best bakery in new york city

paris → new york

“Paris-New York, the two high tension magnetic poles between life, life of the senses, of the spirit in Paris, and life in action in New York.” – Anaïs Nin

i woke up this morning and decided that today was the day to share one big change: i moved back to the states! i am currently sitting in a teeny-tiny studio squeezed on a corner in the west village of manhattan. i am slowly making this place into my new home and doing all that comes with that: finding my neighborhood bakery, exploring my new running path, wallpapering, and combatting a pair of mice that really wanted to be my new roommates.

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a neighboring building

some of my routine has definitely changed since being back stateside. i’m slowly getting used to larger, american portions. i see my family very regularly, with my oldest brother living just a 20 minute walk away! i remembered just how many people i knew in new york, and am social butterflying around this whole city.

but while my life seems to become more americanized (or back to normal) by the second, there are some things that i learned in france that i just can’t kick. the most important of these being: my morning bread.

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most days my morning bread means just that, a hunk of bread smeared with butter or jam. but on my days off, my morning bread takes on a flakier, sweeter, buttery-er taste. be it a pain au chocolat or un croissant s’il vous plait, these laminated doughs are the hallmark of what i consider “how i start my day.” and luckily enough for me, i’ve found one truly french spot to continue this ritual here in my neighborhood.

meet aux merveilleux de fred:

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each one of their shops has a stunning (and large!) chandelier

the bakery is famous for their signature “merveilleuxs” [marvelous], lovely little clouds of meringue rolled in whipped cream and dotted with toppings like chocolate shavings or caramelized nuts. these i buy for special occasions. additionally, the bakery turns out a selection of viennoiserie and brioche. in france, you’ll find aux merveilleux de fred in most major cities, with heavy lines on weekends.

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they have just one location in the u.s., and it is a 10 minute walk from my new home ! while fred’s is my most frequented french institution in new york, i have already stumbled upon and enjoyed so many others over the past few months. here is a little list for you:

aux merveilleux de fred 37 8th Ave, New York, NY 10014

marie blachere 301 6th Ave, New York, NY 10014

a.o.c. l’aile ou la cuisse 314 Bleecker St, New York, NY 10014

le french diner188 Orchard St, New York, NY 10002

cafe select 212 Lafayette St, New York, NY 10012

french cheese board 41 Spring St, New York, NY 10012

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i have already had luck meeting french people and speaking french in all of these shops, and look forward to finding even more places to do so. do you know of any french institutions in new york? leave a comment if so!

bon appétit!

post55 // foodstuffs bakery crawl: manhattan

hello people!! i write to you this week with a very exciting post: my first ever bakery crawl!

what’s a bakery crawl you may ask? well for those of you familiar with its drunken cousin, the pub crawl, a bakery crawl functions similarly as an extended time spent hopping around to different bakeries.

on my very first bakery crawl, i visited 10 bakeries. in 1 day. so you better be hungry, because you’re about to watch a whole lot of sweets!


video time! foodstuffs bakery crawl: manhattan


  1. arcade bakery (tribeca) 220 church st, new york, ny 10013, open 8am-4pm mon-fri
    • what i bought: seeded laminated baguette, and lemon sugar brioche
  2. maman (tribeca) 211 w broadway, new york, ny 10013, open 7am-6pm mon-fri and 8am-6pm sat, sun
    • what i bought: chocolate pistachio croissant
  3. dominique ansel bakery (soho) 189 spring st, new york, ny 10012, open 8am-7pm mon-sat and 9am-7pm sun
    • what i bought: dka (dominique’s kouign amann)
  4. mah-ze-dahr (west village) 28 Greenwich Ave, New York, NY 10011, open 7am-6pm mon-fri and 8am-6pm sat, sun
    • what i bought: sadly mah-ze-dahr was closed for a private event but i have tasted their chocolate chip cookie and ice cream before, both delicious!
  5. aux merveilleux de fred (meatpacking) 37 8th ave, new york, ny 10014, open 8am-7:30pm everyday
    • what i bought: “the incredible” a speculoos meringue, covered in whipped cream and white chocolate shavings, and “the wonderful” a meringue with chocolate whipped cream and dark chocolate shavings
  6. momofuku milk bar (chelsea) 220 8th ave, new york, ny 10011, open 8am-11pm mon-thurs and 8am-12am fri-sun
    • what i bought: b’day cake truffles
  7. sullivan street bakery (chelsea) 236 9th ave, new york, ny 10011, open 7am-4pm mon-fri and 8am-4pm sat, sun
    • what i bought: garlic stretchy
  8. breads bakery (union square) 18 east 16th st, new york, ny 10003, open 6:30am-9pm mon-sat and 7:30am-8pm sun
    • what i bought: reverse chocolate chip cookie
  9. zucker bakery (east village) 433 east 9th st, new york, ny 10009, open 8am-6pm mon-fri and 9am-7pm sat, sun
    • what i bought: yin-yang black and white cookie
  10. supermoon bakehouse (lower east side) 120 rivington st, new york, ny 10002, open 8am-5pm everyday
    • what i bought: eggnog cruffin
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breads bakery

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breads bakery

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supermoon bakehouse

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aux merveilleux de fred

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maman

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aux merveilleux de fred

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dominique ansel bakery


and in this week’s other stuff:

my jacket from the video

a stellar west village restaurant you need to try, duck fat tots and all

christmas spiriting!!

that’s all friends! have a happy weekend!