Danny Meyer is a culinary legend. If you’ve been to NYC, you might have been to or heard of his legendary restaurants like Gramercy Tavern or Union Square Café. Eaten at the MOMA or the Whitney Museum of Art? Danny Meyer is behind the edible art at The Modern and Untitled. He’s also the genius behind Shake Shack, the infamous hamburger joint. Before they opened nationwide, people would line up for eons in a line that pretty much circled Madison Square Park in NYC, just to sink their teeth into a ‘shroom burger (essentially a portobello mushroom that’s been stuffed to the brim with different cheeses and then breaded and fried, melting that cheesy goodness into gooey perfection in the process) or a classic, flat diner-esque hamburger. In short, Danny Meyer’s and his plethora of restaurants under the Union Square Hospitality Group umbrella are in the business of cooking and baking up magic.
Lauren and I have met up at Daily Provisions, Danny Meyer’s can’t-be-missed coffee and sandwich/pastry shop, and when I spoke with her about The Modern Bee recently, when I brought up her favorite restaurants and foods to eat, my heart fluttered when she listed off some Danny Meyer’s institutions as her absolute favorites. We’ve celebrated many a family special occasion at one of his restaurants and I was glad to find a kindred spirit in this respect, too! It should come as no surprise then that the other night, I was influenced to try my hand at the legendary (are you sensing a theme here with the food that comes out of a Danny Meyer’s kitchen?) olive oil cake from Maialino. This cake. Holy cow. I don’t know anybody who has been to Maialino and hasn’t ordered it whenever they see it on the menu and then raved about it long after. It’s that good. And it’s also soooo easy to make. Beyond the Grand Marnier, its ingredient list consists of staples I always have in my kitchen, which is actually a problem. Because it is so tasty and so easy to make, it’s also dangerously convenient to bake on a whim. We ate it with coffee and tea for breakfast and then tucked into it for dessert. I also snuck some as an afternoon snack, a perk of working from home. Did I mention it’s also versatile? Ha!
A simple Google search will yield a ton of recipes for it, but I went directly to the source to make mine. If baking isn’t your thing and you’re local and want to try it, you can luckily order a cake to be picked up at the restaurant. If baking isn’t your thing and you’re not local and want to try it, you can luckily order it online as they deliver nationwide. But I highly recommend you try baking it and I guarantee you’ll be adding it to your regular baking roster. That being said, I’m pretty sure I know what our household will be having as a treat this weekend…
-Michaela
No Comments