"The Winner cinnamon roll has a texture and stickiness like that of a kouign-amann, and a cream cheese frosting spiked with lemon juice that spills over the sides of its bun. But our favorite part of this Park Slope beauty is the underside, which is dark brown and tastes like caramel." - willa moore, molly fitzpatrick, bryan kim, will hartman
"Navigating the Winner-verse can be complicated—this Park Slope bakery drops different pastries at different times throughout the day. But if it’s a croissant you’re after, just know they start selling them around 7:30am, and it’s not unusual for them to run out around lunch. The sourdough croissants are about the size of two croissants laid on top of each other, and the sourdough adds a savory note. They’re not so buttery that your fingers will be left shiny, but they’ll flake artfully onto your coat, trailing crumbs all the way to your preferred bench in Prospect Park." - willa moore, bryan kim, sonal shah, will hartman
"There’s a lot going on at Winner: croissants and egg and cheese on english muffins in the morning, ham and cheese sandwiches and veggie bánh mì at lunch, or squishy focaccia by the slice and sourdough baguettes in the afternoon. Then, at night, Winner turns into Runner Up, a wine bar that’s great for splitting a bottle with a friend and talking sh*t over gochujang shrimp cocktail and beet-cured deviled eggs. It’s a lot to keep track of, we know. But Winner is worth a visit at every hour of the day." - willa moore, neha talreja, will hartman
"Winner owner Daniel Eddy’s Park Slope bakery has a big fan base here for its sourdough or chocolate croissants. They are impeccably flakey — the crust breaks off in gorgeous, golden shards — and boast a soft, buttery interior that practically melts on the tongue. (There’s also monkey bread made with croissant dough.) It’s takeout only with limited outdoor seating and a good chance of selling out." - Robert Sietsema
"When you need a sourdough loaf or a BLT on ciabatta bread in Park Slope, head to Winner Cafe & Bakery. Best known for their fresh bread, Winner’s daily bake schedule begins at 8am with dark rye and runs until 2pm when the sourdough baguettes make their way out of the oven. This is important information because they tend to sell out of most of the day’s bread by 3pm. But if you’re just looking for iced coffee, sandwiches, cookies, or some monkey bread, you can stop by their takeout window just off 7th Avenue and order whatever you see available on their chalkboard till 7pm every day." - nikko duren