La Bergamote Patisserie

Chelsea 169 9th Avenue New York, NY, 10011, (212) 627-9010. Clinton 515 West 52nd. Street New York, Ny, 10019, (212) 586-2429. http://www.labergamotenyc.com/.

One of the bake shops that I have read a lot of good reviews about is La Bergamote Patisserie. Opened in 1998 by Executive Pastry Chef Stephane Willemin and Managing Director Romain Lamaze in Chelsea, they have now expanded and opened a new location at the Clinton area. What makes La Bergamote successful, according to their website, is their consistent product quality and use of fresh ingredients. According to customers, it is the consistently delicious food and heavenly pastries, the nice ambience and the good service by their friendly staff.

Dropping by to check La Bergamote at their Chelsea location, I was immediately greeted by an array of delicious-looking fruit pies and tarts. As I moved into the bake shop, there were more luscious and decadent looking miniature cakes (not your typical bake shop ones but more extravagant concoctions), colourful macaroons, and an assortment of freshly baked breads (brioches, croissants, baguettes and many more).

Again, trying not to overdo my orders, I opted to try a Raspberry Brioche and several small tarts and pastries – a Kiwi Fruit tart, a Chocolate & Hazelnut layered square and a mini Vanilla Cream Eclair. Not surprised, all turned out to be delicious little pastries! The Chocolate & Hazelnut layered square had a slightly bitter chocolate and bits of hazelnut that made each bite so sumptuous. The kiwi fruit tart had a crust that was firm but had a slightly buttery taste. The Vanilla Cream Eclair had a creamy filling embedded in a crusty pastry. The Raspberry Brioche was moist with a delightfully sweet and fruity topping.

These were wonderful little creations and I can imagine how the regular sized versions must taste like. Prices are a bit on the high side compared to other bake shops in the areas well as patisseries I have been to in NYC. But not exaggeratedly so. The miniature bite-sized pastries were $1.75 a piece and the brioche at $3.40. But I recommend that if you want a treat and want to enjoy delectable cakes, pies, pastries or viennioseries in a comfortable, casual (quiet was how I would describe the Chelsea location) atmosphere, then La Bergamote is the place to go.

Oh yes, and I have heard that they serve wonderful breakfast and coffee as well. Some recommendations are the Mushroom Tartine and Eggs Benedict. Of course, I have to try their Almond Croissant. I will definitely be back... this time for breakfast!

Billy's Bakery

Chelsea 184 9th Avenue (212) 647-9956. Tribeca 75 Franklin Street (212) 647-9958. http://www.billysbakerynyc.com/.

Billy’s Bakery was founded in 2003 by two friends from business school with the goal of providing “classic American baked goods in a warm, friendly atmosphere”. And such is the character of Billy’s, a brightly lit place that, indeed, reminds you of Grandma’s kitchen and where the delicious smell of fresh cakes and pastries from goodies baked on site greets you as soon as you step into the bake shop. Not to mention the friendly staff who make you feel right at home.

A wide variety of scrumptious and lovely looking cakes, cupcakes, pies and pastries adorn the chillers and behind, trays and counters of freshly baked wonderful little sweet things being prepared by the staff. I did my homework and asked friends, who very highly recommended Billy’s, to tell me what their favorites were but it was not easy to pick what I wanted to try from this charming place because everything looked so delightful!

There were layers of beautiful cakes such as Red Velvet and German Chocolate Cake, mouth watering pies such as Apple Crumb and Peanut Butter Chocolate, tempting pastries such as Hello Dollies (bars with graham crackers, chocolate chips, butterscotch, coconut and pecans) and Lemon Bars, creamy Banana Pudding, delectable mini Key Lime and Cherry Cheesecakes, and so many pretty little cupcakes.

I finally settled to trying a slice of Key Lime Pie (my favourite kind of pie), a slice of Pineapple Upside Down Cake and a Carrot Cupcake. Again, do not worry as I did not enjoy all of these in a single sitting. But mind you, I wanted to!

The Key Lime Pie had a thick, creamy lime filling that was slightly tangy and slightly sweet, and was complemented by the slightly buttery gingersnap crust. It was pleasing but I recommend Two Little Red Hen’s Key Lime Pie – really the best Key Lime Pie I have tried so far.

The Pineapple Upside Down cake was wonderfully moist and hinted of vanilla with bits of pineapple and cherries baked within  the cake, and on top, more pineapple and cherries caramelized with golden brown sugar. This one I loved and found very refreshing! A perfect summer cake!

And the Carrot cupcake, which had a creamy cream cheese icing on top and a soft and moist cake made of cinnamon, carrots, coconut, pineapple and pecans, was really wonderful! One of the best carrot cupcakes I have tried too!

If Two Little Red Hens is my cupcake heaven...Billy’s is my cakes and pies heaven! Every time I remember stepping into Billy’s and seeing all these beautiful, delectable freshly baked goodies, I cannot help but feel my mouth water. They definitely deserve receiving my first ever perfect rating. I still can’t forget the luscious looking cakes and pastries and I can’t wait to go back as my goal is to try each and every one of these.  Next on my list would be their “Famous” Chocolate Icebox Cake, the Banana Cream Pie and Caramel Pecan Cheesecake. Billy’s here I come!

