Food for Thought: Getting my hands on that elusive NYC cronut

The parasol couldn’t have lasted more than five minutes before the pink-colored paper wilted and just a toothpick remained. But the moment he passed me is a moment that’ll live far longer in my mind than the lifespan of that parasol.

It’s funny how moments can live much longer in memory than the moment itself. Take food, for example. You can eat a doughnut in two minutes, but you can think about that doughnut for weeks, months or even years later.

And in my case, I’ve been thinking about a type of doughnut for over a year – specifically, the cronut at Dominique Ansel Bakery.

Last year when I was in New York City, I attempted to get my hands on the crispy, buttery, sugary, flaky croissant-doughnut, but the bakery was sold out. How could a pastry invented back in 2013 still be so well sought out?

So, when I returned to New York this year, I went back to Dominique Ansel and was beyond excited to see that cronuts were in stock – Blackberry Coconut, to be exact.

I felt like a kid on Christmas as I unwrapped the signature light-orange box. After taking a bite into the pillowy croissant, my mouth was filled with an explosion of luscious blackberry jam – sweet and tart with a tinge of acidity. My lips were covered in the sugar that once clung to the outside of the cronut, and I couldn’t help but smile before taking another bite.

Finally, 10 years after its invention, I had tried a cronut.

It’s a simple memory that will last way longer than the two minutes it took to inhale.

Adrienne Mitchel is a Town Crier staff writer. Email her at adriennem@latc.com.