Zachary "Schmackary" Schmahl moved to New York City from Nebraska to be a Broadway star. Instead, he ended up making the cookies that Broadway loves. He used baking as a way to relieve the stress that comes from days of auditions. He started experimenting with different cookie flavors (not just your usual chocolate chip) and before he knew it, he was selling cookies from his tiny NYC apartment. In 2012, Zach opened his first permanent cookie shop (Schmackary's) on 45th Street and Ninth Avenue - just steps away from Broadway.
The What:
The inventive cookie flavors rotate depending upon the day of the week and the season. Currently, for the holiday season, you can find the beautiful Dirty Peppermint (a dark chocololate cookie with peppermint cream cheese frosting) and the Egg Nog (a sugar cookie with eggnog frosting and cinnamon). Both taste like Christmas in cookie form. Santa would be very proud.
Throughout the year, you can also taste surprising cookie creations like Sweet Corn (corn flour cookie with cranberries and pecan bits) and Maple Bacon (candied bacon piece with maple syrup and toffee bits). And for the purist, the Chocolate Chip is about as classic as it gets.
The small storefront is always bustling with locals picking up some cookies or other treats (like brownies and macaroons) in the bright and cozy shop.
The Why:
It's hard to find small local businesses in this tourist-packed neighborhood of Midtown. Schmackary's is down a side street so people often miss it, but this is the kind of delicious local business we tell folks about on our Midtown Sights and Bites tour. The cookies are quite different than your usual varieties, but even more delicious. It's surprising, fun, and tasty. And knowing that this is the official cookie of Broadway (Zach's cookies have been delivered to almost every Broadway theater) makes us want to sing with glee!
The Where:
Schmackary's
362 West 45th Street,
New York, New York 10036
(646) 801-9866