Amy's Bread

Hell’s Kitchen 672 Ninth Avenue New York, NY 10036 (212) 977-2670. Chelsea Market 75 Ninth Avenue New York, NY 10011 (212) 462-4338. The Village 250 Bleecker Street at Leroy Street New York, NY 10014 (212) 675-7802. http://www.amysbread.com/.

There are numerous bake shops to explore Manhattan, but one of the most interesting that I have read about is Amy’s Bread. Choosing among its various locations, I decided to head to the Chelsea Market, where each trip has always been fun for me because I find many interesting food stuff to buy. Not to mention great wine too!

Launched in 1992 by Amy Scherber, Amy’s Bread started as small store on Ninth Avenue in NYC’s Hell's Kitchen. Today, the bakery has over 150 employees and three retail stores including one at the Chelsea Market, where most of the breads are baked, and at The Village.

Stepping in the bright and busy Chelsea Market store, I immediately got excited (as I always do) when I see a wonderful selection of lovely looking, delightfully smelling bread. After all, Amy became famous for her Semolina with Golden Raisins and Fennel bread – as the kind staff who assisted me at the store explained.

So I quickly chose several delicious and interesting breads to try: Potato Onion Dill Bread, Black Olive Twist, Brioche, and Semolina with Golden Raisins and Fennel (of course I had to try what made them famous). Before paying I I knew I had to have something sweet so I also asked for the Sticky Buns (they claim these to be NY’s best). Since I wanted variety without overeating, I was happy to discover that most of their breads have the roll versions that are equally as good. The prices of the rolls and twists, compared to many bake shops I have been to, are quite reasonable at $0.55 to $1.60 a piece.

And they were quite scrumptious! The Potato Onion Dill Bread made from potato and unbleached flour had a crisp crust but a deliciously dense and soft buttery inside. The Black Olive Twist had an intensely chewy crust deliciously baked with the salty twist of olives in the center. The Sticky Buns had a wonderful caramel pecan topping on chewy bread that tastes of cinnamon and butter. Everything smelled good and tasted good!

But what surprised me the most was the Semolina with Golden Raisins and Fennel roll. This round golden brown bread sprinkled with crunchy semolina looked interesting, but the burst of flavour as soon as I chewed into the moist and chewy bread from the fennel mixed with the sweet golden raisins was wonderfully unexpected! I have never experienced and tasted this kind of bread before - certainly interesting and unforgettable.

Friendly staff? Check. Delicious, chewy, flavourful bread? Check. Variety of breads, cakes and pastries with a number of unusually interesting choices? Check. Reasonable prices? Check. A nice, laid back atmosphere? Check. Amy’s Bread certainly deserves the reputation it has gained for wonderful breads and pastries. Certainly a place I will frequent and highly recommend to friends. And yes, they do offer more than just breads - they serve sandwiches, salads, breakfast food and cater too!

Three Tarts

164 9th Avenue New York, NY 10011. (212) 462-4392. www.threetarts.com.

I found Three Tarts Bakery while exploring the quaint Chelsea area, on my way to the Chelsea Market. What caught my attention were the very pretty window displays of adorable little flowering plants and cute little boxes on one side and pastries on trays and more cute packaging materials on the other. Interestingly too, one could easily see inside the store which drew my attention to the various colourful items displayed and the array of wonderful looking pastries.

Stepping in I find a boutique with a selection of giftware such as bottles, paper materials, mugs, teas and tea sets. Of course what caught my attention was the counter with a selection of miniature bite sized desserts of unusual and interesting flavours, shapes and colors. They all looked beautiful!

There were cookies with nuts, dipped in chocolate and spiced with cardamom, tarts with honey caramel and pine nuts, kumquat and lemon curd with meringue filling that all looked yummy, creamy looking parfaits in petite cups, luscious-looking truffles in bowls and pastel-colored delicate-looking mallows... and much more! To pair with these sweet treats were in-house specialty drinks such as Lemonade with Wildflower Honey, Limeade with Agave, Chai Latte and Pear Cider.

What did I try? The tarts of course...and the almond cookies! I must say that the tarts had delicious crusts, crisp but did not crumble. The flavours were refreshing, the Lemon Curd with a delicate meringue cookie on top was perfectly tangy and the Kumquat-infused almond frangipane was smooth and sweet. The almond cookies were just a bit too sugary and hard for me since I like my cookies moist and chewy...but would be perfect for those who love crisp and tasty cookies.

As I got home I decided to do a little research about Three Tarts and found out that it was created by a group of girls who were classmates at the Institute of Culinary Education (I.C.E.) here in NYC, and that the name came from the girls’ nickname back in school - “Three Tarts.” Visiting their website will lead you to discover that they have more merchandise for sale, gift sets and boxes of pastries – all with the same delicate, exquisite and elegant look.

What’s great about Three Tarts is that the desserts are in miniature pieces at affordable prices. Cookies are $.70 to $1.70 and tarts at $1.50 each. There are a variety of specialty desserts and would be perfect for people who want to savor delectable treats and eat pretty little things that are not overwhelming to one’s sight and tummy. The cookies and pastries in the fine looking boxes are perfect gifts for special occasions, and giving these you can be confident that they will taste as good as they look.