Because Google considers Eileen’s cheesecakes as being the best in New York and because I’ve been already here in 2015, I was back to have a cheesecake near little Italy. Eileen is famous for its strawberry cheesecake, the lemon -one of my favorites- and the caramel everyone talks about.
Eileen has been baking for nearly 40 years as one of New York’s top bakers. She started baking cheesecakes out of her apartment in 1973 after she sampled a cake in a deli and told the owner that her mother’s recipe was the only cheesecake she liked. That very day, the owner told her if her recipe was so good he would have to taste it. The deli owner gave her the ingredients to bake the cake and began placing orders after he sampled her sweet bites. Shortly after that fateful day, Eileen’s sweet success began to grow as she took a space in Queens and started her wholesale business. Soon her retail business sparked as passersby began to request her delicious New York style cheesecake, and word of mouth spread.
In 1976, she moved operations to its current location at 17 Cleveland Place. Being so close to Little Italy helped her retail business blossom and her warm personality made her an instant hit in the neighborhood.
Today, Eileen has been praised as New York’s Best Cheesecake by celebrity chefs, the Zagat Guide, WOR Radio, and nationally recognized food critics. She has been featured on the Food Network’s “Food Feuds” hosted by Michael Symon, and “Throwdown with Bobby Flay,” and the Cooking Channel’s inaugural “FoodCrafters” episode. More recently, she has been featured internationally on UKTV’s “James Martin’s United Cakes of America,” “Maximo en New York” with Argentinian chef Maximo Lopez May, “Street Food around the World” with Ishai Golan, and “Steve Harvey Show”!
Fully packed all day long, Eileen’s cheesecake place is small with one fridge and several high stools. Order the individual portion cheesecake from a choice of a dozen or more. They are good, not too sweet and tasty but as good as the ones of the Cheesecake Factory -at least in my opinion.
One of New York’s bests should be on your list.
