If you have not had the chance to celebrate life or being an adult of legal drinking age since Mardi Gras, then you might find the following list of bars and bakeries useful for your post-Lent and Easter festivities. Or, if you’re not religious at all, then think of this list as my celebration of French culture’s creation of the dessert course—yet another reason to love French culture. Whether you want a liquor-laced, calorie-laden cocktail dessert or a dessert cocktail, this list has you covered. Read on to find your too good to be good for you indulgence of choice.
Butter and Scotch
https://www.butterandscotch.com
The name says it all! Half bakery that specializes in boozy treats! Half cocktail bar that specializes in dessert cocktails. Between the milkshakes, the famous if not devilishly infamous in a bad-meaning-good way the hotline bling cake, and the sweet and perfect birthday cake, you won’t be able to commit to one choice. Pretend you’re at a wedding cake tasting and sample them all. Of course lent will be over, so it’s ok to be a little mischievous. What is a confessional is for, if not for sweet, sweet treats.
Elsa
https://elsabarnyc.com
Try the frozen craft cocktails, lush with fruit, herbs, and quality liquor. If you don’t drink too much—which is not an easy task at this classy throwback to the roaring twenties den of mixology—there is little to no chance of getting wasted. Elsa’s art deco vibe was created for the experienced drinker that prefers after dinner cordials. Enjoy light snacks from Stinky Brooklyn while sipping a fine, make your week cocktail.
Mia’s Bakery
http://www.miasbrooklyn.com
Brooklyn Blackout, Strawberry Shortcake, and two cro-nuts was my most recent order from Mia’s. The diner-style strawberry shortcake was my favorite of the bunch but I have never gotten anything from here that didn’t make me smile. It can be frenetic at this busy, Smith Street, open till 1a.m. on a Saturday night cafe/bakery that sells traditional sweets sans alcohol. Promise that you’ll get a different kind of buzz if you stop in for a cupcake nightcap.
Du Jour Bakery
http://dujourbakery.com
Park Slope is littered with bakeries, restaurants, and family-style eateries of all kind. Du Jour is a standout because its macaroons are so darn cute, and the fresh, baked on the premises pastries—like the monkey bread—are crave-worthy. Did I mention Du Jour pastries are extremely fresh? So fresh that if you blink while standing in the occasionally long line for coffee and sweets, or call a half an hour in advance to reserve your son’s birthday cake, your special sweet thing could be gone. No matter how important it is to you or your child, it’s just gone, without a sign of life or a crumb of sugar as evidence of its existence. Yes, I’m being dramatic because from time to time, I still think of the Du Jour cake we didn’t get to savor on his birthday. We instead got a regular Brooklyn Blackout cake from Du Jour that my family loved.
The Chocolate Room
https://www.thechocolateroombrooklyn.com
In the words of Linda Grayson, “There is nothing better than a friend, unless it is a friend with chocolate.” My inner chocoholic would change the last part to say, “… unless it is a friend made of chocolate.” The Chocolate Room has been satisfying the universal, classic craving since 2005 and reopened in 2014 at a new 5th Avenue location. What it lacks in its part cafe, part diner and part store environment, The Chocolate Room makes up for in its sometimes delightful, sometimes lust-worthy offerings. If you want a truly decadent, thick and intense hot chocolate (available with rum), there’s no place that does it better. But if you’re in a nostalgic mood, the popular brownie hot chocolate sundae or the frenchified banana split with brûleéd bananas will make you feel like a kid again. Thirsty for a chocolate martini? Turn up with the rich, creamy and topped with cinnamon Brandy Alexander. A perfect good night.
Photo by Alireza Etemadi on Unsplash.
BK French 
You bring tears to my eyes (LOL).
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