Illy At Earth’s End has long been an ideal spot for afternoon coffee or a sweet treat for both locals and Princeton students. Since Sept. 12, illy At Earth’s End has introduced an entirely new menu of European pastries in light of its transition to a new pastry provider: master baker Alia.
Sid Yu, owner of illy at Earth’s End, explained that the cafe moved on from their previous provider because they wanted the pastries to “match the level” of the illy experience. Yu described the cafe’s dedication to providing customers a more intimate setting with strong European influences, not just in the coffee, but also the ambiance — and now, the pastries. “Our cafe feels like an Italian cafe,” Yu said. Due to its heavy focus on producing coffee with deeper, richer, and more “intentional flavors,” the cafe aimed for its pastry offerings to meet the same expectations.
With a background of baking at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York and further training in Romania and France, master baker Alia specializes in French pastries. The cafe was drawn to her attention to detail and passion for her craft. Because she’d been a local and regular customer at illy At Earth’s End, the partnership occurred smoothly.
“We went back and forth discussing what she could offer us,” explained Sydney Berger, manager of illy At Earth’s End. Master baker Alia worked with the cafe to create a menu that combined her signature pastries with the cafe’s own ideas. Though she was unfamiliar with some of the pastries the cafe staff had in mind, Berger described how master baker Alia was “very accommodating.”
“We had a trial phase where we experimented with different pastries to see what worked,” Berger said. “It’s been nothing but positive.”
The now-upgraded menu offers a wide selection of pastries, the most popular of which include the Dubai Cioccolato Cornetto, an Italian croissant dipped in chocolate and packed with a crunchy pistachio filling; the Passionfruit Tart, a citrusy cream held in a buttery shell; and the cafe’s signature: a special Italian pastry called the bombolone — soft, custard-filled donuts.
In the past, the cafe focused on sweet pastries, but they now have expanded their repertoire in response to customer feedback, adding savory options like the Toscano Spinach and Feta Sfoglia.
As of Oct. 24, master baker Alia has also introduced numerous fall additions to the cafe’s menu. These include special pastries like the Apple Turnover and the Pumpkin Crème Sfoglia. The pastries are baked fresh daily and delivered several times a day.
“Overall, it’s been a very positive experience,” Yu said. “Master baker Alia guided us with her expertise. Her background training is more French-based, but knowing our customers, we added the Italian component to the pastries.” According to Yu, the cafe sees many well-traveled guests with “global experiences,” and he wanted illy At Earth’s Ends to meet their standards.
Both locals and students have received the changes positively. On Sept. 30, National Coffee Day, illy At Earth’s End collaborated with the Class of 2027, with about 300 Princeton students visiting for coffee and pastries.
I was able to try both the savory and sweet options: the cafe’s signature Bombolone Crema, the mini Nutella Bombolone, and the Tomato-and-Olive Sfoglia.
The Bombolone Crema was a light, fluffy donut packed with cream. It was smooth, buttery, and flecked with vanilla, which oozed out onto my fingers as soon as I took a bite. The filling wasn’t overwhelmingly sweet but rather, a rich custard that paired well with the yeasty, sugary exterior.
illy's Bombolone pastry.
Courtesy of Sid Yu
In contrast, the Nutella Bombolone was stuffed with a dense chocolate filling. Biting into it felt equivalent to devouring a spoonful of Nutella: The thick cream coated my entire mouth with hazelnut and cocoa. Wrapped in the donut dusted with sugar granules, it was much sweeter than the Bombolone Crema — perhaps a touch too sweet, even with my typically unshakable sugar tolerance.
After trying these two pastries, I desperately needed something savory to offset the sugar, and the sfoglia did the trick. With the softest crunch, the lattice of golden-brown pastry gave way to a velvety tomato and basil filling, punctuated with bursts of olive. The puff pastry was a lovely texture — crispy, flaky — and it practically melted in my mouth, the full-bodied buttery flavor melding perfectly with the savory tomato center.
Upon tasting the pastries, I finally understood Yu’s earlier remarks. He’d described the cafe’s goal for their new menu: that “even the basics should not be basic.” The next part was delivered with a laugh, or maybe a warning: “The staff’s goal is to try not to gain weight working here.”
If you want to brighten your day with a buttery pastry or enjoy the fall weather with a leisurely cup of coffee, illy At Earth’s End — now featuring creations from its new pastry provider — is just the place to visit.
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
Alexis Choi is a contributing writer for The Prospect and a member of the Class of 2029. She can be reached at ac7729[at]princeton.edu.
Read More
Town council addresses rising concerns with short-term rentals
David YunAt a meeting on Oct. 27, the Princeton Town Council addressed concerns around short-term rentals and announced the completion of the Princeton Shopping Center redevelopment project.
At a meeting on Oct. 27, the Princeton Town Council addressed concerns around short-term rentals and announced the completion of the Princeton Shopping Center redevelopment project.
Thai pro-democracy leaders headline U.S. premiere of “Breaking the Cycle” at Princeton
Teresa Chen and Oliver WuAt Princeton’s U.S. premiere of “Breaking the Cycle,” Thai leaders traced Future Forward/Move Forward’s rise and court-ordered dissolution, urging youth participation while warning that “lawfare” threatens democracy.
At Princeton’s U.S. premiere of “Breaking the Cycle,” Thai leaders traced Future Forward/Move Forward’s rise and court-ordered dissolution, urging youth participation while warning that “lawfare” threatens democracy.
How do intended majors correlate with the Class of 2029’s top college choices?
Christine CaiFor Princeton’s Class of 2029, The Daily Princetonian analyzed how someone’s intended major impacted their top college choice to understand what drove Princeton’s newest Tigers to select their favorite campus.