Nick + Sons Bakery — Restaurant in New York

on a windy February day, nick & sons has their garage door entrance wide open, inviting customers in with the choice of entering through the regular human-sized doorway (also propped open), or in a more accommodating manner, allowing cyclists or those pushing strollers to glide right in. this particular invitation speaks to me so loudly — as a cyclist myself and a parent who often finds themself strategizing the complexities of simply getting inside any particular business with children in tow, I immediately feel myself having love for this place. (yes, we’ll get to the baked goods in a minute.) past the doorway, the space is cavernous, but not in a way that confuses the flow of traffic. the cyclist who entered with their bike as I waited for my latte, easily passed through the ordering and paying stages of the experience without anything seeming awkward or judged by staff or other customers. I love an opportunity to leave my lock at home and not have to worry about the safety of my bike.

more importantly, in my mind, a space where even a double-wide stroller could flow through like a river, is quite incredible (more so than even owning a double-wide in brooklyn, because really, where can you actually go? answer: nick & sons.)

on to the pastries. on my first visit (notably, with two children in tow), we ordered 4 pastries: raspberry danish, blueberry danish, plain croissant, and a cardamom bun. for the first 3, the pastry elements were perfectly papery thin. the kind where most of it ends up on your jacket or sweatshirt and, if you’re a pastry-lover like me, find yourself trying to collect with delicate fingers after the rest is all gone. while stupidly trying to split a piece of the raspberry danish off from the rest to give to one of my two small kids, a sizable blob of delicious raspberry creamy cheesy goodness plopped down onto my jacket, which I then diligently swiped with a finger and did not let go to waste.

for my second visit, I took another route, despite having spent the entire ride over there dreaming of a sweet pastry. upon entering (I chose the large open garage door over the human-sized regular door), I immediately saw ~4” high focaccia sandwiches sitting on large trays behind the counter, that I didn’t see listed on the menu. when I asked what they were (I honestly couldn’t even repeat back the details), I stopped the nice person behind the counter halfway through the second one, choosing that one, and their next question was, “do you want a corner piece that’s a bit crustier or something towards the middle that’s a bit softer?” to be asked that particular question exemplifies their care and attention for texture sensitivities; so important to be given that choice!

be warned: you definitely need multiple napkins. it wouldn’t be proper focaccia if you didn’t. dislikers of messy sandwiches, go somewhere else and miss out on deliciousness.

pretty sure this one was a combo of burrata, some version of sliced pork, maybe something that starts with a “c”?, and a generous pile of dressed arugula and red onions, on an oily dark rosemary and onion focaccia. thick, soft, with crispiness on top of where the bubbles in the dough puffed up. great texture, great flavor.

the staff, both times, were incredibly kind, clearly happy to be working there, and comfortable.

will definitely...

Brooklyn vibes. No chairs, no tables, just a barebones display of pastries in a warehouse-like space, with the bread production happening visibly in the back.

Came here to pick up some pastries this past Tuesday morning. Heard rumors that this place has some of the best plain croissants in the city, and I was excited to finally try them out. Came in around 9am, and I was the only person there. I got the chocolate croissant, za’atar & cheddar croissant, and the famous cardamom bun, and honestly, it was slightly disappointing.

I’m not sure why the cardamom bun was highly recommended, but the bun itself was just alright. A bit too dense and apart from the subtle cardamom aroma, there wasn’t much to savor. The chocolate croissant was mostly hollow on the inside, so it felt dry and leaned too chewy.

Za’atar & cheddar croissant was the only thing I really enjoyed. Originally I wanted plain za’atar, but my friend recommended the one with cheddar. Glad I listened. Not buttery like a classic croissant, but the layers were very flaky, with a pillowy-soft interior. The za’atar and cheddar were also used in perfect amounts. Just enough to make the fluff inside more interesting without overpowering it.

Might come back to try their other croissants, but certainly not my favorite in the...

The pastries are delicious- but to get to them is a horrible experience. There is ALWAYS a line that is at least 20 minutes long - even right at opening. (The business has no interior - the line is outside - whether in the sweltering summer heat, a torrential downpour, or a blizzard) Nick has no incentive to address this horrible painpoint for customers since they see the line as free advertising. There is no online ordering or any way to just pick up an order. You are forced to spend at least 20 minutes on line even if all you want is a plain croissant. There are so many ways the simple line issue could be remedied, but instead of making the experience better for locals and would-be regulars, they prefer having the line, and positive reviews from people who will only ever go there once. I have been in the neighborhood for five years and have seen this bakery just get worse. Imagine caring about your customers. People have things to do, but you force them through this ridiculous bottleneck. Such disrespect.

Nearby places with delicious pastries and much faster ques include: Campbell & Co. Paloma Think Coffee Blackstar

Is it worth spending 30 minutes on line for a slightly...