Green's Babkes.

[nuraman00]

What bakeries or stores in the Bay Area, carry Green's Babkes?

In particular, the cinnamon one.

I found one bakery in Palo Alto that carries them, but I thought they were charging too much, plus they're not too close to me. I wanted to see if I could find 2-4 others in the Bay Area.

I tried calling Green's a few times.

http://www.greenscakes.com/ContactUs.aspx

The first time, the person answering just told me to contact them though their website. I went to their website, and tried both using the online form, and by sending them emails directly with the email address listed.

I never receive a response, nor not even an acknowledgment that I sent an email. I've sent numerous emails over the past month.

I tried calling again, and this time he told me the name of 2 distributors in California, that then sell it to local bakeries and stores.

He seemed reluctant to give me more information.

I tried looking up the contact info for the distribution companies he mentioned:

* Solomon

* D.N.A. (spelling? not sure if I heard right.

)

But I can't find anything about them.

I tried using this food service distributor search for babkes, but I couldn't find any results.

http://www.foodservice.com/foodshow/f...

Does anyone have any suggestions as to what I can do next, to find what stores carry Green's Cinnamon babkes? Thanks.

[hyperbowler]

Last week, Pal's Takeway had slices of Green's Babke and slices of Wise Sons Babke. I'm not sure if they sell it whole though.

[Windy]

Pal's always has chocolate babka. Really good. Not sure whose it was.

[sugartoof]

I really like what I've had from Wise Sons, but the chocolate Babke needs improvement.

I found the texture, and even choice of chocolate a little off for a classic babke.

[nuraman00]

Can I find Wise Sons Babke outside of S.F.?

[sugartoof]

You would have to contact them and see about mail order, since they're just a pop up at this point....but I don't know why you would want to. If it was dried out when I had it, I can only imagine what shipping would do. You can probably find some of the best Babka's in the country with mail order options, I'd think.

[nuraman00]

Thanks. Between the three different babka brands I've tried (Green's; Saul's Deli; and Niles Pies), I really liked Green's the best.

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Saul's Deli
1475 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley, CA 94709

[pdpast]

Greene's babka? Why bother? After a trip to the warehouse freezer for a few months, a freezer 18 wheeler journey 3500 miles, you no longer have quality babka. Chocolate and poppy seed babka is made by an passionate baker Hana here in Berkeley and is sold at Saul's delicatessen. Heated slightly and served with tea or coffee makes for a superb afternoon pick-me-up. Sometimes our memories ruin a good local food experiences.

[pauliface]

Please. I'm happy to try hana but please do not disparage green's, it is delicious.

[kimfair1]

I order Green's babke through the Zabar's web site in NYC each year at the holidays. Not sure hw much you're paying for it in SF, it's pretty expensive through Zabar's, but soooooo good!

[LarryW]

Molly Stone's in Palo Alto. Good kosher section, too.

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Mollie Stone's Market
164 S California Ave, Palo Alto, CA

[nuraman00]

Thanks. I ended up getting it from Mollie Stone. Not only did it end up being the most convenient, but it was also the cheapest price I found ($8.99). The 2 other places I found were $10.99 - $11.99.

I called both Berkeley Bowl locations, but they said they didn't even carry it. Oakland Kosher did carry it ($10.99).

I just ate some. I've never had babka before. It tastes like a cinnamon roll.

It is good.

Anyone that eats cinnamon bread and cinnamon babkes, do they taste any different? Just curious.

I have a question about storing it. Do I need to refrigerate it?

Also, how do I close the bag that it comes in? When sealed, it came with a little plastic tie, but you can't really use that again once you break the tie.

Also, how long does it last? Does it get moldy after a while?

Thanks.

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Berkeley Bowl
2020 Oregon St, Berkeley, CA 94703

Mollie Stone's
851 Cherry Ave # 22, San Bruno, CA

[reesie]

Babka should be wrapped tightly in a plastic bag and stored at room temperature. If you cannot finish the whole thing before it turns, you can also freeze it. Storage time varies, based on storage temperature. Just try to eat it as quickly as possible! I've never had babka last for more than a few days, but I would typically eat them with my family, so it went quickly!

Also, I like warming it up in the toaster oven for a little bit before eating. Room temp is good too, but I always like it a bit warm.

[nuraman00]

Thanks, I'll try the toaster suggestion tonight.

Also, thanks for the plastic bag suggestion.

[nuraman00]

I'm looking at the ingredients to the babka:

Flour, Partially hydrogenated soybean and cottonseed oil, water, eggs, sugar, cinnamon, cocoa, yeast, vanilla, salt.

