The Alternative Baker

Stopped by here during a weekend get away around the area. We ordered a tea cake, muffin, focaccia, cider, and the cioccolato, which were all super fresh and delicious. The owner, Essell, is incredibly friendly - we ended up chatting with him for half an hour about everything and anything. A real treat as we explored high falls.

My son and I stopped in here (on a college tours trip) and had a couple of sandwiches. First of all, best tuna sandwich I may have ever had. It’s such a simple dish that it’s hard to figure how it could stand out so much from the typical, but it did. Essel is very friendly, affable, and familiar (in a good way—treats you like family that he doesn’t have to tiptoe around or engage with in rote formalities). Clearly from some of these reviews some people need the rigid social rules of customer engagement. But if you are looking for a cozy place, genuine/ real conversation and simple, honest, outstanding food, then treat yourself to a visit. Highly recommended.

We came in not for baked goods but for drinks as we were thirsty on our walk into town. Quick interaction but the baker was more than friendly; He welcomed us to sit even though we didn't purchase food. We appreciated the good vibes and it made us want to come back to the quaint little town of Rosedale soon.

Delish!!! Fresh!!! Essell (the owner and chef) provided us with a one of a kind Rosendale experience. He was exceptionally kind and thoughtful. We got a loaf of bread, a blueberry muffin, and a goat cheese house special on a mini focaccia. Fairly priced and yummy healthy treats. Essell is a culinary institute of America graduate and extremely outgoing.

The “muffin” was falling apart and he explained that was from oven, more likely was the freezer: the cranberries in it were still frozen, it was generally cold and not at all tasty, fell totally apart when wrapped up. This is another place run by lazy person we are supposed to accept as their “chill vibe” and pay big $$ for the experience. I stick to small businesses, but prefer those who really take pride in it. My coffee and muffin shopping is not for a bumper sticker, biodegradable cup or not.

Essell made our wedding cake and it was amazingly yummy. Everyone complemented the cake. His lemons cakes are amazing too. I moved from east coast to west coast and have not been able to find lemon cakes like his. He is great at what he does.

Worst experience of my life. The food is okay. The owner knows how to bake (obviously) but is beyond exceptionally rude. Unsure if it was because he was busy but the man told me to “use my words” for not telling him fast enough which flavor muffin I decided to choose. If you want to be bullied, go into this place. I’d rather drive to Deisings Bakery any day after being chastised. You’ve lost a lot of customers in the past for this exact reason, I’m sorry you can’t find it in you to have a heart once in a while.

Rudest encounter. worker seemed annoyed that I had a gift card in which I received when donating otherwise I’d never consider ever trying the place. First time here and would never go back. Spoke to others who’ve stated the exact same thing but thought I’d still give it a chance. Never again! In addition, place looked DIRTY, like there hasn’t been someone in there in months. He also used his bare hands touching the cheese, no gloves, didn’t wash his hands etc. Along leaving, he was mumbling words like a crazy person. I threw the “sandwich” out immediately. What a disgusting, unprofessional, human to say the things he says. The reviews and his responses tell you all you need to know.

Amazing food, crazy baker. I have been coming here for years, and always been served amazing food. However every time I've stepped into the bakery I've never known what man was going to be staring me down from across the counter. Order from the menu exactly as is, no changes. Pay cash. He would put the Soup Nazi to shame on "Seinfield". And yet the food is amazing! I however have stopped going, I've spent enough years being talked crap to.

On a Saturday morning, the place was empty and the display case was nearly empty, too, with only a few vegan muffins wrapped tightly in plastic wrap. Maybe pre-ordering is necessary? Weird vibe, walked in, walked out.

Absolutely rude, terrible customer service. Threw coffee at customers because they were not aware it was cash only. Sad.

Stopped into this little shop Sunday morning while walking Rosendale's small main street. Inside feels a bit cluttered and messy. There was only one man taking orders and preparing the food/beverages, so be patient. Also a cash only establishment. Stopped in for their lemon cakes as that's what the bakery is known for. Tried a lemon poppy bite and lemon velvet bite - both were very tasty and fresh. I also tried the iced caffe chocolate - half hot chocolate, half coffee - was a very tasty drink and made not too sweet. We ate our little lemon cake bites outside sitting at their one café table for 2.

