The first nice weekend in New York City was amazing for two reasons. First, it was finally warm enough to wear shorts. And second (and more importantly!), my friend Nick and I spent the afternoon with Sugartooth Tours, sampling the best desserts in the Theater District.

Sugartooth specializes in walking tours of New York City’s best food. It offers an insider’s view on amazing neighborhoods while coordinating delicious stops along the way. For example, the Village to Village Cupcake Crawl journeys from East Village to West Village in search of the best cupcake. And because you’re walking, it counts as a workout!

Nick and I were invited to join the company’s newest adventure, the Bright Lights & Broadway Bites tour. It combines Broadway history with quintessential New York City desserts, and is led by a Broadway performer!

We began at Ben’s Deli, which opened early just for us. There we started with coffee, and authentic New York macaroons (not to be confused with macarons!).

It was my first macaroon! Ben’s Deli only carries these seasonally, but the restaurant provides them year round to Sugartooth tours.

Then we headed to the next location. Along the way, Allyson, a co-owner of Sugartooth and a Broadway dancer, singer and actress, shared inside stories about shows, theaters, and her fellow performers. Growing up, it was a dream of mine to dance on Broadway, so as you can imagine I loved every minute of it!

Our next visit was to Little Pie Company. It’s owned by a Broadway veteran, Arnold Wilkerson, who was in the original cast of Hair. If his performances were anything like his pies, I’m sure he was amazing!

We sampled slices of the Sour Cream Apple Walnut pie. Delicious!

Then it was off to the next spot, with more Broadway stories along the way!

We arrived at Junior’s to sample a New York staple: cheesecake.

This may surprise you (it certainly surprised me!) but I had never had true New York cheesecake before. Wondering what sets it apart from other cheesecake? Authentic New York cheesecake doesn’t have any crust!

And this cheesecake did not need it. Wow! It was the best cheesecake I’ve ever had, hands down.

The best part? We were only halfway done with our desserts!

Our next stop was at Schmackary’s. The owner, Zachary Schmahl, began on Broadway, and then (luckily for us!) transitioned into the dessert business.

Schmackary’s is known for its unique, delicious cookies. I loved the names, especially “Dirty Leprechaun!”

To add more variety to our day, we sampled the Brownie. Just look at those layers!

Next, it was more walking, and more Broadway stories. Allyson even told a few ghost stories, which every good theater has!

We stopped into Amy’s Bread for New York’s famous black and white cookie.

It was so good! Usually these cookies are as hard as a rock, but Amy’s cookies are soft and pliable. Plus the vanilla frosting tasted amazing!

Afterwards, it was time for one more dessert.

We finished our tour at Carnegie Deli, where scenes from Broadway Danny Rose were shot.

We tried authentic Rugelach, which is pronounced like arugula but without the first “a.” It was a great way to finish the tour.

The Bright Lights and Broadway Bites tour is a lot of fun, and it made me want to go see more Broadway shows! Plus the desserts are amazing!

I love how Sugartooth keeps its tours small and intimate. It gives you the chance to learn about a neighborhood that you may not be familiar with, without feeling like a tourist.

You can find out more information about the delicious tours that Sugartooth offers here.

I will definitely be going back for more of that cheesecake!

~A