I jump on any opportunity to go to NYC. Dinner. Shows. A walk in the park. It doesn’t matter how minute or monumental, I’m there.
So when my younger brother hinted interest in going to The Chew, I reserved tickets without hesitation.
Naturally, the trip couldn’t end once the live recording was finished.
It has been some time since my brother and I went to the city together, and I think he forgot what a day in the city means with me*. When I told him Hubby would meet us for dinner after work, he said, “Oh, we’re making a day out of it!”
*A day in the city = morning, noon, and night
Fortunately for my city loving self, he and my SIL were totally down.
This pic is the two of them to a T.
Having traveled in an around Chicago with them a few years ago, I knew they had the drive to endure hitting the sidewalks and subways to cover as much of Manhattan as possible.
One thing on my SIL’s wishlist was to visit the apartment from Breakfast at Tiffany’s. We were somewhat close by, so after lunch, we headed into the Upper East Side only to discover:
…it was currently undergoing renovations.
However, all was not lost. Because if we hadn’t walked the distance to East 71st street, we never would have seen this:
The moment my eyes locked in on this baby was a beautiful thing. Birds chirped in harmony, a chorus sang hallelujah, and this view was illuminated from the dust and grime of the city. My SIL and I stopped in our tracks to complete a photo shoot of the ATM, leaving my poor brother standing a block ahead, wondering where we’d gone. Once we finished, we blindly rushed across the street in order to meet this glorious machine face to face.
Should I be worried that I exhibit such a gush of emotions over food?
Magic happening inside the cupcake ATM
It took me snapping back into reality to realize this cupcake ATM was connected with the part ice cream, part cupcake shop, Sprinkles.
Now don’t judge me, but this realization meant I had to go within to see what exactly this place was all about.
What I’m trying to say is, I did not make a purchase from the cupcake ATM.
I know, I know, I know. But I love it. I love the idea of it. I love the accessibility of it. I love the 24-hour availability of it. However, with the inside bakery open, I was able to experience not only a cupcake, but their ice cream, too.
I enter places like this with the look of a baby crawling for the first time. Eyes widened with wonder, head rolling in every direction taking in the bright colors, I looked from menu to counter to customer, soaking it all in. As soon as I saw Cap’n Crunch as a flavor I knew I needed it in my life.* Ready to order a cup, the employee offered me a sample first. As I embraced the sweet flavor, marveling at the non soggy crunch the cereal still held, I watched the customer in front of us walk away with a cup of ice cream which looked as though it had the top of a cupcake on it.
*Which makes absolutely no sense because I do not eat, and never have been a fan of, breakfast cereal.
What. Is. That? I asked, gaping, knowing that now a cup of ice cream, even with a flavor as marvelous as Cap’n Crunch, simply wouldn’t do.
After learning it was a cupcake split in half with ice cream packed inside, it took me only about .3894 seconds to decide I needed it in my life.
It took my brother a little longer to be convinced, but fortunately, the girl who helped us was not only excited we were excited about their ice cream and cupcakes, she waited patiently and readjusted his simple cup of ice cream into one of these cupcakes of wonder.
I promise, I’m not making a bigger deal of this than I should be making. It wasn’t just that this was a unique treat. No. It wasn’t that they had incredible cupcakes*. No. It wasn’t that their ice cream was smooth, creamy, and innovative. No.
*Perhaps even better than a few other recognizable NYC cupcakes places.
It was all of the above. I chose a chocolate marshmallow cupcake to go with my Cap’n Crunch ice cream, and it was perfection from first bite. The best part was how the bottom of the cupcake absorbed all the melty ice cream as I worked my way down.
While it may have been the cupcake ATM which drew us to Sprinkles, this is only one beautiful part of this company. After all, how disappointing would it have been to discover a cupcake ATM holding sub-par cupcakes within?
If you find yourself in one of the major cities Sprinkles is located in during the day, get yourself a cupcake sundae. But, if you find yourself in a city and get a hankering for a sweet at 11 pm, only to discover everything* in one of the major cities in the world closes at 10 pm, then find yourself a cupcake ATM and all will be right in the world.
*Alright, I exaggerate.
Sprinkles
780 Lexington Avenue
New York, NY 10065
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