Working from my happy place: Dominique Ansel Kitchen

Have you ever tried a cronut? We were living in Omaha when Chef Dominique Ansel’s croissant-doughnut hybrid went viral two years ago and quickly became a worldwide sensation. A bakery near our house even started producing their own version of the trendy pastry, but I wanted my first cronut experience to be at Dominique Ansel Bakery in New York City where it was invented.

Although I’ve been to Soho several times over the past few months, I never made it to his bakery. So when my friend Sheri of Donuts, Dresses and Dirt suggested we meet up at the brand new Dominique Ansel Kitchen in the West Village, I jumped at the chance. Finally, I could try a cronut!

Imagine my disappointment when I arrived at Dominique Ansel Kitchen and didn’t find any cronuts in the pastry case. The desserts at the Kitchen are more traditional than the pastries offered at the Bakery. (The shtick is that most are finished-to-order.)

Since I arrived before Sheri, I had some time to browse the menu and the pastry case for an alternative to the cronut I really wanted. After struggling to narrow down my choices, I found a table outside and pulled out my new HP with Intel Inside® tablet to get a little bit of work done while I waited.

One of the best parts about blogging is the ability to work anywhere — all I need is internet access and a cup of coffee. Usually, I’m researching ideas, editing images, and writing posts on my laptop at the dining room table or living room sofa. My happy place to work, though, is wherever I can get both a caffeine and a sugar fix and a much-needed change of scenery.

Like Dominique Ansel Kitchen.

(Because the HP Stream 8 comes with free 4G data right out of the box and has a super fast Intel Inside® processor, I was also able to do some work on the train to/from NYC. With two kids at home, I have to take advantage of any quiet time I have to myself!)

When Sheri showed up, we placed our orders at the counter and then waited for them to be served. She immediately decided on a pastry called a kouign amann that I still can’t pronounce. It looked amazing — a flaky crust with a gooey brown sugar center — so I got one for myself.

I also couldn’t resist a slice of Honeycomb Baked Rhubarb and Apple Tart that I insisted Sheri share with me. (I’m pretty sure she only took about 3 dainty tastes, so I had to eat most of it. Oh well.)

Everything about the morning was perfect, from the pastries to the ambiance to the company. Even the weather was ideal.

When we move to DC, I’m going to miss having the opportunities to run into New York City to meet up with friends, although I’m sure I’ll find coffee shops and cafes in my new neighborhood where I can work happy.

And eventually I will get my hands on a Dominique Ansel cronut.

Thanks to HP & Intel for inviting me to #WorkFromHappyPlace. I received product and compensation for writing this post. As always, all opinions are my own.