The Lemmon cakes are also great. I haven't been able to get anything close to it. I recently ordered the Bundt lemon cake and had it shipped to California. Delivery was quick and the taste was the yummiest.

Sadly the business has deteriorated. I bought a baguette and it was definitely not freshly made. I had to throw it out. The owner seemed like he wasn't feeling well and the place was not clean. Honestly I would not go back.

Bought a stale plastic wrapped bread. Baker was a d@ck. Place is sh@t. Guy looked pissed that I was even there. "Bakery" it is not. Don't go.

Really used to love this place. I drive about 35 minutes just to come. Like other reviewers stated, the owner has become increasingly obnoxious, blunt, and just plain rude. Seinfeld fans will remember the Soup Nazi - he's the Bread Nazi. The only reason to come here is for the bread/baked goods, which are certainly delicious, but I'm just not sure it warrants the trade off of bad service and crappy attitude. If you do go, my advice is to not engage much, order your food to go - don't stick around to eat in and definitely don't ask any questions. Best not to smile too much either. Or perhaps breath too loudly. This last time I visited, I asked if he had any mini focaccia as I wanted a sandwich (this is the first item on the menu) but I didn't want it on the large focaccia loaf because that's just too much bread for me. He said he was out. So I did take the last large focaccia and he made a tasty sandwich out of it. My husband and I shared it, ate outside quickly in about 10 minutes. We brought our plates back in and went to pay - low and behold - what's on the counter in front of me - FIVE F*CKING MINI FOCCACIA. When I asked him about it he rudely stated - they were in the oven and not ready when you ordered! Any normal business owner wanting to please a customer would have said - "I have some in the oven - if you want to wait 5-10 minutes, I can make you a fresh one". I definitely would have waited, since that's exactly what I wanted. But I was never given the option. He assured me they were 100% sold out! He also found a way to be upset about almost everything we did - from wanting to eat outside (the day was lovely and he has TABLES OUTSIDE TO EAT), to putting a cozy on the small coffee cup (it doesn't FIT THAT SIZE), to my husband standing in front of the menu on the wall when he was trying to read it. His own menu. That hasn't changed in 20 years. He bluntly told my husband to stop moving around. Seriously, wtf? This guy is too much. I rarely encounter someone so miserable and unhappy. Terrible attitude, really. Clearly, he doesn't care anymore. Perhaps it's time for Eselle to sell. Or at least he should stick to the baking, hire pleasant counter help and stay far, far away from customers. Thankfully, The Big Cheese right across the street has lovely staff and a much larger selection of freshly made sandwiches, wraps, salads, baked goods, cheese and they also have tables outside. Bonus - they smile and treat customers right.

The egg sandwiches are DELICIOUS!! My family stopped by after visiting the area for some hikes, and we were very pleasantly surprised with this bakery (we saw it posted in a local newspaper). The sandwiches were made with homemade bread perfectly toasted with a wonderful balance of flavors. While the owner made us large cups of tea with frothy milk and cinnamon, he talked to us about music and food and family, and made us feel very welcome. So inviting!! There was classical music playing and the inside atmosphere was warm and cozy. It was a must to get a lemon cake to go since that is their speciality, and have absolutely no regrets.. tangy tender and flavorful. I just wish we lived closer!

Got a tasty sourdough loaf here. There didn't seem like a lot in the bakery, just sourdough loaves and foccacia.

Stopped by here and got a muffin. So good. Too cold to take a pic while I was eating outside. Go there and try some stuff. No lemon cake that day. Perhaps next time.

Very good food! I'd recommend getting the breakfast sammie to eat there and then grabbing some lemon cakes for later! But yes, as other reviewers have stated, the owner is a bit temperamental. We went there one day and he was like a basket of puppies! We went there the next day and he was like a basket of rusty nails. That being said, his temperament isn't bad enough to stop me from going back for a breakfast sammie and some lemon cakes!

We had the Belgian hot chocolates and they were absolutely delicious. The owner whisked them with fresh milk in a copper pot while we waited. It was such a treat seeing someone take pride in their craft. When he sprinkled the chocolate powder on top to finish the drink it was magical. Go there and treat yourself.

