UYE: Cronut Mania Part 2

When Dorie invited me to this cronut event, I figured what better plans do I have for a Sunday at 5 O’clock in the morning? Off Miss Sarit and I went, to meet our destiny.
The setting was lower Manhattan, outside Dominque Ansel Bakery. Freezing, some of the more experienced members of our team arrived with Dunkin Donuts coffee spiked with butterscotch schnapps (don’t judge us — that’s the point of Sunday Funday!) Delicious, and opened us up for many laughs and flowing conversation that lasted the entire six hours it took to get our cronuts.
Living up to it’s hype, the fig cronut (flavor of the month) was — and I say again — LIFE PERIOD CHANGING PERIOD!
The flaky exterior topped with sweet buttercream frosting with gooey warm cream injected inside the cronut complimented each other beautifully. It was like a sonnet of everything that is right in this world.
I swore to never wake up so early in the morning for a cronut again, but tempt me with good friends plus spiked coffee and I may just cave.

The idea of waking up at 5am, on a Sunday morning nonetheless, to stand in line for almost 4 hours would not normally seem appealing to me. But once you try an official Cronut freshly baked at the Dominique Ansel Bakery you will understand the appeal (FYI, the flavor of the month is Fig Mascarpone). Four hours may seem like a long time, but when you spend it with (new) friends (Sarit I, Michael W, Lori L, Jess C, Sara S, Xavier S, Richie L, and, of course, Ryan F), spiked coffee, hard apple cider, and some killer tunes, time seems to fly.
When we arrived at 6:30am the line was already half way down the street, by the time the bakery opened at 9am it had snaked around the park and down the block. Just when I thought I couldn’t take the wait any longer, the bakery began handing out Madeleines and I caught my second wind. By the time we entered the bakery around 10am I was ready to dive into the treats. We ordered the DKA (Dominique’s Kouign Amann), the Magic Soufflé (which must be devoured within 3 minutes), and a Frozen S’Mores, but the real star of the show was the Cronut… my taste buds will never be the same! We continued our adventure in the enclosed back garden of the bakery, the best part of the day was listening to everyone’s reactions to their first bites… mmmmmms all around!
Thanks to all for an amazing morning, so glad we got to spend it together… looking forward to the next UYE and October’s flavor of the month… perhaps Pumpkin?

*** This review only evaluates the event until 10AM, which is BEFORE the cronut was attained. Also, times are approximate. ***
Setting: a crisp Sunday morning at Dominique Ansel Bakery in September
6:30AM: Unilocalers Miss Sarit I. and Michael W. are the first to arrive on scene. Line is up to the middle of the south side of Vesuvio Playground.
6:45AM: Most of the rest of the crew arrive. Xavier S. begins to pour his DD coffee with his tasty mystery ingredient. He enthusiastically starts talking about DA and all things related to DA e.g. the Magic Soufflé, Cronut Hole Concrete.
7AM: Ryan F. whips out his «hard apple cider» concoction. He shares the difference of using actual apple cider and Mott’s apple cider. He also starts DJing with his Unilocal Summer Mixtape on his awesome bluetooth speaker.
7:15AM: Sara S. notices the fruit on the trees around us — are they grapes or tiny apples?
7:30AM: Line is only a few people deep down Thompson St. Is the cronut craze finally dying out?
7:45AM: We’re told that neighbors were complaining that our music was too loud. Complaint noted, music volume turned down.
8AM: People are getting hungry. Bagel and bathroom trips are made.
8:15AM: The chilly morning is beginning to get to the line-​goers. Woeful remarks of «I should’ve worn socks» or «if only I wore my down jacket» are heard. Handwarming in other people’s armpits begin (see: Rich L., Xavier S., Sara S.). A red blanket appears in our team and is shared. A ginormous, pink comforter with yarn embellishments is shared among the four girls in front of us. Giggles ensue.
8:30AM: A DAB employee hands out freshly baked madeleines. It’s WARM!
9:10AM: First group of cronut-​believers are let in. Dominique Ansel is nowhere to be seen.
9:40AM: Second group is released into the bakery.
10AM: Due to a prior commitment, to the dismay/​incredulity of fellow Unilocalers and our new friends in line, I, Jess C., leave the scene. No cronut in hand.
*** Thanks to the darling Lori L. for organizing this super fun event with great company & sharing her cronut half with me! ***

Lori L. put together another great UYE. So, we got in line at 6:40 am and ended being the third group of Cronut hungry customers. Line didn’t seem absurdly long as I’ve seen the past couple of times. Maybe it looked shorter because people were standing 4 wide. The staff at DAB didn’t enforce a single line.
Our group was the biggest turnout of Elites for any Cronut related UYE. We got Elites in the double digits plus their friends. It made for a damn good time starting in the early morning. We were totally prepared for this go around. I brought a box of Joe from DD «X-​man style» where I showcased my mixology skills. I poured the special hot coffee for the UYE attendees and was gonna sell it at $ 7 per cup to anyone not in our group.
Ryan F. brought fresh apple cider plus his portable bluetooth speaker where he played his killer summer mix playlist for beach/​bbq fun. He also brought a blanket for anyone that needed extra warmth in the 50 degree weather. The blanket somehow was big enough for two. The group ahead of us thought the same and brought an actual comforter.
After about 3.5 hours, we finally made it in and there were so many people jammed up because there were four lines colliding there which was the line to get the Cronut, the non Cronut line, the line to pickup orders like the magic soufflé, plus a fourth line for the restroom.
When it came my turn to order, I got two Fig Mascarpone Cronuts, a magic soufflé, and a DKA. The magic soufflé is made to order on the spot so they take your name and call you when it’s ready to pick up. This latest creation comprises of a toasted brioche that’s flavored with orange blossom water and then the chocolate soufflé in the center that rose inside. How’s that done? Well that’s why it’s magic! You have 3 mins from the time of pickup to shove it down your mouth before the molten center of the soufflé solidifies. This means you have to take your photos fast then get seated to break it open with your hands and then munch away at each half equally without making one jealous of the other.
The fig mascarpone Cronut was not my favorite nor my least favorite. It was smack dab in the middle. I’ve had a total of 3 Cronut flavors to date, others were blackberry lime and coconut crème. This one had fig jam and mascarpone inside with a honey glaze on top and a dried Turkish fig for garnish. There was a good amount of sweetness with each bite in your mouth plus the fried flakey layers make for a nice chew. When you’re done, you need to lick off the sugar from your fingers and you may also find a bit of grape seed oil residue. I was a bit upset that the glaze on my Cronut fell off the second half. This could be because they were prepared much earlier than we got inside.
Overall, it was another fun UYE. Time passed really fast with the awesome company, great tunes, and morning beverages.