Sullivan Street Bakery

Hell's Kitchen
533 W. 47th St.
between 10th/11th Aves.

P: 212.265.5580

This bakery primarily makes and sells bread. Amazing bread. World-class bread. The kind that will make you throw out your breadmaker and that little plastic bread blade that came with your food processor. Why make your own when bread like this is always available?

What's great:
Their pugliese and ciabatta loaves are brilliant successes of flavor, texture, crust, crumb and yeasty fragrance. These and a few other loaves are also sold in many of the city's best markets, including Dean & Deluca and Whole Foods. But at the little storefront located at their bakery on West 47th Street you can also buy unbelievable pizza-like flat breads. The potato and rosemary, called pizza patate, is a perfect way to start a dinner party; just add a mound of lightly dressed mescun to a generous slice and everyone will be happy.

What to avoid:
It's not the most convenient location being at West 47th Street just a block from the West Side Highway.

What to know:
Sullivan Street Bakery was originally downtown on Sullivan Street but the partners parted ways; one stayed on Sullivan St. with a new name (Grand Daisy) and the other kept the Sullivan Street name but moved uptown to West 47th Street. Their Bread University brings bread making classes to home cooks, under the personal tutorlage of "professor" Jim Lahey, the bakery's founder and chief bread wizard and the man who is also responsible for the popular "no knead" method of making bread at home.