Had high hopes for this place which were, in short order, shattered the moment the obnoxiously loud bell on the door rang upon my entry. I grabbed a grody menu that was falling apart to see what the place had to offer. (In fact, just about everything in this dim bakery was quite grody). As I perused the offerings, the owner / baker / proprietor proceeded to yell at me that they were out of... well, just about everything. I waited and looked at the misshapen pastries that were offered up in the display case. Since they didn't have what I came there for, I decided I would be nice and just get a cup of coffee and then go on my way, as opposed to just walking out. I poured my self a cup of coffee from the self serve area. And asked how much for a cup of coffee? "Well, I don't know what size you got." Fair, a small I said. "Well where's the other one???" He said, loudly and rudely. "A cup of coffee" "You said a couple of coffees" "A. Cup. Of. Coffee." I enunciated. He brushed me off. A dollar he said. I put a lid on my coffee because I would be driving far, far away from this place. "Do you NEED a lid??? It will just end up in landfill." (Um not if I recycle it, which I plan to do. I do my part.) "It's a small planet," he muttered as the bell chimed again loudly as I exited the godforsaken establishment. There are PLENTY of other great bakeries in this area. Patronize them, and don't let this clown patronize YOU!

I think 3 stars is about correct. It would be 5 because of the exceptional baked goods Nd fantastic gluten free options. But here's where it all went wrong today...service is key even if you are the only real bakery in town. Maybe he was a bit off or maybe the normal person called out sick again leaving him to do everything. But, it is really important to not have to beg for your ticket to go, to be acknowledged when you come into an establishment, and to have multiple options for payment that are actually used in the modern world. That or clearly state where an ATM is or that only cash is accepted.

I dropped in twice during a vacation in the area and had a great experience both times. The owner was the only person working and he was friendly and courteous throughout all of our interactions. Unfortunately without staff he hadn't had a chance to make any of the famous lemon cakes but I had a cardamom and peach cake that was delicious and the breakfast sandwich was easily one of the best I've ever had. I hope to be able to come by again another time and highly recommend it to others.

Essell excels! Amazing food... the Brazilian "empanadas", available only around New Year's Eve, are moist, flaky, flavorful, ambrosia. Its pastry (along with the other goodies) is obviously made by a master baker. And there's a reason - a tasty reason - why his website is named for the lemon cakes!

Place is very dirty , dusty shelves where the food is , the owner is very gruff and nasty .

This was the most lovely small town bakery experience - we had the house special egg sandwiches on focaccia and they were stupendous! I'm not usually an olive fan but this bread might have changed my mind. Came back later in the day for The Best Hot Chocolate in the Hudson Valley and WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED! TBH, could be the best hot chocolate in NY. Customer service was excellent - felt very welcome and excited to return next time I'm in town!

Great little bakery. We are not necessarily gluten free/vegan people, but thought we would try their products. We ordered the peanut butter cookie, coconut muffin and lemon poppyseed muffin. The cookie and coconut muffins were EXCELLENT! The cookie was soft and chewy, the muffin was moist, good texture and not to sweet. I believe it was made with spelt flour. The lemon poppyseed was also moist with good texture, but not enough lemon flavor for my liking and could have been just a tad sweeter. They do need to update their website menu as we were disappointed to find sticky buns and scones were offered on the menu but are no longer being produced for various reasons. Overall, a neat little place that is definitely worth a visit.

If you are looking for mediocre lemon cake served to you by an obnoxious and belligerent baker, this is the place for you. The $19 lemon cake was dry, the blueberry muffins bland but the worst was the proprietor himself. He was rude and snarky and his baked goods were not tasty enough to compensate. Stay well away!!

I hadn't been eating eggs for a few months as for some reason they've been grossing me out lately. I'm pescetarian but eat mostly vegan. However, all that changed when I made a visit to the Alternative Baker and tried the egg sandwich. Now it's the only way I'll eat eggs again. I'm shocked it hasn't been featured on more blogs or publications. Just an incredible sandwich that absolutely deserves more recognition. I think I was seeing visions when I took my first bite. Also, Essel the owner is an awesome guy too!

Stopped by here on a whim while biking the Empire State Trail. Perfect respite from our ride. Had a delicious muffin and hot chocolate. Also chatted with the owner, who was very nice and welcoming. Great experience, highly recommend!

