Book Tour Diaries: DC + NYC

All my favourite spots from this recent visit

Finally back home, in a comparatively cold London. After the surprisingly summery and warm tour across America, stepping off the plane at Heathrow felt positively arctic. Before I jump back into our regularly scheduled programming next week, I’ve got lots of recommendations for you from the last two stops on the tour; New York and Washington DC.

Before we get into the places I loved in the last two cities I visited, I wanted to say a big, very grateful thank you. Going on these tours is, at least for me, a bit nerve-wracking. I always worry that people won’t show up and that I’ll disappoint the book stores and different venues (tells you a lot about my personality, I guess), but this tour really reset my expectations. The events all sold out; the reception I received was also so kind, and, to be completely honest, it was slightly emotional. And what blew me away even more was how many of YOU came and told me you were a newsletter subscriber, and that many of you even brought copies of my older books to sign. It was so special, so thank you. It really meant the world to me. Next week I’ll be back to new recipes, but for now let me tell you all about the incredible places I checked out in DC and NYC.

Washington DC

I had very little free time in DC, but this was also my first visit to the city in almost 20 years, so it felt like visiting for the first time, and I wanted to see what the city had to offer. In my short visit, I managed to check out two excellent bakeries and enjoyed a nice walk around the city. We also went to a great Filipino restaurant after the event, called Purple Patch.

Seylou Bakery

This was the number one bakery that was recommended by people on here and over on Instagram. Those recommendations were solid because this bakery proved to be as fantastic as you all said it was. A real focus on local produce and very high quality grain, everything I tried here had such a warm toasty flavour, clearly no white flavourless flour is used here. But they don’t just use whole grain flours, they mill 100% of the grain they use, in house.  The use of wholemeal flours means you’re not getting the classic French feel or simple buttery taste in your croissant, instead it’s a complex flavour of butter and whole grains, a much nuttier and more interesting flavour.

At this bakery, I tried another breakfast sandwich (a theme of this trip, it seems) made using their classic croissant, and it was excellent, with a beautiful flavour and texture from the croissant with a filling made of scrambled egg, cheese and bacon (the meat option seems to change regularly hence the unusual menu option to ‘+ add meat’. Also worth noting the coffee was similarly of high quality.

Yellow

This bakery has two locations, and the one we visited was in Georgetown, quite possibly the prettiest neighbourhood you’ll ever visit. It’s also incredibly popular; it had the biggest queue of anywhere I visited on this tour, and every single seat was occupied and quickly reoccupied the second any space became available. The bakery is inspired by Levantine flavours, so you can expect zataar-coated croissants, labne, orange blossom, and many other ingredients from the region. While they call themselves a bakery, they also have a full brunch menu. On this visit, we chose the labne-stuffed zataar croissant and the cardamom morning bun.

The croissant was my choice, and it was full-on herby deliciousness. The croissant is entirely coated in zataar, so you’ll really need to love the stuff. Once baked, the croissant is piped full with labne. For personal taste, there was probably a touch too much filling, but it was still absolutely delicious. I really loved the design and feel of this place; the range of baking on offer had some really unique and interesting flavours, but it was incredibly busy (well done to them!). We went on a Sunday morning, and if anything, I think it'd be better to visit on a weekday when the queue might be a little less intense.

NYC

Unlike DC, New York is a place I have visited many times before, so I ended up patronising a mix of new spots and old favourites. New York always seems to have something new to offer, and it’s always fun to check out the new spots that have opened in between visits.

L’industrie

I have a current obsession with New York style pizza (a big newsletter dedicated to this is coming very soon), so of course I went in search of a slice. I’ve always loved Scarrs, and it’s been my benchmark for quality for many years. On this trip I visited L'Industrie, and I think this might be even better. The dough had the perfect texture and a stellar flavour. The toppings were incredible, the flavours on offer were fun and varied, and to be honest, this was probably the best slice of pizza I’ve had in quite a while.

