Balthazar Bakery & Birdbath Bakery, New York City

Come Saturday morning, it was the day for those with day jobs to sleep in. I was awake by eight am and not one to linger in bed, I got up, left a note for the guys and popped out in search of breakfast.



Reading too much of Robyn from The Girl Who Ate Everything made me fantasize about bakeries and patisseries within my grasp.

Magnolia Bakery, Billy's Bakery, City Bakery, Milk & Cookies Bakery, Sugar Sweet Sunshine, Sarabeth's Bakery, Payard Patisserie & Bistro, Buttercup Bake Shop...

Around my neighbourhood (oh how I love the sound of that!), bakeries dotted the streets as if they had received a mandatory order to infiltrate every estate with freshly baked breads, cupcakes, cookies and pastries. Despite so, I didn't invade the bakeries in the manner of a martyr and neither did I have cupcakes. Nope not a single one. Haha, now you look like I've just told you I had baby kittens for lunch.

Hold the Spanish Inquisition yeah?



On the flight home, I caught Disney's Lady and the Tramp and there was a scene where Tramp, in search of breakfast, rejected the thought of having pastries for breakfast because it was "too starchy". Ha, can you imagine this now all-too-familiar line spoken in an animation produced in 1955? The Disney writers were really ahead of their times. (Sidenote: They don't make cartoons like that anymore. Sad)



I walked to Grandaisy Bakery but was disappointed by the chills and peopleless facade. Gutted, I made my way to Balthazar. I was expecting the usual brigade of baked goods so imagine my surprise when a boisterous Paris brasserie greeted me instead. I had walked into the restaurant, instead of the bakery! I wasn't quite ready for the breakfast mob but there's no turning back...and I was looking for a place to sit at anyway.

"Table for one... can I seat at the bar?" I squeaked.







After admiring the array of starch-glorified goodies, I settled for a coffee and their famed sticky bun. A caramel-glazed croissant that found both chopped pecans and myself drawn to it. Balthazar's sticky bun completely dispelled the stereotype that sticky buns had to be doughy cinnamon buns- the kind that I like as well. The guys at the bar were incredibly friendly, volunteering to slice my sticky bun- I'm guessing they don't get much attention in the morning and was happy to be of any kind of service, yup even the sticky bun slicing kind.

Call me suicidal but the next time I head back, alone or not, I'm going to have the Le Painier.



Paulina grabbed a cheese scone from the savoury section after our brunch at Prune the next day. A biscuity, crumbly departure from the sweet kind.

Balthazar from Savory New York

Both New York and Boston had a rather thriving green culture- err, compared to Singapore at least. From fashion to furniture, there were retailers channeling the whole 'green is the new black' theme. However if you have no time to save the world, you can always visit Birdbath Bakery, a Neighbourhood Green Bakery.

Birdbath's countertops and shelves were made with 100% paper and they "built a bakery with walls made of wheat"- seriously if one fine day, I somehow find myself in New York and I'm struck with poverty of the eat-anything-kind (because I spent all my money on EAMES furniture), I would probably chew through their walls and abscond with a bounty of baked booty.








Birdbath Bakery, your Neighbourhood Green Bakery


Balthazar Bakery & Restaurant
80 Spring Street
Phone 212-965-1414

Birdbath Bakery
145 7th Avenue (West Village)
Phone 646-722-6565