Sweet tooth walk

Start: 179 E Houston St between Allen and Orchard Sts
End: 95 Orchard St between Broome and Delancey Sts
Time: 2 hours
Distance: 1.4 miles

1 Grab a pal and start at Russ and Daughters (179 E Houston St between Allen and Orchard Sts; 212-475-4880, russanddaughters.com) for chewy raspberry jelly rings ($6.49 per pound) or the chocolate-covered seven-layer halvah ($7.99 per pound). If you can snag some chocolate-covered matzo, which is available only sporadically, you’ll be treated to a layer of toffee hidden beneath a paper-thin coating of dark chocolate and a sprinkling of sea salt ($4.50).

2 Head down Ludlow Street, make a right onto Stanton Street, and pop into September Wines & Spirits (100 Stanton St at Ludlow St; 212-388-0770, septemberwines.com) to pick up a bottle of Mission Hill ice wine ($21.99), made from grapes that were handpicked and pressed after the frost, preserving maximum sweetness and resulting in a more concentrated (and alcoholic) product.

3 Cross the street to Organic Avenue (101 Stanton St at Ludlow St; 212-334-4593, organicavenue.com) for a cup of its naturally sweet-tart house-made lemonade ($3). Avoid the $2 bottle deposit by sipping the elixir of lemon juice, lime juice, ginger, agave and sea salt on one of the pillow-lined window seats (or by bringing your own cup). Finish off your visit to liquid lane with a nod to Tommy Dewar, pictured in the Dewar’s White Label mural on the south side of Stanton Street. Like us, he knew that Scotch whiskey is one of life’s sweeter pleasures.

4 Hang a left at the end of the block and duck into Bluestockings (172 Allen St between Rivington and Stanton Sts; 212-777-6028, bluestockings.com) to peruse eater reads like Michael Pollan’s In Defense of Food and Jay Weinstein’s The Ethical Gourmet, while nibbling on a vegan cookie ($2).

5 Travel south one block, turn left and visit the righteously old-school Economy Candy (108 Rivington St between Essex and Ludlow Sts; 800-352-4544, economycandy.com), whose walls are lined floor to ceiling with a rainbow of old and new favorites, including Razzles, Wonka Bars and Fruit Stripe gum. Make off with a giant jawbreaker for $1.99.

6 Wind your way back to Ludlow and stop by Babycakes NYC (248 Broome St at Ludlow St; 212-677-5047, babycakesnyc.com). The eco-friendly bakers will tell you that eating agave, a natural sweetener derived from cactus, is like eating your veggies. On that note, pick up an agave-sweetened macaroon in chocolate or vanilla ($1.50 each), or a red-velvet cupcake (gluten free $4.25; made with spelt $3.50) and keep soldiering on.

7 Stroll down Orchard Street and take a left on Grand Street. Inside dusty Tai Cheung Kitchen Supply (349 Grand St between Essex and Ludlow Sts, 212-219-8898), you will find no fewer than six models of the ice-cream scoop. A stainless steel boule de crème glacée will set you back $5.95 and keep you in perfect, home-pulled scoops all summer long.

8 At the Doughnut Plant (379 Grand St between Essex and Norfolk Sts; 212-505-3700, doughnutplant.com), homemade jelly ($2.75), torched crème brûlée ($3), and traditional cake and yeast doughnuts ($2.25) will leave you licking your fingers. Flavors change monthly and are inspired by the season.

9 Power up for the final leg of your journey at Roots and Vines (409 Grand St at Clinton St, 212-260-2363), home of the Counter Culture espresso ($2.25). Attuned palates will note chocolate, caramel and nut in the Espresso Toscano blend.

10 Retrace your steps west to Ludlow, then walk south to Hester Street for pretzels (50¢–$1.35) and marshmallows (70¢), hand-dipped in Belgian chocolate, at The Sweet Life (63 Hester St at Ludlow St; 212-598-0092, sweetlifeny.com). Don’t spoil your appetite before sampling the licorice collection, which includes Dutch Salty, Dutch Honey and Kookaburra mango varieties.

11 Loop back up Orchard Street, admiring (or lamenting) how the ’hood has evolved. Beneath a sign denoting the first U.S. tenement to be registered as a historic landmark, pick out an $8.25 pint of lemon-basil sorbet or olive-oil gelato at Il Laboratorio Del Gelato (95 Orchard St between Broome and Delancey Sts; 212-343-9922, laboratoriodelgelato.com).

12 Brush teeth. Twice.

View Sweet tooth walk in a larger map

Like this walk? Try these:

Art walk

Long-term relationship walk

$1 Chinatown eating walk

A Southern saunter

Great Walks
The best way to see the city (yes, even Staten Island) is on foot, and what better time than now? Here are 18 treks for your bipedal pleasure. Hello, spring.