It’s August!!!!!!!!
There’s one exclamation point there for each month of the year that has passed already. Can you believe it? I cannot. There was a faulty assumption on my part, which maybe some of you shared, that the bizarre passage of time most of the last eighteen months would suddenly and magically return to something resembling normal once the pandemic “ended”, in those glorious couple weeks before delta ruined all the fun.
Instead, I forgot that the passage of time even before the pandemic for me was “way too fast” and thus can only to return to that, or somewhat faster, because that’s just what happens as we age. All the more reason to savor every moment, but metaphorically and literally by eating more pastries.
This week! We’re going to bop up to Harlem and the UWS for some very tasty rolls and fondly remembering the Michelin starred rolls at Crown Shy (pour one out). Let’s get into it before another moment slips away.
Hamilton’s Cafe and Restaurant
Near Hamilton Heights, you can find…Hamilton's Cafe and Restaurant (yes the neighborhood is named after that Hamilton, the real OG). Their menu is fairly eclectic in true diner fashion, and perhaps unexpectedly it carries a cinnamon roll in either vanilla or nutella. As may be expected at this point, I opted for vanilla. It's a pretty decent size, and upon biting into it you see that it's just as dense as it is big.
The dough is flakey, like a biscuit or pie crust, and not quite cooked all the way through. It's amazing. There isn't a ton of cinnamon filling, but it has enough bitterness to balance out the biscuitiness of the dough. The frosting is a standard sugar frosting with a hint of vanilla, which is thick and fairly sweet but not overly so. I wish it had more cinnamon filling, or some citrus notes to lighten it up a bit, but overall it’s a great choice (and not to mention the only choice north of 125th).
The Hungarian Pastry Shop
Perhaps one of the most beloved bakeries in the neighborhood, we made a stop at The Hungarian Pastry Shop after Hamilton’s. Now, I’m sure they have many other products that are truly delicious but the cinnamon roll is just OK.
It’s in the lesser known genre of "light pastry shop" roll rather than a true cinnamon roll, which you usually find at a non-French European bakery that makes many different kinds of cookies, and cakes, and pies, and has a “cinnamon roll” that is really just a bit of dough with some cinnamon dusted on it. If it’s the last pastry on the shelf, sure knock yourself out, but honestly don’t go to these places expecting a good roll. THPS was fine, it seems like they use their croissant dough, dash some cinnnamon on it, roll it up and glaze it. It's not bad, but nothing particularly stands out (yes I see it has raisins which some of you will freak the eff out about but I’m ambivalent take a chill pill).
Barachou
Now, in genres of stores that for some reason also have delicious cinnamon rolls, we enter chou territory. Barachou is a small bakery on the UWS that specializes in the French puff pastries they're named after, but they also happen to sell a cinnamon roll on Thursdays (only on Thursdays, I don’t understand it any more than you do). And it is not to be missed.
The dough is a thick and doughy brioche that's a little bit sweet and a little bit creamy, almost like a milk bread. The day I had them it wasn't quite cooked all the way through, which I preferred. There's a drizzle of sugar frosting over the top, that's a bit creamy but mostly provides the saccharine sweetness. There's a good amount of cinnamon filling, and the mild flavor combines well with the sharp sweetness of the frosting. The filling is a bit gooey towards the middle, where the best bites are to be had. This roll is really good on all fronts without trying to do anything flashy and I respect that. I wish it was a bit more gooey, and while mine wasn't warm that's definitely the pro move.
I also snagged a couple of their lovely chous:
Dulce de leche - the golden glitter looks tasty, and the dulce topping is very sweet but works well with the vanilla cream on inside
Passion fruit - this was my third time at Barachou, and the passion fruit is still my favorite. The cream inside is a mild milk chocolate, which blends oh-so-deliciously with the passion fruit topping. Honestly just get it on your calendar already to go up there on Thursday and get a dozen of these and the roll.
Small Bites
Buns No More - Crown Shy
In our second entry to Buns No More, we reflect on the loss of Michelin starred Crown Shy's cinnamon bun. I don’t know if this was a pandemic casualty or just a regular rotation of the menu, but it’s quite sad. The bun was one of the four pastries they had on the brunch menu, and their spin was quite unique. The rolls were baked in their own pan, meaning there's a crunchy crust around the entire outside, and rather than coming with a frosting there is a small pot of in-house cream cheese for you to decorate as you please.
The cream cheese was phenomenal, with a smooth airy texture and hints of vanilla and citrus. The roll itself had a light citrus glaze and was topped with streusel. The streusel wasn't wholly necessary but it's a nice touch. The dough was a fairly light standard dough, which created a nice contrast between the normally cooked middle and the crunchy exterior. Combined with the glaze and just a hint of cinnamon, the roll overall felt very light and refreshing with a nice balance of textures.
See You Next Tuesday (SUNT)
We’ll be taking a trek out to Crown Heights and reviewing the August Cronut, which I am very skeptical about but you’ll hear all about it next week 😎✌🏻