Yes, we (Renato/myself) frequent other New York City bakeries. A lot. Perhaps more so than is reasonably sound. But, it would be a shame to waste our off-Baked hours in more healthful pursuits a la juice cleanses and gym visits when there are so many great and distinct bakeries to explore (over and over and over again).

Herewith is our ever-evolving list of places we tend to seek out in our downtime. Hope you enjoy…

A few notes about the list:

A) We will do our best to continually update it.
B) In the interest of keeping this list workable, we are only including sweet shops/bakeries with a retail storefront. We will save restaurants desserts (a la the dreamy custards from Shake Shack, the lovely Chocolate Cake from ABC Kitchen) and pop-ups/food truck/specialty vendors (a la Liddabit Sweets) for another post.
C) Lastly, we are New Yorkers and we are creatures of habit. For whatever reason, our life is ritualistic and we tend to stick to the same “flight path” (i.e. same neighborhoods, same subway lines, same avenues, etc…). Our apologies for leaving out a lot of great places and for concentrating so heavily on the behemoths (Manhattan/Brooklyn)….but, as mentioned, these are the places that we cross paths with the most. We are doing our best to be more adventurous, but we are slightly old and very tired. Oh, and feel free to leave other suggestions in the comments section.

Some of Our Fave Sweet Spots in New York (in alpha order):

Almondine

I am so fanatical for Chef Herve’s baguettes that I tend to buy them in pairs. I keep one for myself and give one away to unsuspecting friends. Truly one of the exceptional baguettes in the city (i.e. and possibly the U.S.), and his French macarons are on par with that place that flies them in from Paris every day.

Babycakes

If someone calls Baked and has a severe gluten or dairy allergy, we always refer them to babycakes. They make a wide range of gluten/dairy/egg-free goodies that taste just like or better than their gluten/dairy/egg-filled counterparts. Kudos. Oh, and the place is adorable.

Baked

Sorry, had to add our own spot to the list. I couldn’t help it. And would you mind if I highly recommend you get your next special occasion cake from us? Or, if I tell you that our brownies are amazing? Come see us in Red Hook. You won’t be disappointed.

Betty Bakery

I wish I could tell you all about the cookies and cakes at this place, but all I ever end up ordering is their incredibly tasty Drake’s influenced Ring-a-Ding. How could you not?

Bien Cuit

I have yet to pass this storefront (the one in Brooklyn) without purchasing their perfectly addictive shortbread. True, it is less classic than grandma’s, but I think grandma would approve. It is thin and crispy and buttery. Oh, and it has chocolate chips. Of course. And their miche…OMG…their miche is out of this world.

Big Gay Ice Cream

Yup, we LOVE ice cream and we love Big Gay Ice Cream. My suggestion: take a friend. One of you should order the Salty Pimp (vanilla ice cream, dulce de leche, sea salt, chocolate dip) and one of you should order the Bea Arthur (vanilla ice cream, dulce de leche, crushed ‘nilla wafers). Share equally.

Bouchon

If I am ever anywhere near Columbus Circle I make a special trip to Bouchon (in the “mall” on the third floor) for their take on the Ho Ho (damn, I love these things). It is exactly the nostalgia trip you’d expect it to be, except it is much much better….

Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory

This place is awfully close to my house. Too close. You can pretty much find me here most early summer evenings. I pretend that the walk over to the location burns an amount of calories equal to one cone. I doubt that is true. But still….

Doughnut Plant

I have this thing about their small, filled doughnuts. Particularly the one filled with peanut butter. It is just the right size for a lunch replacement. And it is quite tasty.

Grandaisy Bakery

Their Tribeca storefront is dangerously close to one of my most frequented subway stops and — damn it all if I don’t eat their shortbread with Nutella sandwich cookie more often than I should.

Il Laboratorio del Gelato

My favorite gelato place in the city. I have dreams of their mascarpone, olive oil, and malt flavors. And you would be hard pressed to find a better peanut butter version in the America.

Jacques Torres

Jacques is really the king of the New York (and beyond) chocolate world. His molded bunnies and hens make a yearly appearance at Baked, and his chocolate bark is a constant in my house. However, it is his oversized ice cream sandwiches that haunt me all summer long.

Lassen & Hennigs

A wee bit of Old School New York on Montague Street in Brooklyn. Nostalgia oozes out of the place, and their Black and White homage is great (more cake than cookie for sure).

Levain Bakery

A friend has been bringing me these famous, oversized, crusty, crusty outside, gooey inside-cookies for as long as I can remember. In fact, I only made it to their actual storefront just over three years ago (I know, I know…I need to get out more). Levain cookies are a meal unto themselves (they resemble baseballs) and they are somehow reminiscent of everything you like about cookies – brown sugary, melty, chunky, and goopy.

Milk Bar

Many people come here for the famous Crack Pie, but I come here more often than not for their superb soft-serve. OMG. I only wish they would let me work at their new Montauk location (assuming they have free digs for the employees).

One Girl Cookie

I can stumble to this place in my pajamas (and I have). If I go in the morning, I go for the homemade fresh country bread (with copious amounts of butter) and homemade Greek yogurt. If I go in the afternoon, I mostly dive into their assortment of mini-cookies that I like (er…try) to parcel out for the rest of the day. By the by, it’s a great place to bring your laptop and linger.

Olive’s

Olive’s Cowboy Cookie (chocolate chips, oatmeal, and walnuts) and Ice Coffee is my Soho salvation. I have been going here for at least 15 years and I assume I will be going here for the next 15.