Sullivan Street Bakery Review

Sullivan Street Bakery
4.5 star rating
137 reviews Rating Details

Categories: Food Bakeries Education Specialty Schools Cooking Schools Restaurants Pizza Bakeries, Cooking Schools, Pizza [Edit]
533 W 47th St
(at 11th Ave)
New York, NY 10036
Neighborhoods: Hell's Kitchen, Midtown West
(212) 265-5580
www.sullivanstreetbakery.com

1. There wasn't much of a line, but I was able to save two seats while waiting. Don't come here expecting to sit; we got lucky. Not knowing what to order, I hoped the guy behind the counter would recommend something. He kept repeating everything was good and I hid my frustration at this answer, even though it was probably true. We got a slice of the mushroom, another of cauliflower, and one Panini PMB ($6).

Of the pizza slices, I wasn't too crazy about the cauliflower. It tasted too strong for me to notice the bread. The mushroom was better, but it wasn't the best option for someone interested in testing SSB's bread. The Panini PMB (pancetta/italian bacon, mango, red chile powder, basil leaves) was fantastic. The mango slices and bacon rolls were a brilliant mix of two very different textures and flavors between two perfect pieces of bread.

I walk into SSB on a Saturday afternoon hoping for an amazing gastronomic experience, which I know is a bad thing to do. Fortunately, my high expectations were met. I'll come back and try other things since "everything is good."

2. Having some time to kill before going to see a play, my girlfriend suggested a visit to Sullivan Street Bakery. If you prowl around NYC enough (as I do), you'll eventually see the truck from this bakery delivering bread to restaurants everywhere. with that in mind, it took no time at all to convince me to go.

Sullivan Street Bakery is not on Sullivan Street, it's nowhere near it and it's tucked away in a largely residential area. It looks rather small from the outside, and indeed the seating area could accommodate eight people tops before it gets uncomfortable. Most of the shop is actually the area where the goods are made and baked, with only a small glass display case in the front and a register even showing that this is a retail establishment.

On this visit, we ordered two items that contrasted quite heavily:

Savory Canotto
This brioche bread based item can best be described as a savory dessert. It's not really a "main" meal item like their pizzas or bread loaves. It's a rectangular brioche with ingredients that include gruyere cheese, fennel seeds and chunks of cured meat baked inside. The result is a set of awesome flavors that all work together well. The savory elements are balanced by the bread, which in turn is given some kick by the fennel seed. A really nice combination - though I think they would be much better right out of the oven.

Olanda
In contrast to the savory awesomeness of the Canotto, the Olanda is like a bread pudding. The texture is very moist and soft, but not delicate. This thing head together nicely as I picked at it with my fingers. The ingredients included chocolate and some coffee flavor. The taste was fantastic, and its sweetness offered a formidable contrast to the savory Canotto.

The staff at Sullivan Street Bakery was very friendly and worked quick to get each customer taken care of properly. The facility was clean and friendly. Add to that some scrumptious baked goods and you have an awesome recipe for success.

3. FRESH & TASTY!

Located next to a car dealership, you'd never guess there's a place like this. I'd come here everyday for lunch if I worked nearby, seriously. Cute little bakery/cafe with limited seating, but I overheard the employee saying they're renovating the upstairs area for additional seating. Not really sure when that will take place, but most of the folks we encountered took theirs to-go.

My roommate and I shared the pizza patate, prosciutto & mozzarella sandwich, bomboloni (vanilla, not the jam-filling), and brought home a loaf of brioche. The pizza had generous amounts of sliced tomatoes and onions, but what I really liked was the thin, crisp crust. My favorite was the prosciutto & mozzarella sandwich. FRESH MOZZARELLA. The bomboloni was a bit on the sweet side for me (nevertheless, the vanilla creme filling is still pretty awesome), but I'd like to try the seasonal jam-filled one next time.

It was my first time trying brioche bread, and it was sweet but not overpowering. Reminded me a LOT of King's Hawaiian bread, just fresher since our loaf was literally straight out of the oven and HOT. I think it'd be excellent with a glass of milk or tea.