Who knew the bowls of Fruity Pebbles and Cocoa Puffs we eagerly scarfed during marathon cartoon-watching sessions would turn out to be such a powerful force in social media food trends? The city is now home to not one, not two, but THREE cereal-focused cafes where grown up kids can eat dessert masquerading as breakfast and then make a million Instagrams about it. Meet Milk & Cream, a new cereal bar and ice cream shop that opened this spring in Little Italy.
All the classics are accounted for: Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Apple Jacks, Lucky Charms, Trix (they even invited "healthful" grownup cereals like Kashi Crunch and Honey Nut Cheerios). Pick two with a topping (fruit and nuts but also gummy bears, Teddy Grahams, cookie dough and marshmallows) plus milk for $6. Experts know that the flavored cereal milk leftover in the bowl is one of the best features of the cereal experience, but the shop also offers chocolate, strawberry (and almond) milks, too.
The cereal bowl is the closest to the traditional Saturday morning route, but it looks like most of the customers are opting for the ice cream option. Which, without a parent to control us, makes sense. Swirls of vanilla or chocolate cookie dough ice cream ($7, cup or cone) can be topped with one cereal and one topping, making for a mini sundae of sorts. You can also make that creation a milkshake for an extra $1.
Owners look like they've capitalized well on today's digital food photography landscape. Neon tubes spelling out phrases like "Treat Yo Self" and "Hey Sunshine" have already struck a chord with Instagrammers; same goes for the floor, which greets visitors with a "hi" and a friendly smile. Look out for that 'toon tie-in, too: Spongebob Squarepants, Scooby Doo, Powerpuff Girls and others are shown in their own ice cream ecstasy on via TV screens on the cafe's wall.
159 Mott Street, Little Italy, milkandcreambar.com
