Elbow Bread — Restaurant in New York

I found myself a big fan of jewish bread like bagels and bialys, so I was very excited to hit up Elbow Bread on the Lower East Side.

They took over the old space of Mel Bakery (I miss them sm) last year, serving pretzels, bialys, challah and knishes in honor of the neighborhood’s Jewish immigrant history.

I read mixed reviews online but I personally LOVED their bread!! I can totally see myself coming back for their pretzels and trying out other bread on their menu. Their staffs were very welcoming and energetic.

＊Salted Hug Sweet Potato Pretzel $7 ** The pretzel was super cute with little hands! It was still warm when I got it! You can pair it with honey mustard or cheese. The sweet and savory flavors were great, and the texture was spot-on. Slightly crunchy on the crust and fluffy on the inside. I’ll try the cinnamon sugar brown butter one next time.

＊Vegan Garlic Bread Bialy $6 * Veganuary new item. I wish they will keep this garlic bread bialy on their regular menu! The bread was so fluffy, generously spread with garlic herb butter. Very garlicky.

＊Malted Almond Elbow $7 ** The toasted almond was addictive. I found some salt at the bottom which elevated the overall flavor profile. The swirled pastry was biscuit-like and very crunchy.

＊Bialy with Whitefish Schmear $9 The caramelized onion on top was too savory for my taste. The whitefish schmear was yummy at the first few bites but it got saltier after.

＊Kasha Latte $7 I was so curious about kasha latte, which was actually buckwheat latte made with almond milk. It was like unsweetened cereal milk with some crunch. Just a note that it was also a decaffinated drink.

＊Strawberry Pretzel Heart $8 I loved their regular sweet potato pretzels. This vday special flavor was not only pretty but also very delicious. It was brushed with strawberry glaze, and topped with pink sugar. The texture of the pretzel was soft with a slight crunch on the crust. 10000/10.

They gave us a small tub of strawberry cream cheese frosting and OMG, it deserved my highest compliment: not too sweet! The dip was so creamy, making it a double...

This place is not to be missed, and I'll point you toward a particular purchase: it's called elbow BREAD people, go where they're pointing you. Granted, I've only tried one of their loaves. They've also got a gorgeous looking challah and some sesame number and you're damn right I'll be back for those as soon as I've finished my Beautiful. Black. Sourdough. Look at that picture. Just look at it sitting there. It's adorable. And the wonderful person behind the counter wrapped it up all snug for me in some just-as-adorable paper. I think we should all be more embracing of whimsy, like l understand everything is terrible and robots are gonna wipe out thought and no one's gonna know anything anymore, but still there's space to enjoy these lovely little moments we get to have by being alive. For instance. We have snowfall and sweet mornings, we have toddling down to a bakery and smiling at window displays and buying a fresh loaf of bread from the kind people who made it, then tucking it under our arm, carrying it home.

I couldn't be happier with my little loaf. It's not some bland, forgettable vessel bread, it's got flavor, character. The tartness and thin crust of a sourdough, the sweet, plush earthiness of a pumpernickel, and the dark sharp taste of a great rye. It's very versatile. Take it a sweet route with some fig jam, cheese and walnuts, or savory, like this stunning homemade sandwich you see here. A real elevation. Again, I know it's a mess out there, but people, we're still doing great things, there's still some day to day joys worth paying attention to. Like this place! I don't know. It's...

There are many excellent bakeries in New York, but there is something truly special to me about Elbow Bread. Almost everything in their impeccable lineup of pastries is second to none. We try and stop by ever weekend when we can and get an assortment of goodies, probably blowing half our paychecks in the process... but we have never felt that it is not worth it. Regular highlights include the honey bun, the onion bialy (with a side of whitefish salad!), and the incredible cheese danishes. The latter made us tear up a little bit on our first bite. It is just that good. Yes it's expensive, but my god is it worth it.

That being said, in my opinion, the loaves are too expensive, the coffee is too expensive. Also in regards to atmosphere, its not really a comfortable place to stand there and eat with all the bustle, more of a get your shit and get out type arrangement. Sit in the square, sit in the...