The Bread Factory Cafe

785 Lexington Avenue New York, NY (212) 355- 5729 http://www.breadfactorycafe.com/

Intrigued by this cafe chain (with locations on 7th and 9th Avenues), I passed by the one along Lexington Avenue, which was packed with people enjoying brunch. Seemingly like many other cafe or deli chains in Manhattan that offers pizzas, pastas, sandwiches and salads, what called my attention to The Bread Factory Cafe was their store window decked with delicious looking cakes and pastries. And I love delicious looking cakes and pastries!

Obviously a busy cafe, all tables were taken with people enjoying their meals and the friendly staff were efficiently taking orders from the line by the take out counter. The set-up, products and vibe were indeed very similar to the usual Manhattan cafe or deli chain, what I found different was the immense selection of Breads, Cakes, Pastries, Pies, Rolls and Tarts as well as traditional cakes like Babka and Hamantaschen.

I was so tempted to try out the cakes and pastries, but being “The Bread Factory” I opted to try bread instead and ordered the Semolina Loaf. A bit worried at first that the Semolina Loaf did not look like the usual ones that I knew of from Amy’s Bread and Orwasher’s, being covered in sesame seeds (that kind of reminded me of a hamburger bun) I was not sure that this would not be something I would enjoy.

Surprisingly though, it was moist and soft, slightly buttery with a tender texture and the nutty taste of semolina. I toasted some slices and had these with butter and then with my Orange Apricot Marmalade from Sarabeth’s, which I found pleasing. However, with the price of $4 per loaf, I cannot help myself but compare with Amy’s and Orwasher’s, bake shops that make bread that I am completely in love with - at the same price.

So what do I think of The Bread Factory Cafe? It is definitely an option if you want to have a wide selection of Breads, Cakes and Pastries and are in search of something quick and inexpensive. But when it comes to bread...I would highly recommend artisanal breads to satisfy, especially for those who are passionate about and take pleasure in having their bread.

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.