I said it. And I stand by it. Confidently. 

Birdbath Bakery is a small chain of delicious bakeries (daughter to reigning City Bakery) that are scattered throughout Manhattan. They sell everything from melt-in-your-mouth pesto pasta salad to puffy pretzel croissants. They are equally as popular for their brown-box lunches as they are for their 5-inch chocolate chip cookies.

My favorite branch is located in Soho along Prince Street. To a passerby, it looks like it is Vesuvio's Bakery, but it is indeed Birdbath (as the small sign in the glass will tell you). 160 Prince Street is one of the oldest preserved storefronts in New York City. Vesuvio Bakery was an Italian shop that ran from 1920 - 20003. For such a small space, it packs a lot of history.

If you ride up on your bike, you will be offered your takeaway at a discounted price. Birdbath also prides themselves in being uber green (i.e. all fresh baked bread is delivered by "bicycle-powered rickshaw"). I mean, honestly...why wouldn't you support them?

But I digress. Birdbath's chocolate chip cookie is my favorite cookie in the city. Crispy edges melt into a chewy center that is flooded with chocolate chunks. The cookie is rolled in sugar before being baked which adds an additional texture and even more magic. Coming in at $4, it's a treat to be enjoyed with a coffee and a book or at least on a bench nearby, phone in pocket and eyes on the bustling sidewalks.