So long, and thanks for all the frosting 🤎🤎🤎
We did it, bun buds. All 77 of you who made it through these last 55 editions of inbox pastries. Thank you for sticking with it (and shoutout to the three folks who joined in the last month, right at the end!)
It’s been interesting to reflect on this project, particularly given all the other events of the last 20 months. I had discussed the idea of finding the best cinnamon roll in NYC with friends in December of 2019 as I started thinking about goals for the year, and the desire to have a project that was easy to measure progress against. I did my first official review on December 21, 2019 at August Laura, and my last pre-lockdown on March 15, having reviewed 37 rolls in that time. By the end of 2020 I reviewed 78 rolls, deciding that I had hit my goal in my year-end review, and then this year I found another 20 to cover (none yet beating the best but a few coming close).
Pastries definitely helped get me through last year, both as a project to distract myself somewhat but also having something good to look forward to. Even during my official review break between March and June, I was still ordering treats for delivery from GoldBelly or off DoorDash, and that weekly or twice a week treat absolutely brightened my day.
The other unexpected delight from this project was seeing the city in a new light, and seeing many new parts of the city. Leading up to the project, I had gotten pretty used to “my” NYC, and wasn’t as adventurous to visit new places as I was the first couple of years I lived here. This project forced me to get out to new places, like Ridgewood or Clinton Hill or Crown Heights or Unionport, and because of the pandemic I got to bike through these neighborhoods and watch the city change block by block.
The magic of the subway, of going underground in one neighborhood and magically coming up somewhere that looks completely different, never ceases to delight, but that magic often hides the connection between neighborhoods, and you feel that so much stronger when you’re pedaling over the hills and potholes and past the storefronts and graffiti and fuzzy borders as one neighborhood changes to the next. For that aspect of last year, I am thankful - thankful for the change of my mental map of the city, where now I know that for the most part it takes the same time to bike almost anywhere that’s 40-45 minutes away as it would to take the subway, and biking is almost always more enjoyable.
A year and a half, of discovering the city through bakeries, and sharing that joy and love for all things sweet and savory and delicious and buttery with you bun buds, and I don’t regret a single part of it.
I may still post here occasionally, as I come across particularly interesting pastries or news items, and absolutely please do share the delicacies you find on your journeys. I love to get that bun mail.
Below you can find the important links (to my maps and spreadsheets used to track all these bunventures), as well as the notes and ideas for things to include in Bun Stuff. Thank you again for all your support these past 55 weeks, for continuing to open an email in your inbox and sending me all the hot gossip. Stay safe, and may you always be near something (or someone) sweet 🤎😘
The Important Links
Google Map of all cinnamon rolls (stack ranked), plus everywhere else I reviewed for Bun Stuff: https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=16tgcwEwffTTHrhKUpyWrTsq6gSIhZnoE
Foursquare List of Best Cinnamon Rolls: https://foursquare.com/clinejj/list/best-cinnamon-rolls-in-nyc (be sure to sort by list order to view stack rank if viewing on mobile)
The Spreadsheet, with all the reviews/scores/photos/etc: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1zU7q3-83rYDVkFZZEJbfLXV7m8SyMfblADx-Hsngmlo/edit#gid=0
All my cinnamon roll photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/ZJZdDfNu7jV1H6QCA
My Bun Stuff Notes (raw and uncut)
Possible subject lines
show me your bun hole
this bun hole is on fire
spreading your buns
Activity ideas
reader survey
pastry bingo
Articles
The Great 2020 Bakery Boom (Nov 9, 2020): GrubStreet lists a bunch of the new bakeries that started last year, both from chefs who found themselves at home and decided to make to order as well as new physical stops. A number of the ones mentioned have graced these digital missives, including my favorites like Winner, Mel, and Edith’s.
Stuck at Home, Pastry Chefs Find Freedom. New Yorkers Find Cookies. (Feb 16, 2021): Pete Wells joins the GrubStreet train and reviews a bunch of newly independent pastry chefs online offerings. I meant to drop a link to this once I reviewed any of the chefs mentioned, but time got away from me.
In Case You Haven’t Noticed, Cinnamon Toast Crunch’s Mascots Are Murderous Cannibals: Listen, if four year old clickbait doesn’t do it for you I don’t know what will. But I’m glad someone is looking into this seriously deranged decision by General Mills to make the CTC mascots “crazy squares” cannibalistic. To have sat in on that creative pitch…
NJ.com explains the Italian Bakery: if an American is going to explain the Italian bakery to me, I’d trust someone from New Jersey. If you can get past the copious Godfather references, this is an actually useful article. Love me some pizelles, and hadn’t heard of a cartocci but damn they look tasty.
Wikipedia entry for Pastry: this came about due to an icebreaker I participated in where people named their favorite pastry, and it raised the question of what even is a pastry? Is pizza a pastry? (up through the 19th Century, yeah pretty much) The Wikipedia article is an interesting read, and doesn’t come to any conclusive definitions. Long and short, a pastry is pretty much whatever you want it to be as long as it’s made from flour/water/fat. I’m into it.
In Person Reviews
Pork buns from Mei Lai Wah
Bun Stuff mostly focused on sweet pastries, but my love of buns extends to all formats.
Honestly love these bite-sized cupcakes, particularly the PB&J ones. I can eat a whole tray of these no problem. They ship, so even if you’re not in NYC pick one up.
Wildair Donuts (these are sold out every week within like, 2 minutes and have very good reviews)
7 Grain Army (Gothamist, Eater reviews)
New gluten-free bakery in Williamsburg from Matthew Tilden, who is apparently known to food critics but made me laugh with his quote in the Eater review: “Muffins fucking suck.”
Dominique Ansel Workshop (for the full menu)
Order Online Reviews
Joy Cho Pastry - Gramercy Tavern alum mentioned in both GrubStreet/NYT articles above
85°C at Home - at home baking kits for a variety of pastries from a popular chain on the West Coast
Brady’s Cookies (from Liz and Mollie’s newsletter)
Cupboard Cafe - a friend visited their actual location in Maine, but I found out they ship online as well (when it’s not too hot)
Bravo. Thanks for all the great posts, reviews, stories, and sweet sweet vibes. Standing ovation (though standing slowly due to food coma)!