I finally made it to Tiny Boxwood's to try their chocolate chip cookies, so emphatically recommended by readers Michele, Meghan and Tom. At 4:17 p.m. on Wednesday, the patio was empty save for a few diners lingering over a late lunch, and I was initially worried that at this point in the day, it would be slim pickings in terms of baked goods.

But cooling right next to register on a worn wooden cutting board were four perfectly shaped chocolate chip cookies. As the setting sun darkened the café's interior, there they sat, glistening under the overhead industrial lights. I was excited to see that the cookies themselves were barely brown in color. Perhaps, I thought, the baker made the bold decision of removing them from the oven when they were still slightly raw, which allows the cookies to do their final cooking on the pan and usually ensures maximum chewiness.

I wanted to buy up every last one but settled for two ($3.25), which I tried later that night with a glass of whole milk. (I don't fool around when it comes to enjoying a good cookie.)

I can't help describing these cookies as "heavenly." The dough was buttery with hints of vanilla; the chips soft, flavorful, and well distributed; and the overall texture, sturdy without being tough, soft without being flimsy. And, most important, these cookies were remarkably chewy. They made the very respectable cookies at Brown Bag Deli seem like hockey pucks and my previous favorite Randall's seem like dehydrated space food.

Nine points out of ten for Tiny Boxwood's chocolate chip cookies. I'll reserve the perfect ten for some divine chocolate chip creation I may encounter in the future.