Good to Great Challah in Southern Westchester. Where?

[laylag]

ISO a bakery with excellent challahs within 20 minutes of Mmk/Rye. II love Kneaded Bread but not sure if they make challah and sometimes places run out too so need a back up. Does anyone have a solid, consistently reliable rec with sufficient supply so as not to run out by mid-day even on a Friday or a holiday?

Thanks.

[Jon1856]

On a wim, I did a search on Westchester Magazine's site and found:
http://www.westchestermagazine.com/Westchester-Magazine/Westchester-Resources/Best-of-Westchester/index.php?search=Challah&searchmode=exact

And this from their main site:
http://www.westchestermagazine.com/Westchester-Magazine/Search/index.php?urlprefix=%2F&search=&mod=CoreSearch&query=Challah&Search=

And this from the NYT's:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/13/nyr...

[dolores]

Jackson and Wheeler? I'd rather give my money to a proven bakery like Heisler's or Enrico's than to a second rate restaurant.

Then again, reviews are only as good as their reviewers.

[VFresser]

Enrico's Pastries in downtown Hartsdale makes a superb challah -- I buy mine there every week, and he usually has a good supply. I've often gone in at 5pm on my way home from work and still scored one. Joe, the owner, is from the Bronx, where he has his original business with his father (I've had long conversations with him -- he is a hoot). He picked up all kinds of recipes from a Bronx Jewish baker years ago, and he is serious about his Jewish sideline to the Italian pastries assortment. In fact, I just put in an order for a whole bunch of his potato latkes ( 80 cents apiece) to feed my DH's large and hungry family on Friday. They are the next best thing to making my own.
He also makes an insanely good challah bread pudding. And my DH vouches for his black and whites -- DH is a Bronx boy, and such things are important to him.

[intrepid]

agree about enricos, also kneaded bread does have challah its good,

[RawTunaFan]

I think Kneaded Bread has the best challah.

[intrepid]

i do both kneaded bread, and enricos, enricos is far superior, kneaded bread, too doughy and less taste, and poor outer crust compared to enricos

[dolores]

I still haven't gotten to Enrico's -- I understand they have lobster claws?

Have you been to Heisler's or WP Bakery, intrepid? How does their challah compare to Enrico's?

[intrepid]

have not been to heislers or wp, i like enricos owner is italian, with bronx/jewish bakery training/back group, good pedigree.. whats lobster claws?? thx

[dolores]

A lobster tail, sorry, is a large sfogliatelle with a filling of pastry cream. I first had these from a pastry shop in Mount Vernon on Gramatan Ave. and they are simply wonderful, if you like very rich stuff, as I do.

[laylag]

DoIores, Isn't the dough/pastry on a sfogliatelle and a lobster tail completely different? In my experience the lobster tail is a much lighter almost or maybe a mache choux (sp?)/cream puffy type of pastry and the sfogliatelle, when made right (Veneiro's!) is a crispy, flaky, layered creation with a touch of "chew" to it.

[dolores]

Not any lobster tail that I've had. It is basically a large sfogliatelle, hence the 'lobster tail' shape, pumped full of pastry cream.

See this:

"Happened to be on Arthur Ave yesterday and stopped in to Morrone's on your recommendation. We bought a cannoli, a small lobster tail (my favorite, which is basically a cream or custard filled sfogliatelle-style pastry shaped liked its namesake)and one classic large sfogliatelle."

from here:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/349321

[laylag]

I imagine I haven't experienced a good one then. Love sfogiatelle but didn't like the one lobster tail I had a long time ago (not from Veniero's). Also, that one didn't have custard but a lot of whipped cream and I don't care much for whipped cream. Guess I'll give the lobster tail another go if from a really good place.

[dolores]

IF they haven't changed, and I wish I can remember their name, but the pastry shop on Gramatan Ave. in Mount Vernon fills theirs with pastry cream, maybe mixed with ricotta.

A mouthful of whipped cream? Ewww, not even something I would like.

[rolise]

Fleetwood Bakery. Located on Gramatan Avenue between Broad and Grand Streets. Their canollis are good too and they make the best cookies. They also bake Challah since the kosher bakery went out of business but I have not tried it.

[laylag]

Hey Dolores, just for fun I explored a bit as I have always wondered how the dough for sfogliatelle was made and had a thought about trying to make at home. Found this at epicurious... Rather mind-blowing actually. I guess I will continue to buy them (and lobster tails) at Veniero's and will have to get over to Enrico's too.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/foo...

[dolores]

I know! I had looked into that once and jumped right back out. Reminds me of the one and only attempt at strudel my mother and I made ages ago. Comical, it was. I'll try to find out the name of the place in Mount Vernon.

[dolores]

laylag, the name of the bakery is Fleetwood Pastry Shop on Gramatan Ave. in Mount Vernon.

[Sra. Swanky]

Give Heisler's Bakery in New Rochelle (on North Ave) a call. They have great challahs and other Kosher goods.

[phone]

[dolores]

Heisler's in New Rochelle or White Plains bakery in WP.

[Sra. Swanky]

LOL!! Hey dolores! We must've commented back at the exact same time!
We should be spokeswomen for Heisler's!! :o) Hope you're having a wonderful holiday.

[dolores]

Hi Sra. Swanky -- as you may have noticed, I love my sweets and when a bakery is stil excellent, like Heisler's or Chester Heights, I give them my support. Harrison and Rye are okay, with WP behind them both, but imo, Heisler's has it all.

I wish you a happy holiday as well.