Other than cocoa, how are the ingredients to plain cinnamon bread different?

[stanbee]

Jewish style Babka is usually richer in eggs and sweeter than cinnamon bread.

Besides, those I grew up with from bakeries were topped with streusel crumbs and much taller than the usual cinnamon bread. They are rich breads.

[nuraman00]

Thanks for the explanation.

You are right, there were streusel crumbs on the babka.

[wolfe]

Most local bakers would eschew partially hydrogenated oils like the plague.

[wolfe]

BBW today Green's Chocolate and Cinnamon Babkis(?pleural) were $9.99 and made with palm oil no partially hydrogenated. Slightly different label Cinnamon made with partially hydrogenated oil shares the shelf.

[nuraman00]

I went to Mollie Stone's yesterday, and looked at the ingredients. You are right, the Cinnamon does now have palm oil, not partially hydrogenated soybean and cottonseed oil.

Interesting that they changed the ingredients just 5-6 weeks after the post in this thread.

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Mollie Stone's
851 Cherry Ave # 22, San Bruno, CA

[nuraman00]

I had the chocolate babka this time. I give it a 10.0/10.0.

However, I think I'd give the cinnamon a 11.0/10.0. :).

[wolfe]

Did you notice, probably because of the fuss we have been making, that since my last post 3 weeks ago the price has increased by $1? Now $10.99 BBW.

[nuraman00]

wolfe, is BBW Berkeley Bowl? If so, it's too bad Berkeley Bowl was never able to confirm that they had Babka, when I called a few months ago. They either said they didn't have it, or didn't know, so I never went.

Luckily someone later posted about Mollie Stone (in Palo Alto), which was just as convenient as Berkeley Bowl for me, and they had a better price too.

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Berkeley Bowl
2020 Oregon St, Berkeley, CA 94703

Mollie Stone's
851 Cherry Ave # 22, San Bruno, CA

[wolfe]

Yes Berkeley Bowl West. I tried without success to find it at the east store but I didn't try too hard.

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Berkeley Bowl West
920 Heinz Ave, Berkeley, CA

[majordanby]

berkeley bowl east has them. it's located near greenlee's bread, grand's challah....right next to the tables.

[nuraman00]

wolfe, I went to Mollie Stone's last week, and saw they raised the prices to $10.

Maybe it's happening everywhere because of our fuss, haha.

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Mollie Stone's
851 Cherry Ave # 22, San Bruno, CA

[nuraman00]

I posted this in another thread, but don't think I mentioned it here.

I went to Saul's Deli a few months ago.

* Chocolate babke. This one wasn't as flaky as the Green's store-bought chocolate babke. It held together better.

It was good, but I actually prefer the Greene's babka.

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Saul's Deli
1475 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley, CA 94709

[nuraman00]

I tried Niles Pies Chocolate Babka, and Niles Pies Cinnamon Babka:

It looks like they are currently not on their Niles Pies website, but here's an image from elsewhere on the internet, of what it looked like. I guess they took it off of their menu at the beginning of October, perhaps it was a seasonal item.

http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0054...

* Chocolate Babka: It was ok. I liked how they used bittersweet chocolate. But I didn't like the texture as much. I wouldn't say it was too crunchy, or too doughy. But the texture of the crust reminded me of eating a chocolate chip cookie. It's probably some sort of combination of all of those descriptions.

So because of the texture, I'd only give it a 7.5/10.

* Cinnamon Babka:

This babka had the most intense cinnamon flavor I've ever had. Possibly even with respect to any cinnamon dessert I've ever had. It was that strong. I liked that about it.

But, the texture suffered the same fate as the chocolate babka.

So, even though I really liked the cinnamon (and I liked the bittersweet chocolate in the chocolate babka), I'd only give this one a 7.5 too.

If you look at the image I linked, you can probably see what I was talking about, when I mentioned the texture.

[stanbee]

Miller's East Coast West Deli on Polk St., SF

The choc Babka is .. sugar gritty.Quite disappointing from my childhood. Have not tried the cinnamon, if they still have it. Call.

[pauliface]

They carry them at Harvest Market on Market near Noe.
Is there anything better?

[ChowFun_derek]

Lucky's in S.F. (on Fulton at Masonic) has both kinds...not sure of their other outlets though

[milklady]

Berkeley Bowl usually has them. Oakland Kosher sometimes does. They're 10ish dollars.

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Berkeley Bowl
2020 Oregon St, Berkeley, CA 94703

[nuraman00]

Thanks milklady. I will call those places and find out.