From Lucie

I love cakes — both eating them and admiring them. This past weekend, I needed some cakes, and instead of going with an old reliable basic one, I decided to find a new and different one. And I am SOOOO happy that I did! I found “From Lucie” located in the East Village — and they were exactly what I wanted — delicious and beautiful.

 

Fresh flowers.

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Michaeli Bakery

A new bakery in NYC has arrived and it is absolutely DELICIOUS. Thanks to a dear friend of Ken’s from boarding school, Newmie, she always sends me lists of everything new and cool that she loves in the city. And last week, she wrote to me that this new bakery, Michaeli Bakery, had opened up. Sure enough, after research, she was right — it was straight up my alley. It is an Israeli bakery, started by the first baker that was brought to NYC to open Breads Bakery. It specailizes in Jewish baked goods — ie burekas, rugalach, babka, challah, and more. It also has TWO locations — one on the UES (401 East 90th Street) and one on the LES (115A Division Street).

 

I decided to try four different cookies — and HOLY SMOKES they are amazing. Better than Levain, better than crumbl, they are truly the perfect size, density, sweetness and flavor.

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Knead Love Bakery

A friend of a friend makes the most delicious, dense, European style, filling, and healthy gluten-free bread. Like many things cool and hip, the bread from Knead Love Bakery is handmade in Brooklyn. First started as a ‘joy project’ (perfect term), Sarah now bakes bread daily that can be shipped nationally. All the breads are gluten free, nutrient dense and baked in a “high vibe” way. I recently received my first shipment — sesame and wildcard tumeric — and I can’t wait for future orders and trying out all the varieties and flavors.

 

I even love the packaging — how could I not — neon pink hearts? So cool.

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Ole & Steen

The Scandis always know how to do everything right. Especially bakeries. One of my nearest and dearest friends is Norwegian, so when we decided to meet last month for coffee, she told me about a new Danish bakery, Ole & Steen. And holy shmoly, is it unbelievable. Everything about it is perfection; the breads are to die for, the pastries, the porridge, the coffee, EVERYTHING. I am not sure what exactly it is about their baked goods, but they are beyond delicious and my new favorite thing to eat.

 

I dare you to go in to the bakery and try to buy one thing. Impossible.

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Broken Tart Cakes

In one of those cant-sleep-instagram-frenzy-rabbit-holes, I came across a bakery in Brooklyn with the most beautiful cakes; Broken Tart. I knew the minute I saw the cakes that (a) I needed to follow Broken Tart on instagram (b) I had to have a cake for Tusia’s 5th birthday party. The cakes are not only beautiful, magical, whimsical, and unique, but they are tasty and delicious. The perfect duo (pretty AND yummy).

 

The cake arrives in the perfect package.

The cake arrived in the perfect package. Who says not to judge a book by its cover?

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Mah Ze Dahr Nutella Hand Pies

Hello friends! I am so happy to write about Mah Ze Dahr once again! This past winter, the amazing online bakery founded by former Goldman Sachs executive Umber Ahmad was written up in the NY Times as having the best doughnuts in the city. As a loyal fan, I couldn’t wait to taste the doughnuts, so I went online to buy. And yet, instead of following my plan, I indulged in half a dozen of the Nutella Hand Pies. AND OH MY, they are amazing. True perfection. The New York Times needs to review THEM!

 

Bundle of deliciousness

Bundle of deliciousness

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Mah-Ze-Dahr Bakery

Through wonderful friends, Ali and I were introduced to Mah-Ze-Dahr Bakery and the woman behind it, Umber. Both the baked goods and Umber are such inspirations that I think about them all the time. Not only is her food incredibly delicious, scrumptious, and heavenly, but Umber is also such an elegant, eloquent, composed, intelligent, and beautiful person. Umber ‘s success, happiness, and talent shine through, immediately wanting us to become friends with her. Both Ali and I fell head over heels for Mah-Ze-Dahr AND Umber!

mah-ze-dahr

Mah-Ze-Dahr is a bakery created by Umber and is a Tom Colicchio Discovery brand. Umber, taught at a young age that food is a language on its own, studied genetics and business. She spent much of her career in finance on Wall Street, and then moved to help luxury brands, chefs, and restaurateurs expand their concepts globally. She also started the bakery (the perfect combination of her talents — business, science, and culture!) with Colicchio, the chef/owner of Craft restaurants (as well as a Top Chef judge).

Umber. Isn't she supermodel worthy? HOLY COW!

Umber. Isn’t she supermodel worthy? HOLY COW! (Photo taken by Vanessa Rees)

Umber and Tom.

Umber and Tom. Again, another beautiful photo taken by Vanessa Rees.

In Urdu, the word mazedar describes the taste essence of food, its flavor and magic that make it delicious. As Umber describes, it is the “Je-ne-sais-quoi” that describes something wonderful. It is something that one cannot describe but wants to experience over and over again. And the items from Mah-Ze-Dahr are exactly that.

The simple brown box, logo and ribbon is classic and tasteful.

The simple brown box, logo and ribbon is classic and tasteful.

MY FAVORITE! I am still dreaming of this cheesecake. Made from sour cream and cream cheese, it is light fluffy and refreshing -- who knew that cheesecake could be so light and airy?

MY FAVORITE! I am still dreaming of this cheesecake. Made from sour cream and cream cheese, it is light fluffy and refreshing — who knew that cheesecake could be so light and airy?

A favorite, Mah-ze-dahr bars

A favorite, Mah-ze-dahr bars that were featured in Food & Wine Magazine an Editor’s Top Ten Pick (February 2013). This bar has an oatmeal cookie base topped with toasted pecans and chocolate bits and covered in a brown butter caramel sauce.

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Levain Bakery

I am slightly obsessed with desserts. So much, that now I have to worry that I have borderline gestational diabetes (obviously, not awesome). I live to eat sweets — I have the biggest sweet tooth ever and feel that my meal is not finished unless I have a nibble of sugar. One of my favorite treats is a cookie from a bakery on the Upper West Side, Levain Bakery. The bakery is a true New York City establishment.  Tucked away at the bottom of a brownstone building, the little tiny room barely holds more than 10 people either waiting in line or sitting on bar stools chowing on their cookies. Often times, there is a wait up the stairs to the sidewalk because the cookies are just that good. AND HELLS YEAH, they are that good.

The tiny little entrance down to the bakery.

stairs

The steep stairs. Don't go with a stroller.

COOKIES

Sampling of goodies.

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