They have two locations - one in Brooklyn and one in the West Village. The queues might seem intense, but they move quickly. They also do the biggest dessert selection I've ever seen at a pizzeria. They have a pastry cake filled with cakes and doughnuts plus a couple different soft serve options including an excellent olive oil soft serve with an extra drizzle of oil and a sprinkling of salt. 

Hamburger America

As I was in the city for longer than most of my other stops, I was also able to try a few more places, so I actually had time for another savoury option, Hamburger America. I loved this place for its simplicity. Opened by George Motz, an actual burger historian, this spot pays homage to American burger culture. They serve two burgers, a classic smash burger and a fried onion burger, which they are famous for. They also rotate a monthly special, which highlights a regional burger from across America.

I stuck with a classic smash burger, and it’s done incredibly well, if very simply. This is not an over-the-top, crazily constructed monstrosity; it’s a really good, really simple smash burger. Fries similarly excellent with an equally understated vibe.

Bagels

If you’re coming to NYC, a bagel joint will inevitably be on your list, but which one? The city supposedly has over 200 bagel shops, so there are plenty to choose from. Over the last couple years, so many new spots seemed to have opened, and they’re all competing for your hunger. They’re also courting, or just on the receiving end of, virality and a giant social media spotlight. The two most hyped (overhyped?) spots right now are probably Popup Bagels and Apollo Bagels. Obviously, I tried them both. Arguably neither place makes a traditional bagel, and it’s also arguable that they make something some people wouldn’t classify as a bagel at all. The way they’re shaped, the texture, and the way they’re baked all differ from the traditional Jewish baking methods used to make a New York bagel. So bearing that in mind, which, if either, was worth a visit. Popup bagels has a very unusual model in that they don’t serve sandwiches; it’s plain bagels and tubs of different smears. You also can’t just buy a single bagel; the minimum order is 3. The bagels are also baked constantly throughout the day, so your bagels are always warm, and to be completely honest, that is when they’re best; I didn’t love them once cooled.

Apollo bagels have similarly nontraditionally made bagels. They make the dough with sourdough, and they have an unusually airy texture with a light crackly crust. They still have a good chew, and the flavour of the dough is excellent. As this bagel shop, they sold both singles and sandwiches, so this time I only tried the bagels served as a sandwich, so I can’t say what these are like as simple plain bagels but the sandwich? Delicious. I did an everything bagel with scallion (spring onion) cream cheese and sliced tomato. It is served open-faced, so from a fillings point of view, it was very generous. The cream cheese was delicious, and the tomato, right at the end of the season, was also very good and seasoned well. Any New Yorker will tell you that toasting bagels, particularly fresh bagels, is a big no-no, but Apollo toasts theirs as standard when ordered with a topping. Maybe it’s because they’re made with sourdough? but it does work. They’re delicious. Any New Yorkers know what they’re like, fresh but untoasted? Hungry/curious minds want to know!

Whilst I thought both had some really positive points and I’d absolutely recommend Apollo, they’re definitely not classic New York bagels, and whilst I enjoyed these spots, I really hope that the traditional New York bagel is also able to survive and thrive.

For the sweeter side of things, I ventured across the river to Brooklyn to check out Radio Bakery and Ciao Gloria. The latter isn’t new, but I had failed to visit on my last trip to the city and wanted to correct that oversight this time around.

Radio Bakery

Radio is clearly at the centre of a hype storm right now; it was absolutely rammed even on a Wednesday morning. I can see why though; the quality was very high, and they make a lot of viennoisserie items, and unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll know that’s the mandatory style of baking for a bakery these days if they want to go viral. Now, I have no hate for viennoiserie; even if you can detect a little bit of snark, I’m a lifelong member of the croissant fan club, but I’m excited for bakeries that make other things to also become as viral and as trendy. I think we might have reached viennoiserie saturation at this point. That’s partly why I’m so excited about Miro and Shilpa Uskokovic’s upcoming project, Hani’s Bakery, which is a very clear step away from this trend in favour of more cake and more nostalgic American desserts (opening very soon). Number one on my list to visit next time I’m in New York!

