Levain Bakery (West 74th Street)

Levain Bakery, 167 W 74th St

Fist-thick cookies with a molten middle

Hours

Varies by branch; check the official site for 74th St

Budget

About $6 a cookie

Address

167 W 74th St (between Amsterdam and Columbus Aves)

A cookie shop that began in 1995 in a small basement on West 74th Street. The signature chocolate chip walnut cookie is nearly as thick as a fist, crisp outside and gooey, almost underbaked, in the centre. One costs about $6, but many reviewers say it's enough for two. There's usually a line outside the narrow original, a few steps below the street, and it's on the way to Central Park or the Natural History Museum. Branches now dot Manhattan.