Do NOT go here. The owner is beyond rude and said about 6 different nasty comments about New Yorkers, he even said, with zero humor or irony, that he was surprised because he assumed we would be shmucks. He also asked if it was really necessary to get a lid for our full-to-the-top iced coffee and gave us a hard time when we said we did (because we were driving with it). The muffin was too sweet and the coffee just mediocre -- but I so regretted spending money in this store that I couldn't enjoy my coffee and so I tossed it and bought a new one in the Cheese Shop across the street.

I've purchased a few things over the years here and interacted with the baker several times. He's always grumpy and somewhat condescending, but I love Rosendale. So even though the bread is mediocre at best, I occasionally go in. And even though he is typically just plain nasty, I've never encountered THIS in any retail setting, let alone lovely little Rosendale: I just left there. After walking in, I noticed only 1 loaf of bread among other empty shelves. So I asked "Is this the only bread you have today?" to which he responded "That's it for now". I then went to lift the sign leaning on the bread to see what type of bread it was. He then said "please don't handle it". I just looked at him and said "thanks", and turned to leave. He grumbled under his breath while going to answer his phone, something about my attitude. I stoped by the front door, turned around to see if I could have possibly heard correctly, and he gave me the middle finger!!!! He flipped me the bird!!! He basically said FUCK YOU to me. From the quite empty looks of the place, he may want to reconsider his awful attitude and try to nicely engage the few retail customers that wander in. He seems a bit too old for that, but it's never too late. I'll never step foot in there again. And if you do, prepare for a complete asshole to "help" purchased his overpriced average breads.

I decided to stop here on my way back home. The place looked cute and quaint and I was excited to see that they may have some gluten free and vegan options inside, as I have food allergies. I walk inside, say hello to the baker and ask "do you have anything that's both gluten free and vegan?" And he says yes and rattled off a few things under his breath, mind you some of the things say wheat free, dairy free, but it's extremely hard to tell what is what. The signs on the food are scribbled in and illegible. After I politely asked for guidance, the man behind the counter was extremely rude and dismissive. Absolutely horrible customer service. I can not believe how disrespectful this man is to potential customers who would like to give their business. Do not come here if you need food allergy safety, or are looking for business owners who are genuinely nice; you won't find either here.

Since we enjoy master baker Essell's regular offerings, he was the go-to choice for my wife to order a large chocolate cake for my recent milestone birthday celebration. He offered helpful carving instructions too. My family and I enjoyed this delicious creation and I got to parcel out most (not all!) of the remainder for grateful offspring.

I love this little shop. I stop in frequently for their house special egg sandwiches which are delicious! The baked goods are also wonderful. I especially like the lemon poppy cakes!

The menu is limited but the food is quite good. Two stars because like many reviewers already noted, the owner is totally obnoxious and rude. In only 10 minutes he managed to insult me multiple times. As just one example, I ordered an iced coffee half caff half decaf, which is an option on his menu. He rudely barked at me that he didn't have decaf and then said "what's the point, it's like diet soda. If you want decaf you can get a tea." I almost wonder if he is suffering from a progressive brain disease since it's hard to believe the owner of a service oriented business would be so rude to customers.

My review is based solely on the lemon cake. Two words: yum yum! We make a point to stop by here every time we are in the area to bring back home. Their lemon cake bursts with flavor. Tart but sweet. A real gem.

Heard this all spoken by the owner/counter guy within 10 minutes. "I'm out of sandwich bread." at 12:30 in the afternoon "Didn't you hear me ask if you wanted an ice coffee? Now I have to back and make another one. Didn't know you were deaf." "A grown man wants a straw. Pathetic." "Why the hell don't you have something smaller than a $20?" The Soup Nazi was funny. This guy is just a belligerent incompetent.

Absolutely, the best baked goods in the area. The proprietor understands cooking and flavor in a way that no other commercial Chef in the area does. Absolutely surpassing. Bonus - the *best* hot chocolate! Do not let the modest interior put you off -- the quality of the food cannot be beat.

This bakery offers a variety of tasty treats in a convenient location. However, the owner is extremely rude, and cursed me to my face. This is no way to run a business and I will not be patronizing this store any longer.

Essel est l'essence de l'art boulanger! The bread is to die for, especially when you catch it right out of the oven... Try some scones or cookies , pastries, or even a fresh cup of coffee, never disappointed! Essel bakes bread like a true French artisan would, he puts passion into his work and you can taste it!

