Muffin Mastery in Morningside Heights

Here’s the skinny on Café Fresh, courtesy of eggplantempress: “The food is ok. The service is pitiful. THE MUFFINS ARE OUTSTANDING.” Lemon, strawberry, blueberry, chocolate-banana—each is exemplary, and best of type.

The strawberry is a standout: moist, luscious cake studded with fresh berry halves and shot through with tunnels of sweet berry nectar. Lemon muffins are proudly presented—do not adjust your set—upside down; “forget muffin-top pageantry,” the empress writes, “here they’ve turned the unchallenged convention of right-side-up muffin display on its head.” And with good reason: On the bottom of each one is a thin wheel of baked lemon that has caramelized in the oven and infused the entire muffin with deep, true lemony flavor, “a nugget of gastronomic gold.”

Café Fresh [Morningside Heights]
1241 Amsterdam Avenue (near W. 121st Street), Manhattan
212-222-6340

Board Link: AMBROSIAL MUFFINS