story NY, Greenwich Village, SoHo, New York Public Library
• Matcha Lava Cake and New York City: The Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum, East Village
• Xiao Long Bao (Chinese Soup Dumplings) and New York City: Chinatown/Little Italy, Lower East Side, Dumbo

Miss our NYC travels last year? Find them here: New York Style Pizza and Rockefeller Center, Times Square, Chelsea Market, Greenwich Village; Bagels and 9/11 Memorial & Museum, Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island; and Black and White Cookies and Central Park, Chinatown, Flatiron District.

Union Square

Evelyn’s Playground

Our first stop in Union Square was Evelyn’s Playground. Located at the north end of Union Square Park, there are three sections across 15,000 sq ft perfect for all ages. Evan especially loved the abundance of areas to climb and steep slides.

Union Square Greenmarket

Directly next to the playground is the Union Square Greenmarket. This market is open year-round on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 8 am to 6 pm. It began with just a few farmers in 1976 and now has up to 140 during peak season selling everything from fresh fruits and vegetables to baked goods, flowers, meats, cheese, jams, and other products. There are also seasonal weekly activities including cooking demonstrations, book signings, and pop-ups.

Pasta Flyer (now closed)

I toured the James Beard House (see below) while Chad and the kids stayed at the playground, but met back up with them for lunch. Evan requested pasta, so we stopped by the nearby Pasta Flyer (now closed). Located at 510 6th Avenue, Pasta Flyer features a small, but efficient menu.

We tried the Whole Grain Rigatoni with Nonna’s Meat Ragu, Organi Fusilli with Basil Pesto Sauce, Spicy Broccoli Rabe, and Garlic Dots (warm fried dough in garlic butter). The kids were also given crayons and a coloring sheet. It was definitely perfect for Evan’s pasta craving.

Kidding Around

After lunch, we made our way to Kidding Around on 60 W 15th St. The kids absolutely loved this store. There are such a variety of toys including arts and crafts, books, STEM-based, and European brands. They even had the Plus-Plus blocks we first came across while in Baltimore. Claire picked out a little bear sticker tea party set perfect for playing in restaurants and travel.

Books of Wonder

Books of Wonder was another incredible find. On 18 W 18th Street, Books of Wonder stocks the newest children’s titles along with classics and a collection of rare collectibles. Many of the books we came across were signed. There is even a gallery of original art and graphics.

The store hosts weekly storytimes and other events featuring authors and artists. There is another location on 217 W 84th Street.

Breads Bakery

We made a quick stop by Breads Bakery at 18 East 16th Street before going on the subway to head back to the hotel and I am so glad we did. A baker’s dream, it was so hard to narrow down what we wanted. I ultimately chose a Chocolate Babka while Evan picked out a Pain Au Chocolat to split with Claire.

There is also a kiosk at Bryant Park and another location at Lincoln Center.

James Beard House

While the kids played at Evelyn’s Playground with Chad, I stopped by the James Beard House for a tour with Victoria Jordan Rodriguez, Director of House Operations and House Events. I first met Victoria while at MetroCooking DC and it was so fun to see the house in person.

The James Beard House is located at 167 W 12th Street in Greenwich Village. It was just a short 1/2 mile walk from Union Square and near the 14th Street/Sixth Avenue station.

Following James Beard’s death in 1985, a fundraising campaign led by Institute of Culinary Education founder Peter Kump was organized to purchase the townhouse. It was officially opened on November 5, 1986 by the James Beard Foundation “to provide a center for the culinary arts and to continue to foster the interest James Beard inspired in all aspects of food, its preparation presentation, and of course, enjoyment.”

The James Beard House now holds over 250 events throughout the year, almost daily. In addition to the dinners by acclaimed chefs from around the country, the house also hosts a variety of free educational programming. 

Victoria showed me all of the details of the house and how it has transformed over the years from the kitchen, garden, and dining rooms created to accommodate guests to even the updated bathrooms and wallpaper. I especially loved all the items on display and the collection of cookbooks! If you have followed my blog for any length of time, you know how much I love cookbooks.

