The Restaurants Featured on Baked
Tom Papa is on a mission to find the best baked goods across the county. Here are his favorite locations.
Photo By: Jason DeCrow
Photo By: Lara Solanki
Photo By: Lara Solanki
Photo By: Lara Solanki
Photo By: Lara Solanki
Photo By: Tyler Kaufman
Photo By: Tyler Kaufman
Gian Piero Bakery
At Gian Piero Bakery in Queens, New York, the layers of a rainbow cookie aren't just colorful, they're flavorful. Strawberry, pistachio and vanilla cake layers are sandwiched around raspberry jam and covered in chocolate ganache.
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The Doughnut Project
Tom Papa meets up with comedian and friend Jim Gaffigan to sample The Everything Doughnut and other creative treats in New York City.
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Oda House
The khatchapuri at Oda House in New York City's East Village is a traditional Georgian bread loaded with feta and mozzarella cheese, and topped with an egg and tons of butter.
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Sister Pie
At Sister Pie in Detroit, the Banana Pete is a caramelized banana chess pie that's topped with swirls of torched meringue.
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Kuzzo's Chicken and Waffles
Spicy fried chicken is the perfect pairing with a giant red velvet waffle at Kuzzo's Chicken and Waffles in Detroit.
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Masri Sweets
Kunafa is a traditional Middle Eastern treat made with a delicate semolina dough, fresh cheese and sugar syrup. It's the most popular dessert at Masri Sweets in Dearborn, Michigan.
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Al Ameer
Pita bake and puff in a thousand-degree oven imported from Lebanon at Al Ameer in Dearborn, Michigan.
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Chene Modern Bakery
Paczki are Polish filled doughnuts made with a rich buttery, not-too-sweet dough. They are a favorite in Detroit's Polish neighborhoods at shops like Chene Modern Bakery.
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Vito's Pizza
Anyone who says they haven’t had great pizza in LA hasn’t been to Vito’s in West Hollywood. This unassuming shop is the place for New York-style pizza. Owner and New Jersey-native Vito di Donato guards his secret recipes that use a 500-year-old starter his family brought over from Italy.
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El Gallo Bakery
Conchas are just one variety of Pan Dulce available at El Gallo Bakery in Los Angeles.
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Lodge Bread Company
Owners and chefs Alex Phaneuf and Or Amsalam are bread nerd rock stars. Inside their Culver City Bakery, they experiment with ancient grains, wild yeast and alternate fermentation.
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Canter’s Deli
This late-night Los Angeles spot is known for its old-school vibe and standout menu rife with Jewish deli staples. A favorite is the East Coast-inspired Brooklyn Ave Sandwich. Crunchy coleslaw, housemade Thousand Island dressing and tender slices of corned beef come sandwiched between house-baked caraway rye bread.
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Creme Caramel LA
Owner Kristine de la Crus experiments with funky Filipino-inspired crème caramel at this bakery in Sherman Oaks, CA. Her recipes combine traditional French techniques with Filipino ingredients.
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Pagu
Pagu is an Asian-Spanish tapas restaurant sandwiched between MIT and Harvard in Cambridge, MA. Owner and chef Tracy Chang’s menu is a mix of traditional and thoughtful fusion dishes like her Lobster Roll served on black brioche.
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Maria's Pastry Shop
Boston’s North End is a mecca for Italian bakeries like Maria’s Pastry Shop. The owner, Maria Merola, is famous for her no-nonsense attitude and her huge Lobster Tails.
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Santarpio's Pizza
Santarpio's Pizza is the place to indulge in sausage and peppers in Boston. Their handmade sausage is charred over an indoor grill and served with hot cherry peppers and a hunk of fresh-baked bread.
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Flour Bakery + Cafe
Food Network chefs and hosts can’t get enough of this Boston cafe’s tantalizing treats. Giada is crazy about the super chocolatey, crunchy Oreo cookies made with cocoa, butter and powdered sugar, while Bobby is won over by the sweet and gooey Sticky Buns studded with pecans. Tom Papa tries the fruit-filled tarts that remind him of childhood.
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Termini Brothers
Since 1921, this bakery has been the destination for the Holy Grail of Italian desserts: the cannoli. Each batch contains a little bit of the previous batch like a great sourdough bread.
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Federal Doughnuts
The menu at this Philadelphia spot is simple: doughnuts, fried chicken and coffee. The Korean-style chicken is twice-fried to create an extra-crunchy crust before being dressed up with the seasoning or glaze of your choice (options include chili garlic and buttermilk ranch). Buttery doughnuts make for a sweet finish.
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Sarcone's Deli
The Junk Yard Special at Sarcone's Deli in Philadelphia is anything but a pile of junk. Owner Anthony Bucci stuffs mozzarella, provolone, spinach, roasted peppers, fresh basil and more inside delicious sesame seed bread. Sarcone's Deli is also home to the famous Tomato Pie. The Tomato Pie was born of the extra dough left over at the end of the day. The dough is topped with a simple tomato sauce, oregano and olive oil and baked in a 50-foot-long brick oven.
More About: Sarcone's Deli
Beiler’s Bakery
Beiler’s Bakery, located in Reading Terminal Market in Philly, is the place for the ultimate sticky bun. Based on an old-school Pennsylvania Dutch recipe, the simple, yeasty potato dough is rolled with butter and cinnamon and baked with caramel and pecans.
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Café Reconcile
Since 2001, Café Reconcile in New Orleans has been training at-risk youth in the restaurant business while serving up soul-filled classics.
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Cochon Butcher
When Iron Chef winner Eric Greenspan wants pork, he heads to Cochon in New Orleans where they go through 1,500 pounds of it a week. Their Le Pig Mac is reminiscent of the classic fast food favorite made with pork patties instead of beef. It is “like going back in time and changing your childhood,” says Chef Greenspan. His other favorite is their toasty-twist on a muffuletta. The sandwich is packed with mortadella, capicola, salami and house-made giardiniera. “It’s like a pork rainbow,” muses Chef Greenspan.
More About: Cochon Butcher
Zimmer’s Seafood
Zimmer’s in New Orleans uses the nearby Gendusa Bakery for their famous shrimp po’ boys.
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Gendusa Bakery
This New Orlean's bakery has been cranking out loaves 20 hours a day, seven days a week since 1922. John Gendusa, the great grandfather of the current owner, came up with the original po’ boy roll in 1929 – and they are still making them today.
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SoBou
If there's pressure in being one of the youngest of the Commander’s Palace family, SoBou isn't showing it. The lively French Quarter saloon — located south of Bourbon Street (get it?) — matches its siblings' reputations, serving small-ish plates with Cajun and Creole influences.
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