Every week, I document another dish that impressed and satiated me during my food adventures around New York City
It was shortly before Hanukkah that I stumbled into Michaeli Bakery in the Lower East Side. I had not been here before and it had been on my list since it opened. But I was taking advantage of my day in Manhattan and making the food rounds, so I couldn’t really pick more than one pastry.
The problem was that they had a special Sufganiyot (or jelly doughnut) as a limited option and their well-regarded chocolate rugelach. Which to choose?
Major life decisions, I know. But considering I don’t come into Manhattan nearly as often as I used to, it felt even more important.
Ultimately I chose their famous rugelach since I planned to save the pastry for a bit and share it with my son. And we all know that jelly doughnuts are not nearly as good as time goes on.
Later on in the week I had a jelly doughnut from a bakery in New Jersey that will go nameless and it was lackluster making me yearn to try the one I missed at Michaeli.
But the rugelach was fantastic. This Israeli run bakery is doing for rugelach what Breads Bakery did for babka a few years back. It’s no coincidence that the owner at Michaeli used to work at Breads.
The rugelach here are a bit larger than I’m used to resembling a mini croissant. It’s based off of Israeli (rather than American) rugelach and made with a yeasty babka dough and layered with chocolate and Nutella.
Flavorwise it’s similar to that ethereal icon at Breads but it has a bit more of a buttery lightness inside with a dense amount of rich chocolate.
Both my son and I were very happy with my choice, but I cannot help thinking about the jelly doughnut that might have been. Price: $2
| MICHAELI BAKERY |
| 115A Division Street (at Orchard Street), Lower East Side (646) 360-2284 |
| michaelibakery.com |
