Breakfast Club at Bakeri

Heaven. We were in heaven.

Ben suggested Bakeri, in Williamsburg, for our latest Breakfast Club. I couldn't have been happier to oblige.
Opened and run by Nina Brondmo since 2009, the place is just adorable.

 

(Does that mural look familiar?)

More important, it's beyond delicious. Everything is baked from scratch in the morning, and there's an incredible selection of breads and pastries, inspired from America (strawberry pie!), France (chocolate brioche!) and Nina's home country, Norway (Skolebrød!). It was tough to decide, but we made exemplary choices.

The chocolate hazelnut tort that Ben insisted upon was perhaps the highlight.

Chocolaty and nutty, still a titch warm from the oven, it was sweet but savory and a totally decadent, but right, breakfast choice.

The strawberry lemon cake with lavender crumble wasn't so bad either. Heavy with moistness, it was equal parts tart and sweet.

The bread pudding was of the savory sort, this one filled with spinach and feta and tomatoes, and every bit as eggy and lovely as one would expect from bread pudding.

But still, we weren't sated. So we went ahead and ordered that ridiculous-looking chocolate raspberry scone.

It was a favorite Breakfast Club destination.

(That's me, genuflecting before the sign.)

150 Wythe Avenue
Williamsburg, BK

Bathazar tartlettes

I'm not sure there's anything better than the warm chocolate cake at my all-time favorite restaurant, Balthazar...

Except maybe the strawberry rhubarb tartlette: the jammiest, sweetest, warmest tart, served with creme fraiche ice cream. It's served only as a special, so get it while you can.

Something good right under your nose

Do you know L.A. Burdick?

I’ve always known them for their chocolate mice. I don’t know why. Even after they moved into a quiet strip of 20^th Street here in New York and I’d stroll through from time to time to ogle the pastries, I only thought of them for chocolate mice.

 

So I was happy to meet a friend for breakfast early one weekday morning. The pastry case was plein, full.

 With cakes and torts of various sizes, flavors and fashions.

Let’s get a closer look at those.

And they had plenty of French specialties. Macarons with nice croutes.

Miam.

 Miam, miam.

Madeleines...

...and, the reason we were there: pain au chocolat.

The perfect way to start a day: breakfast with a friend over French pastries.

Oh, Stohrer

I miss you.

You and your gorgeous, historic interior.

And chocolaty, flaky eclairs and tarts.

Your fruity works of art.

And gateaux individuels, which are just...

... better than anything I could ever dream up.

Stohrer. Beautiful history.

Ode to One Girl Cookies

A little spot of magic in Cobble Hill.

Don't you just want to be there now?


One Girl Cookies
68 Dean Street, Brooklyn