Baked Bread - Where is NYC's best baguette?

[foodmusic]

Any suggestions for a bakery (hopefully UWS) with a great baguette? I haven't tried them at Silver Moon... has anyone?
I'm getting tired of Zabar's and Fairway's efforts in the genre...

[mahler5]

I've tried all the breads mentioned so far in this post, and I vote for Silver Moon's rustic baguette as being the best of them all.

[jusrelax]

Whole Foods carries a few good brands. Unfortunately, they add sugar to their own and it sucks! While not in Manhattan, Panera Bread chain if you're in the burbs makes excellent French baguettes. There is one near Forest Hills on Woodhaven Blvd. Fresh, no preservatives, unbromated flour, etc.

[waterbuffalo]

Who supplies Tarralucci e Vino's baguettes? I've had a couple good ones from the E 10th St location.

[HaveTasteWillTravel32]

AMY's! Hands down

[CatB]

I am going to throw a major spanner in the works........ Sahadi's on Atlantic in Brooklyn sells the best baguette's I've tried in NYC(by far better then Amy's), the closest to my native French roots. And if you need something easier to find and delicious, Food Emporium in Union Square sells baguettes made by Ace Bakery in Toronto and they are good fresh cooked in the morning!

[misschopsticks]

http://nymag.com/restaurants/features...

This article points to several: Almondine (Brooklyn), Pain d'Avignon, Amy's Bread, Balthazar, Le Pain Quotidien, anad Sullivan St. Bakery (in order of best to just-ok).

Personally I've only tried Balthazar and Amy's Bread, and MUCH prefer Amy's baguette. Balthazar's is just not as flavorful.

[thievery]

Amy's Bread's Napoli Baguette is my fav to date.

[broccoli]

Whole Foods baguette is the worst I've had; the crust gets chewy in no time flat. I like Fairway's but if I eat too much of it, I end up with a gigantic headache; they must add something strange in there. So far the best I've had is from Balthazar: consistent crispy crust sometimes dark sometimes light, soft innards, the expected bread aroma, and no headache. One problem is that the run out really quickly; sometimes by 3pm.

[Miss Needle]

I like Balthazar and Le Pain Quotidien. As LNG212 mentioned, Fairway does carry Balthazar's baguette but can be stale at times. You've got to check to make sure.

And I agree with you about Fairway's baguettes -- they are on par with Whole Foods -- just really not worth it.

[Brian W]

Eli's triple baguette is our favorite but we get them rather fresh at Eli's or the Vinegar Factory. I don't know if the other vendors get fresh deliveries all day.

[MMRuth]

I'll have to keep an eye out for those - what I don't like are sour dough baguettes, and far too often, that's what I find.

[Westrite]

Silver Moon -- oh yeah, about 10 am on Saturday when they are hot and fresh. It's good. Otherwise, I'll do Le Pain in a pinch.

[RCC]

I'm not too enthusiastic about it, but Balthazar, so far, has been our "go to" baguette.

[jakew8]

Whoever makes the bread in the $8 bread and butter at Momofuku Ssam, that's my favorite. (It's a sliced baguette, right?)

[LeahBaila]

The best I've had is at BLT Market...I realize this isn't a "bakery" per se, but if you could get your hands on a couple "to go," I think you'd be quite happy.

www.thelunchbelle.com

[gutsofsteel]

Pain Quotidien mades a good, reliable baguette.

[JoanN]

I agree about Pain Quotidien. Fairway can be hit or miss. The baguette at Granddaisy is very good with a brittle crust, but it's larger than what I consider a typical baguette. And they, too, can be hit or miss. I've had a couple of terrific ones, and one that was much less so. PQ isn't as good as GD at it's best, but it is more reliable.

[LNG212]

I like the Balthazar baguette. Fairway carries it.

[MMRuth]

This thread might help you out.

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/482255

My favorite is Tom Cat, but they don't have a retail bakery. My local market (Murphy's, Madison and 92nd, carries them). The Balthazar ones are also pretty good.

[JoanN]

Just found out that Tom Cat also supplies Citarella. I hadn't realized before what it was I was buying. I really like the flavor and chewiness, but wish the crust was more brittle.

[MMRuth]

I found it at Garden of Eden this past weekend as well.

[olia]

I'm fortunate enough to have TomCat baguettes at the cafe downstairs at work -- they really do make a sandwich exceptional!