Elbow Bread
Bakery · Chinatown ·
Breads, pastries, cookies, pretzels & Jewish diaspora-inspired goods
Breads, pastries, cookies, pretzels & Jewish diaspora-inspired goods
"As a Lower East Side bakery that focuses on modern Jewish baked goods, Elbow Bread’s bialys—hydrated with barley tea and made from a sourdough-yeast mix—stand out: try the classic onion or the everything bialy, but opt for the pepper version (seasonal varieties like Hatch chiles or pickled Hungarian peppers appear too), all served slathered with vegan butter." - Devra Ferst
"This corner spot in Chinatown used to be home to Mel The Bakery (a former staple of this guide, until they moved upstate). Now, it’s where a former baker from Sadelle’s kneads and shapes exceptional savory items, like an airy bialy with caramelized onions, as well as more sugary things, like rich pecan rugelach and a double-welled, ethereally crisp coconut danish. If you think palmiers are usually boring, try their sweet-and-savory caraway rye palmier." - willa moore, will hartman, molly fitzpatrick, sonal shah
"Elbow Bread opened in a slender corner spot in the heart of Dimes Square, a partnership between celebrated baker Zoë Kanan and the Court Street Grocers team. The space itself might be small, but it’s packed with so much heart: Housemade bialys with caramelized onions, coconut cream sourdough danish, schmaltz scallion pocket, sandwiches, and more. Fan favorite pretzels, which have little hands dimpled on them, come out around 10 a.m." - Emma Orlow
"A bialy-focused spot that pushes the format into new territory by treating the bialy like garlic bread, amplifying savory, garlicky notes on a traditional Eastern European staple." - Caroline Hatchett
"A Lower East Side bake shop known for creative takes on Danish pastries, including versions topped with clementine marmalade and sheep’s milk cheese or filled with cherry cardamom preserve." - Regan Stephens