Since Everyone Got the “I Make My Own Bread” Phase Out of Their System, Artisan Pastries Are Back in a Big Way
Ah, the pièce de résistance of my newsletters – the slutty boudoir photo of a caloric black hole, featuring a raunchy cascade of high quality cheese, thrusting itself out from a crevice in a dramatic flair of sex appeal.
[stopping myself before this becomes one of those paperback adult novels featuring fire fighters or mainland Scottish warriors, found tucked away in the back of CVS]
Poor pastries, they’ve had a tough few years. First, they were carb shamed. Then, you’d think they were convicted serial killers simply because they had a bit of gluten. Next, they were stripped of their wholesomeness by vegan defaming butter, cream, and eggs. And finally, what those goddamn Keto-freaks tried to do to the baked goods community…where is the news coverage on that travesty?
Welcome to 2021. Everyone is just thankful to be alive, half of us would be willingly join whatever cult Peloton decided to start, most of us have reverted socially to a middle school level, and a solid handful of us are teetering on the brink of a questionable alcohol problem. But most folks are just a bit more relaxed about the things we used to get neurotically fixated on in an effort to control our lives; 2020 showed us that we in fact have zero control over anything so cue the butter, the cream, the salt, the sugar…CUE THE PASTRIES.
New York is having a total renaissance of new restaurant openings, fueled by favorable commercial rent and the insane influx of folks back to the city. Notably of these openings is an exceptionally strong hand of bakeries, all propelled by the grab-and-go model.
While I do think muffins are going to be the dark horse darling of 2021, please embark on your own exploration of the city’s newest bakery stars and embrace the butter:
What you’re getting: twice baked pistachio croissant, the molasses cookie, the sourdough loaf
What you’re getting: the menu is constantly changing (follow their instagram) but you can’t go wrong here
What you’re getting: any croissant, the kouigin amann, and any of the egg savory pastries
What you’re getting: the sourdough loaf, the coffee cake, the chocolate croissant…actually, just get everything
What you’re getting: the menu hasn’t been released yet but the owner has been giving out free muffins to the public so scout their social media for more…
What you’re getting: the jelly donut, the morning bun, any of the half loaves of bread, the lemon poppy donut braid