Glaser's Bakery

87th and 1st Avenue New York, NY (212) 289 -2562. www.glaserbakery.com

An institution within the Yorkville area, German-owned Glaser’s Bakery first opened its doors to sell freshly baked breads more than 100 years ago. Still at the same location today, Glaser’s now produces an assortment of baked products and is best known for making birthday cakes in a variety of designs, flavors and fillings.

The blue painted brick store front with simply decorated windows gives off an old fashioned bakery feel consistent with the interior. Stepping inside the dimly lit bake shop, you will immediately see layers of breads, cakes, pies, cupcakes, pastries and cookies. No tables, chairs or coffee counters, bright lights or brightly painted walls that are common to the usual bake shop or cafe, Glaser’s is straightforward - there to sell freshly baked goods without any fuss.

Albeit the no-nonsense feel within Glaser’s, it was still difficult to choose what pastries to try because there were a lot to choose from and everything looked good. I finally settled for a Pecan Swirl, and Almond Swirl and a mini Lemon Meringue Pie.

The Pecan Swirl was really scrumptious, moist and a bit sweet, sinfully buttery but definitely delicious. The Almond Swirl however was a bit too sweet, unbearably sweet that I could not finish it. Can you just imagine how sweet it was that I, a lover of almonds and certified a sweet tooth, could not finish it? The Lemon Meringue Pie looked promising, with a tall layer of marshmallow icing topping a creamy lemon filling on a firm pie crust. Unfortunately though, it was also a little too sweet, and disappointingly lacking the tart lemon taste I usually look for from lemon pastries.

It was to me that Glaser’s baked products are as simple and straightforward as their store. No frills and fancy settings, this is a place you may head to when you want a friendly neighborhood bake shop to quickly pacify your sweet cravings with their vast choice of breads, cakes and pastries. Though these may not be the best in Manhattan (the Pecan swirl is quite promising though) I have tried, they seem to have everything you may possibly crave for. There is a reason why Glaser’s has been around all this time...and it was definitely worth the visit!

The Bagel Mill

1700 1st Avenue New York, NY 10128 (212) 426-0868.

Apparently closed for a while because of a big fire that consumed the entire store, The Bagel Mill at Yorkville has re-opened with much bigger space. I have read very mixed reviews about this place – from excited loyalists who could not wait for their favorite place to open to disappointed former lovers who found the bagels to be "not the same". Since I have not read anything absolutely negative about it (and in fact most reviews were very positive), I wandered off to the Bagel Mill and tried it out.

It is indeed quite a spacious bagel place (more of a deli actually) not extremely big but not tight as most bagel places I have been to at Midtown and the Upper East Side. Even with a bit of a line, the service is quick, the staff is efficient and there are not many people sitting on the tables as most order to go.

The Bagel Mill is a smaller version of Tal, also within the area, but with a much friendlier staff. With a good variety of heavenly smelling bagels (Sesame, Poppy, Onion, Garlic and Whole Wheat Pumpernickel), huge muffins (Apple Cinnamon, Lemon Poppy, Chocolate Chop, Orange Cranberry and Banana Nut), and nice looking pastries (cookies and croissants). The bagel spread choices all look delicious, from cream cheese to lox spread, it took me a while to decide what I wanted.

Finally, I had an Onion Bagel with Chicken Mayo Spread and a Lemon Poppy Seed Muffin. The Onion Bagel was really chewy and moist, not tough and dry like some of the bagels I have tasted. The creamy Chicken Mayo Spread was made of chicken breast and asparagus chunks complemented my Onion Bagel well and which I found delicious! I did not expect it, but the Lemon Poppy Seen Muffin tasted good, soft and crumbly with a slight tangy Lemon taste and wonderful texture from the poppy seeds.

I find The Bagel Mill to be a comfortable neighborhood food shop. Unpretentious and efficient, with the various choices of freshly baked bagels, breads and pastries, the delicious spreads, the friendly staff and the good price (for the good-sized portions), this is certainly a place you know you can go to for a light meal any time of the day and satisfy a grumbling tummy!

CBK Cookies

337 East 81st Street New York, NY 10028 (212) 794-3383 http://www.cbkcookies.com/.

It was through NY Magazine’s Critic’s Pick list that I discovered CBK Cookies, which stands for the creator's name, Cynthia Bruce Kramer. Wanting to leave her career in the hotel business back in 1988, she started to bake cookies, making her own original recipes in a small kitchen with friends and family as her customers. Said to be her then well-loved creations were chocolate truffles, key limes, and mint juleps.

