Hot & Crusty

New York $ ***
After suffering through "Where the Wild Things Are," my friend and I definitely needed some chocolate. We both walked straight into Hot & Crusty, which seems to be a New York chain. There were two huge cases of pastries. We were in heaven. We both ordered some crunchy chocolate pastries that I forgot the names of. Pretty good, but nothing amazing. However, we did slightly recover from the movie. I'd have liked to try their bagels, which must be good since people kept coming in for them, even late at night.
Hot & Crusty (Upper East Side)
1276 Lexington Avenue
New York, NY 10028

Marsee Bakery

Portland $ *****
I absolutely love this bakery, which is just a short leisurely walk away from my school. Friendly service, lots of tables and large windows. They offer sandwiches, soups, and fresh baked pastries.
I ordered the merendine bun and a small hot chocolate. Fabulous! The merendine bun is their signature pastry - "a flaky butter bun infused with high quality Mexican vanilla." I'm so glad I decided to try this instead of going with my usual chocolate croissant, which is also amazing by the way. They serve Stumptown coffee, so the drinks are great as well.
My friend and I are adding this wonderful little neighborhood bakery to our list of places at which we are going to become regulars.
Marsee Bakery (Sellwood)
1625 SE Bybee Blvd
Portland, OR 97202