Levain Bakery – NoHo, NYC

"Taylor Swift isn’t immune to the power of a Levain chocolate chip cookie. The first location opened on the Upper West Side in 1995; it has since sprouted locations all over the city, and spreading as far as Los Angeles." - Melissa McCart

"As it moves to Boston, Chip City follows in the footsteps of Levain, another NYC cookie chain known for its hefty cookies chock full of chocolate and peanut butter chips. Levain opened on Newbury Street last year, marking that chain’s first entry into Boston." - Erika Adams

"I don’t know if I’m the target audience for this recipe, given I have never visited Levain Bakery or tried one of its famous cookies (though apparently now I can locally), but I was intrigued by its decadence and sold on its relative simplicity." - Eater Staff

"NYC cookie phenomenon Levain Bakery is expanding its reach across the country. The company, known for its fist-sized cookies loaded with chocolate chips, walnuts, peanut butter, and more, has stuck a deal with Texas-based grocer Central Market to sell pre-baked, frozen cookies by the box, Bloomberg reports. The boxes come with eight two-ounce cookies — mini versions of the six-ounce stunners that Levain sells in its stores — for around $8 per box. The company is in talks to expand its grocery distribution arm with more supermarkets nationwide in the future. Aside from the grocery expansion, Levain is also looking to add more retail locations, according to Bloomberg. Levain’s CEO tells the publication that in one to two years, “we will be national,” with potential shops in Boston, Chicago, and Los Angeles, as well as adding more locations in New York. The brand is also considering international franchising opportunities. Levain currently runs seven shops in NYC, including two stores in Williamsburg and Noho that opened earlier this year. A Washington, D.C. location — its first expansion outside of the city — is slated to open in September." - Erika Adams

"The legendary, half-pound chocolate chip cookies from Levain Bakery are finally headed to downtown Manhattan next week. The iconic uptown bakery tells TimeOut that their coveted Noho storefront will open to the masses at 340 Lafayette Street, at Bleecker Street, on February 26. The new bakery on Bleecker will bring Levain’s total number of New York locations to six — two on the Upper West Side, one on the Upper East, one in Harlem, and one in the Hamptons — with a seventh location rumored for Williamsburg." - Luke Fortney