Salty sweet

How about this sweet-salty thing?

Next to lavender and honey, sea salt seems to be the ingredient of the season (smoked salt truffles at Kee's, salted caramel bonbons at Chocolate Bar, chocolate caramel sea salt tarts at How Sweet It Is — dig in.).

Baked's got the goods, too.

In addition to super flavors like peanut butter, spicy and the good old classic deep dark brownie, there's a sweet & salty brownie that's infused with caramel and fleur de sel.

The fudgey brownie is sprinkled with large flecks of sea salt, creating an irresistible punctuated texture, and putting those taste buds to work. Even though the sweet and salty taste buds are both concentrated at the front of your tongue, the combination creates a sensory experience that plumbs the depths of taste appreciation: rich, bitter, thick, chocolaty, sonorous. Another bite of happiness.

Pretty Please

Beth Pilar and Ellen Sternau have parlayed their 18-month custom-order cake business into a full service neighborhood café on the Lower East Side. Darling and delicious are the words that come to mind.

The décor is pink and flowery—sort of like being on the inside of a sponge cake (yes, please). Petite and tidy, a cushy window seat overlooking Allen Street is the only place to sit in-house.

Of the 12 signature items, Beth gives highest praise to the linzer tart, chocolate caramel sea salt tart (loving that combo, and seeing it everywhere lately), filled cupcakes (like a devil's food cake cupcake filled with chocolate mousse), and a lemony cheese puff. She's just as excited about the proprietary blend of Counter Culture coffee they offer (along with Serendipity Teas and Ronnybrook Farm milk. Perfect.). There's a pretty mean sticky bun, too, and croissants are on the way.

How Sweet It Is
157 Allen Street
212.777.0418