I love rice pudding. That is why when I was in New York two years ago and I stumbled upon Rice to Riches I was thrilled. Nestled next to a low-calorie, natural yogurt store, Rice to Riches proudly sold calorie-laden rice pudding in a multitude of flavors and toppings. I am not sure if the advertising has changed but at the time, the take-home menu/brochure was a hilarious, affirmation of the fact that rice pudding is in no way diet food. When one opens the menu the first thing that catches the eye is the statement; ” Eat all you want…you’re already fat”. The rest of the menu is covered in similarly hilarious and blunt statements and the names of the rice puddings are equally memorable such as ‘Sex Drugs and Rocky Road’ or ‘Honey Graham for Mr. Smith’.
Sadly, two years ago I was a college senior on my last Spring Break and the last thing I wanted was to get fat from rice pudding when vodka and beer were already doing such a good job. So I did not get one but kept the menu as a memento of this hilarious advertising campaign and delightful restaurant. Oh yeah, did I forget to mention that the rice pudding looked amazingly gooey and thick. It was not the least bit runny but splendidly rich and mouthwatering. God damn the fact that I knew I was going to have to squeeze into a American Apparel dress and metallic leggings (don’t judge we all make mistakes) that very night. However, I think it speaks volumes that I still remember the rice pudding like it was yesterday and have made it my personal mission to return to New York and eat some rice pudding on a cold, blustery day. I don’t think I would feel so adamant about returning had it not been for the blunt advertising celebrating ‘fattiness’, so while it initially deterred me from eating there, it created a lasting memory that two years later is still vivid and hungry. Check out the menu from two years ago? Oh they also do delivery!! Amazing.
