Julie
Junior's has been making and selling cheesecakes in Brooklyn, New York, since 1950. Junior's restaurant likes to consider themselves the home of New York's best cheesecake.
If you're in New York you can visit the original restaurant on Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn, or their outlet in Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan. If you don't live in or near New York, then you'll be happy to know that Junior's ships their cheesecakes via overnight or two-day Fed Ex.
On every trip to New York I had planned on trying the cheesecake, but never seemed to make it to either location. I decided to order one through their Website. They have several flavors to choose from, Apple Crumb, Black Forrest, Brownie Marble Swirl...but how to choose? I decided that I should go with the traditional, plain cheesecake...the best way to test the quality and freshness of the ingredients without any complex flavors masking any potential problems.
Unlike most cheesecakes, Junior's does not use a graham cracker or cookie crumb base. They use a very thin slice of sponge cake to support the cheesecake structure. The cake is very plain and really doesn't add anything to the taste of the cheesecake, it just makes a crumb-less base to support the other ingredients. The cheesecake itself was dense and heavy, as New York cheesecakes should be. However, once you cut into the cake, the center was thick and creamy. Often, cakes that are solid all the way through have been overcooked. Junior's was firm on the outside and creamy on the inside...a very nice combination. It tasted very fresh, as if just made. The cream cheese, whole eggs, and heavy cream were obviously of good quality.
When you order online, you can select when you would like the cake delivered. I ordered the package late on a Tuesday afternoon and opted for two-day delivery but was informed it was too late in the day, so I asked for it to be delivered on Friday. However, my cake did end up arriving on Thursday. The cake is well packaged in insulated foam with an ice pack that is supposed to keep the cake cold for two days. My cake was very cold when it arrived, the ice pack still in tact. They also include a cake box to store your cake in, and directions for freezing or keeping the cake in the refrigerator.
I would recommend trying Junior's cheesecake for a taste of a New York institution. And let me know if you try the Chocolate Mountain, layers of chocolate cheesecake, chocolate mouse, and devil's food cake!
Purchasing Information
You can order cakes online at their website. They also have a Carrot Cake available and Rugelach. If you want to send cheescake gifts for the holidays, you can become a member to ship to multiple addresses online.
Junior's Cheesecake