Anyway, back to Radio Bakery. To be fair to them, the viennoiserie they make is incredibly good, and they do have range; they make breads, a few cakes, and a couple cookies. But viennoiserie is clearly their speciality and their focus. The bakery has a very charming rustic and lived-in feel, and the baking is similarly devoid of flashy finishes and drama; it’s simple and kind of humble, it's all about the food. Whilst there we tried a couple different things, a pretzel bearclaw and an apple tart. Both were really good, the pretzel pastry primarily a delicious vessel to hold a healthy dose of cheese and mustard. The apple tart was suprisingly sophisticated and layered with its flavour. It had light and flaky pastry, a frangipane made with brown butter, a fresh apple puree spiked with lots of vanilla, and finished with thinly sliced apple. Your simple French apple tart, this was not. If a place like this opened in my neighbourhood, I would be very happy. But maybe with added cake, please.

Supermoon Bakehouse

If you were following my book tour, you’ll know my NYC event was held at Supermoon Bakehouse in Manhattan. What started out as a primarily croissant-based bakery has slowly evolved to a bakery with a surprising range. From croissants and cruffins to eclairs, cookies, and even ice cream. They’ll also be bringing back their relatively new chocolate program soon too! We were too busy prepping for the event, so I didn’t get a chance to try much of the baking currently on offer, but I did end the night trying some of their brilliant ice cream, both a sliver of their incredibly popular ube ice cream sandwich and some of the delicious fireball apple pie gelato. If you like adventurous and unusual flavours, they absolutely have you sorted!

For the pop-up, one of the cookies they made was an adaptation of my blueberry muffin top cookie; they made it a little more 'supermoon’ so it also had some blackberries and a touch of yuzu in it too. The cookie was absolutely fantastic, and they’ve decided to keep it on the menu all month. So, if you’re in NYC at all in October, you’ll be able to get a cookie and a copy of my book direct from the bakery!

Ciao Gloria

Also in Brooklyn, Ciao Gloria is an Italian American bakery from Renato Poliafito, one of the co-founders of Baked Bakery. I’ve been meaning to visit this spot since it opened. I was a big fan of Baked and wanted to see what Renato had done for his second act. In this bakery he has really leaned into his Italian-American background and made a rather special bakery, serving up Italian-American baking. I tried the rainbow cookies, a cookie inspired by the Italian flag. Made with lots of almond flavour this is a dream cookie for someone like me who is a big fan of marzipan. Renato also sent me away with a box of goodies for my journey home. The apple cider doughnut Bundt was a particular favourite! I also had a quick peek at his newest endeavour, Pasta Night. What started as an occasional pop-up at the bakery has jumped across the street into a fully fledged permanent restaurant. Next time I’m in town I can’t wait to try out their pasta!

Signed Copies of Small Batch Cookies

As I was able to visit multiple bookshops on this tour, I have left a bunch of signed copies in all of the various independent bookshops we visited. If you’d like a copy, they’re currently available from:

Nordicware - Minneapolis https://www.nordicware.com/products/small-batch-cookies-cookbook/

Book Larder - Seattle https://booklarder.com/products/small-batch-cookies-deliciously-easy-bakes-for-one-to-six-people

Omnivore Books - San Francisco https://omnivorebooks.myshopify.com/collections/new-release/products/pre-order-small-batch-cookies-deliciously-easy-bakes-for-one-to-six-people-edd-kimber

Bold Fork Books - Washington, DC https://boldforkbooks.com/products/small-batch-cookies-edd-kimber

Kitchen Arts and Letters - NYC https://www.kitchenartsandletters.com/products/small-batch-cookies

I should note that all of these shops can deliver nationwide, and of course you can also visit in person. Each location has varying stock levels, especially of signed copies, so it’s possible they’ll have sold out by the time you read this.