Want to see the James Beard House? Contact the James Beard Foundation to schedule your own tour of this historic home.

Grand Central Terminal

On our fourth morning, we went to Grand Central Terminal before visiting the Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum. In preparation for our trip, we got some NYC coloring books (Color this Book: New York City, New York for Kids, and Doodle New York) and the kids were excited to see the “huge terminal” in person after coloring the pages.

Grand Central Terminal in Midtown opened on February 2, 1913 to the public. It is now home to the MTA Metro-North Railroad and a subway station serving the 4, 5, 6, 7, and S subway lines along with plenty of food and shopping options. Notable areas include Grand Central Market, Whispering Gallery, the four-faced brass clock on top of the information booth, and dozens of restaurants. With 44 platforms, it is the world’s largest station (via platform capacity). The Main Concourse windows alone are 60 feet tall and 30 feet wide. Find the history of the terminal here.

Great Northern Food Hall (now closed)

After getting a little turned around (did I mention the terminal is huge!), we went to the Great Northern Food Hall (now closed) located in Vanderbilt Hall (with access from 42nd Street or the Terminal’s Main Concourse) for breakfast.

Developed by Claus Meyer (MeyersUSA), the Great Northern Food Hall features a collection of Nordic-inspired eateries including Meyers Bageri (artisanal bakery), Brownsville Roasters (coffee), Open Rye (smørrebrød- open faced sandwiches, photo above), Grain Bar (sweet and savory porridges, beer, and whiskey), Almanak (parfaits, salads, and soups), The Bar, Great Northern Deli (in the shuttle passage), and Danish Dogs (also in the shuttle passage).

I was particularly fond of all the pastries and baked goods. Favorites include the Kanelsnurrer (Norwegian cinnamon knots), Tebirkes (Danish poppyseed rolls), and Spandauer (Danish pastries with jam or vanilla cream).

Chocolate Babka

I have been wanting to make a Babka from scratch for a while and this seemed like the perfect time after trying the Chocolate Babka from Breads Bakery. I slightly followed the bakery’s lead and filled my Babka with Nutella and chopped bittersweet chocolate. After baking, it is finished off with a brushing of a simple sugar syrup to help keep the bread soft for a few days.

I was very nervous about attempting the Chocolate Babka, but it ended up not being too difficult. The sweet, rich yeast-based dough needs time to rest overnight in the refrigerator, then another 1-2 hours the next day at room temperature after filling and forming. After the first rise, the dough is rolled out into a thin rectangle/square and covered with a layer of Nutella. If that wasn’t chocolatey enough, the dough is then covered with an additional layer of chopped bittersweet chocolate before being tightly rolled.

I followed Smitten Kitchen’s tip of placing the rolled dough in the freezer briefly to help cut and form the dough with less mess.  It doesn’t need much, maybe 10 minutes. Much more than that and the dough will be too stiff to twist well. The ends are sliced off, then the roll is cut in half lengthwise to make two layered ropes.

There are a couple of different ways to twist the Chocolate Babka. I tried pinching together the two ropes at one end then twisting the ropes to the other end on the first loaf. On the second one (and I liked this way better personally), I crossed the two ropes at the middle then twist each side individually from the middle to the ends. I was able to twirl it a little easier this way.

The twirled loaf is placed in the prepared pan and allowed to rest for another 1-2 hours. It is then baked until puffed and golden. Immediately after removing from the oven, the loaves are brushed with a sugar syrup. This will help the Chocolate Babka keep for a couple of days.

I added orange zest to the dough, but it can also be replaced with lemon zest. The dough is made with an all-purpose flour base, but can be substituted with half bread flour and half pastry flour.

The Chocolate Babka will be easier to slice and serve once it has cooled to room temperature. This is best the day it is made, but it can also be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for a couple of days or so. They also freeze well. Reheat in a 350˚F oven just until warm.

Chocolate Babka Recipe

Adapted from Eden Eats and Smitten Kitchen