Today, CBK Cookies is no longer a little kitchen business but a famous NY bake shop at the Upper East Side that serves its customers by appointment only and whose clients include The Plaza, Tiffany's Lincoln Center and The American Museum of Natural History. It has also been mentioned as the "Butter Cream of the Crop" by New York Magazine (http://www.nymag.com/) and "A Martha Stewart's Dream" by Zagat (http://www.zagat.com/).

Current famous fancy Cookies are the Chocolate Chips, Almond Crescents, Pecan Sandies, Chocolate Truffles, Key Lime Flowers, Bittersweet Chocolate Pecan, Raspberry Linzer Hearts, which are baked from the freshest ingredients and come in a box ($25 per pound) or on a party tray ($42.50 per pound). CBK also creates Vanilla or Chocolate Cakes (priced at $75 for a single Layer Cake and $150 for a Double Layer Cake) and Cupcakes (prices start at $2 each for regular-sized ones and minis at $1.00 each, with minimum orders) delicately designed for special occasions, whether for Birthdays, Christmas, Weddings, Baptisms or Showers.

Before I realised its “By Appointment Only” policy, I tried to walk to CBK Cookies to sample some of its most famous products. And yes, I was disappointed that it was closed when I got there. Not to be dissuaded, I am writing about CBK as I have heard it to be one of the best palate pleasers of Manhattan. I am merely waiting for an opportunity and a reason to place an order and serve these supposedly wonderfully sumptuous cookies. I cannot wait to share how this experience will be and see if the price and exclusivity will all be worth it.

Alice's Tea Cup

Chapter I 102 West 73rd Street New York, NY 10023. Chapter II 156 East 64th Street New York, NY 10021. Chapter III 220 East 81st Street New York, NY 10028. (212) 743-4TEA. http://www.alicesteacup.com/.

Just as the name suggests, Alice’s Tea Cup is a unique little place to enjoy breakfast or afternoon tea with friends. Offering a very wide variety of unusual and fresh green, white, black, red, and herbal teas, such as Sessa (a sweet, smooth and hearty Assam tea) and Mauritius (broken tea leaves from Mauritius with a hint of vanilla and a strong tea taste) they also have an offering of scones (served with cream and preserves), cookies, cakes and sandwiches to complement your choice of tea. Or if you prefer, they also have soups, salads, crepes and hearty sandwiches for a heavier brunch or lunch.

What is unique about Alice’s Tea Cup is that they cater to both adults and children. Again, just thinking about the name Alice makes one recall the famous adventure story and Alice's Tea Cup tries to provide that kind of experience - bringing you to a different world. From the outside, it looks like an ordinary restaurant or bake shop. But when you step in, you will discover a place decorated with little picture frames, fairy wings and colorful, animated wall paintings. Along with the baked goodies, there are also a lot of items for gift-giving such as tea pots, cups, books, little dresses, fairy wings, necklaces and many more. They all looked pretty to me because most were in pastel shades and pink – my favourite color!

Parties may also be held at Alice’s Tea Cup, where kids may have their own tea party  (yes, they have decaffeinated tea and small portions just for kids) while wearing their little fairy wings, provided by the owners. I happened to see a table of adorable kids enjoying tea and biscuits while I was there. Something that made me smile and remember my own childhood, playing with my sisters with our tea sets and doll houses.

When it comes to the baked goodies, Alice’s Tea Cup did not disappoint. The Pumpkin Scone with caramel frosting (one of their best sellers) that I had with cream and blueberry jam was deliciously moist and yummy. I also tried the decadent Banana Cake with Nutella Cream Cheese Frosting – I don’t think I have to describe this one in detail because it is as delicious as how you may imagine it to be with that kind of name.

Alice’s Tea Cup is an interesting place and, with such an atmosphere, one that kids and adults alike may really enjoy. There is no question that tea and their baked products, which are delicious, are their specialties. I enjoyed nibbling on these sweets, wished I had more time to sit down and properly have tea, and appreciated the thought the owners put into making this place special. Certainly a place that will make you feel comfortable albeit, a little bit too mixed up – somehow a restaurant, tea salon, gift shop and a bake shop without any theme sticking out in particular. Nevertheless, it is a fairy tale heaven for kids and kids at heart, and brings back a lot of good childhood memories. Not a place I would frequent now but maybe when the time comes that I have my own little ones to entertain or have tea with.

