In this Let’s Eat report, Zagat’s Kelly Dobkin checks out some awesome artisan bakeries in NYC that are doing everything the old fashioned way.
In the ultra-modern setting of the brand new World Trade Center, Eataly’s newest location is taking bread back to its ancient roots.
"Everything that we make is made with love,” says Dino Borri of Eataly USA. “Our wood oven is unique. We have an artisanal made wood oven just for us. We decided to create a program that unifies all the countries in the world."
"We use only local grains from Italy,” says Fulvino Marino, head baker at Eataly Global. “We have many, many farmers that work with us."
Eataly’s artisan bread program is run by Marino, a third generation miller and baker. Here, he will offer breads from all over the world as well as highlight varieties native to different regions of Italy.
"Every season we make a big new bread, like Mediterraneo, we start with Mediterraneo that stay with us and with the concept of our tradition,” Marino says.
Across the river in Bushwick, chef Adam Leonti is taking artisan bread one step further by milling his own flour in house at a pop-up called Brooklyn Bread Lab. The mill is the largest one of its kind in New York City.
"We mill flour, mix the flour with water, some natural yeast, some salt, let it rise then we shape it and then bake it,” says Adam Leonti, executive chef at The Williamsburg Hotel. “You’re extracting all the nutrients out of the wheat berry by keeping it whole and by having it fermented naturally. So I hope it goes from fad to kind of a staple."