I went here twice in three days. First for delicious sandwiches and - second time around - fresh and large tea cakes. When you're dealing with a one-man shop, you've got to be patient. It's clear this guy is more focused on the baking and making, than on the serving. No problem for us, we had a couple of good meals and would definitely go back.

Everything is incredible here, especially the lemon cakes, which are out of this world. We like to go in and get a smorgasbord of cookies, cakes, and tea and it's never been anything but delicious and delightful. I'm also laughing at the butthurt dudes saying the incredible master baker and owner, who has never been anything but friendly, is rude. Chill out and have a lemon cake.

The guy was really cool, obviously cares about his place, and serves excellent food. We went for the focaccia egg sandwich and have been trying to recreate them at home all week. It doesn't work. We'll be back.

Lemon-Raspberry Fantasie... 20 guests, 20 rave reviews. So fresh and delicious and oh, that whipped cream! Communication with Essell was wonderful and helpful; cake ready on time as promised...and luscious and outstanding. Thank you Essell...! Barbara Fried

One of the best breakfast sandwiches I've ever had. Don't listen to the other reviews, man is funny and likes to mess with people. It keeps you on hour toes, and if you have a sense of humor you'll enjoy it. Even if he was the terrible person these reviewers are making him out to be, it would still be worth it and I would still give him 5 stars.

it was absolutely disgusting there was a dead roach coming out of my seat... not sure if it came from me or the place. Seeing that I don't carry roaches on me it's the alternative baker.

Not a nice guy. The baker made several rude remarks. "English is my native language, too." Not sure why he was so annoyed with a customer, but we would never go back.

Well, Hot damn! This bakery is a sweet surprise in Rosendale. I had the 2 egg sandwich on a rosemary and olive focaccia, herbal iced tea, split the iced ciocolate, and also got a loaf of the boule for later (which I subsequently ate on my bus ride home). Everything was so delicious. The eggs the right amount of fluffy, the focaccia the perfect consistency and flavor, and the boule was absolutely the best loaf I've had so far in New York. It was soft, moist (but not too moist) with a hint of salt, and a crusty crust. Yumyumyummm Essell knows his shit and it shows through his scrumptious treats. Thanks for a wonderful afternoon in the cafe!

I guess the baked items are good, but I have some deep reservations about the service. A friend and I had lunch on St. Patrick's Day in Rosendale and took a short walk and came upon The Alternative Baker. The owner could not have been ruder. When he asked what I wanted I pointed to some baked items in the display case (how I've ordered things in a bakery since I was a child). His response was "All the items have labels". What I should have said immediately was "And so does the Exit!" and used it. I don't care how good the baked items are, there are much friendlier "alternative" bakeries for me.

Really nasty owner. I've been buying here for some time but not anymore! I had a couple of questions about sizes and portions and he told me to leave and think about it because he was way behind schedule. I have no time for that kind of pissy attitude when I'm spending my hard earned money and I will go elsewhere from now on. What a jerk!!

TL;DR avoid this place at all costs. EXTREMELY HOSTILE owner/employee. I leave this as a warning for anyone that even considers walking into this 'business.' My wife and I were stopping in Rosendale to have a coffee and dessert and saw the sign for bakery from the road. On walking in my wife closed the door harder than she expected causing a bell hanging above the door to ring loudly. The sound surprised her and she quieted the bell. As we started to look at the unappetizing and meager offerings a heavyset man with gray hair came from the back and began berating my wife for touching the bell. She apologized, but this guy became increasingly aggressive and was asking 'what gives use the right to touch his property.' At this point we became uncomfortable began walking out, while this man kept yelling that we had no right to touch his property. He made a deragotory comment about my sexuality as we were walking out the door. One of the most uncalled for and over aggressive interactions I've ever had in a place of business. BE WARNED!

Everything we've tried is super dry and not very good. The space is really strange and uncomfortable. The owner is odd and not very friendly if he doesn't know you.

Well... I just called and when I asked if it was a certain place (didn't hear well) and so the guy said "Didn't you hear me answer the phone?" . Well, yes, I did. Heard enough not to ever go to your place thanks to your rudeness.

Mediocre baked goods made by a very unpleasant person. "Alternative" here must refer to something that is the opposite of courteous and decent

Always a treat to stop here when I'm in the area. Well worth a detour as well. The owner is charming and personable and truly an artist.