Orwasher's Bakery

308 East 78th Street, NY, NY 10075. (212) 228-6569. http://www.orwasherbakery.com/.

I first heard about Orwasher’s Bakery from an article I read in Time Out New York as one of NYC’s best when it comes to bread. Purchased from its founding owners who made kosher bread back in 2007, owner Keith Cohen of Oven Artisans has since turned it into a bakery of classic and artisan breads, as well as cookies, cupcakes, pies, specialty cakes and pastries. Oven Artisans are makers of artisan breads and supply to retailers and restaurants in the city such as Dean & Deluca, Artisanal, Agata & Valentina, Zabar’s , Citarella and Gourmet Garage.



So one afternoon, my husband and I excitedly headed off to Orwasher’s at the Upper East Side to experience what it was all about. Inside, we found a brightly-lit, yellow and white tiled bakery that gave off a cheerful cafe feel. Though there was only a small counter on one side with some bar stools to have your coffee, there was a lot of space for the numerous shelves of freshly-baked bread, cookies, pastries, jams and cheeses. So many kinds of bread I could not make up my mind as to what I should buy. I literally wanted to try everything but of course, had to be realistic that I could not buy 10 different loaves of bread to try at one time.

I approached one of the staff who was just looking at us, impatiently waiting for us to order. I asked for their specialty and was told that it was their bread, which were freshly made in the store. Upon my further prodding on what the best seller was, she finally recommended their wine bread – either chardonnay (“if you want rye”) or cabernet (“if you like white”). I finally decided to buy a loaf of their Cabernet Rustica, the cinnamon raisin bun, a slice of chocolate strudel and a chocolate marshmallow butterscotch bar – all for $11 (the loaf was pretty large and sold at around $4.50). There was no line while we were there, but it was obvious that many regulars frequent the store because they knew exactly what to order and left just as quickly.

When we got home and tried our baked goodies, I realised that Orwasher’s specialty was really their bread and not their pastries. Though not bad, the chocolate strudel (with heavy doses of chocolate filling that was not too sweet but with crumbly bread that tasted old) and the chocolate marshmallow butterscotch bar (with a very sweet and very crumbly butterscotch brownie) were average at best.

The Cabernet Rustica bread though, which my husband and I ate with our home made herb balsamic vinaigrette and olive oil concoction, was wonderful. Crusty on the outside, it was airy but very moist and very tasty on the inside. Even my husband, who is not really a bread lover, could not stop eating it. Being wine lovers, we are now curious to try the other types of their Artisan wine breads.

Upon doing more research on Orwahser’s on their very informative website (I wish their staff could have been a wee bit as helpful as the site) it was interesting to note that Oven Artisans was created to “give New Yorkers different breads that represent our current culture”. Owasher’s alone specialized in 3 major types of bread: Artisan Wine (made from natural yeast found in grapes that carry the complex flavour profile of wine), New York Originals (such as Jewish Rye, Pumpernickel and Cinnamon Raisin) and Classic European (Ciabatta, Swiss Health, Sourdough and Multi-Grain). Their artisan wine selection each had their own style, flour, character, taste profile, and paired well with a certain types of food and wine. Now that I know all this, the Olive Bread- a soft, chewy and savory bread, made of unbleached wheat, and paired with antipasti, artisan cheeses, olive and wine- is next on my list.

So what do I think of Orwahser’s? They are indeed wonderful creators of fine, artisan bread. With the price as varied as their bread, I believe that the makers are truly creative, the breads delicious and the bakery worth being loyal to (once you actually know what your favourite is). One should not forget though that bread IS their specialty and NOT their pastries.

What was disappointing to me was the service. The staff could have been more knowledgeable and helpful in providing recommendations. With such a large array of these delicious breads, that each had their own character, it would have been much better if they asked questions and made recommendations for you to be able to decide which bread to purchase. Differentiating such wonderful wine breads as “if you want white or rye” truly destroys the care and creativity that the bakers have put into making these breads. Will I be back? Definitely. But this time I will come in much educated on what is worth trying. Suggest you visit the web site before you do too.