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Grandaisy Bakery

Location
176 West 72nd Street
Neighborhoods
Grandaisy Bakery 1 Bakeries Upper West Side

Having tried many of their delicious flatbreads and hearing their praises sung by Andy Jacobi of Untamed Sandwiches - who has his rolls custom-made by Grandaisy - it was a delight to meet Monica and Romel, the masterminds behind this incredibly successful bakery. Monica, the owner, started Grandaisy - named for her grandmother - after opening Sullivan Street Bakery with Jim Lahey in 1994. As for Romel, "What doesn't Romel do?" Monica said, trying to define his role. He is an integral part of the company, including being in charge of marketing and catering. The two have worked together since the bakery got its start on a "sleepy street" in Soho in 2006. They then moved to Tribeca and later opened the 72nd Street location in 2008. In addition to their storefronts, Grandaisy has 250 direct distributors throughout the tri-state area. With their main operations in Tribeca, as opposed to New Jersey or the Bronx, restaurants often choose to call Grandaisy for last-minute orders. "Our ovens are essentially never off," they said.

Monica's journey to running a bakery is not one often heard in the food industry: she is an anthropologist, and received her PhD while working in rural Bolivia. She also spent time studying in Italy, where her attitude towards food changed. She explained, "People would ask me to join them for lunch and I would say, 'no, that's okay, I've got an apple.' But that's not how things are done. They would drag me out to dine." She learned that a huge part of the Italian's culture is taking coffee breaks and eating proper meals. Monica's dream was to bring a piece of this ritual to New York through Grandaisy.

Monica's time in Bolivia also stressed to her the importance of food. "Among the Aimara people, if you have a good husband, he would build an oven for you," she told us. Monica also believes that her skills as an anthropologist have allowed her to better understand people's cultures and, therefore, their approach to food. At this point in our conversation, Romel jumped in to say, "It's all about helping people: being an anthropologist, or opening a bakeshop."

Then Romel brought out a selection of flatbreads for us to taste. I was thrilled to have the Manhattan Sideways team try the cauliflower option - my favorite - with its hint of gruyere. We went on to taste several others, including the phenomenal potato and onion, butternut squash and the zucchini. Each of these flatbreads were originally going to be seasonal, but Monica proudly told us that Grandaisy witnessed such a strong demand that they decided to offer them year round. As we were complimenting the variety of flatbreads, both Monica and Romel admitted that they, too, love eating the food at Grandaisy. "Romel has just started running marathons just so he can eat all he wants," Monica cheekily informed us.

As we continued trying some of the scrumptious almond cake that Romel offered us and learned about the tiny sweet sandwiches called "panino dolci," I asked if they had plans for Grandaisy to open in other neighborhoods. Monica said that they are content to remain as they are, for the time being. Fewer locations make it easier to create a baking community, both within their own company and with their customers. The bakers, many of whom have been with Grandaisy since it first began, are often traded between Tribeca and the Upper West Side so that they can experience both locations. The pastry chef has a particularly wonderful story: his father was a baker in Guatemala, and when he applied for a job sweeping the floors, Monica saw his potential as a great chef. Though Grandaisy has expanded its operations somewhat, by churning out a line of jam (including spaghetti squash jam, a Bolivian specialty), Monica and Romel have never put pressure on their pastry chef to create more variety – "We are all about making a few things really well." Both Monica and Romel agree that their favorite part about owning a bakeshop is introducing people to high quality items that can be enjoyed in small doses. Romel said, "We're happy doing what we're doing – food can really be a transformative experience." They then reminisced about how they used to stand behind the counter serving guests. They miss it, but whenever they are on West 72nd Street, they fully appreciate the casual community that has formed as customers stand in line and join in conversation.

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Grandaisy Bakery 1 Bakeries Upper West Side
Grandaisy Bakery 2 Bakeries Upper West Side
Grandaisy Bakery 3 Bakeries Upper West Side
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Grandaisy Bakery 7 Bakeries Upper West Side
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Grandaisy Bakery 10 Bakeries Upper West Side
Grandaisy Bakery 11 Bakeries Upper West Side
Grandaisy Bakery 12 Bakeries Upper West Side
Grandaisy Bakery 13 Bakeries Upper West Side
Grandaisy Bakery 14 Bakeries Upper West Side
Grandaisy Bakery 15 Bakeries Upper West Side
Grandaisy Bakery 16 Bakeries Upper West Side
Grandaisy Bakery 17 Bakeries Upper West Side
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Grandaisy Bakery 19 Bakeries Upper West Side

More places on 72nd Street

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Tip Top Shoes 1 Mens Shoes Women's Shoes Family Owned undefined

Tip Top Shoes

When I visited Tip Top Shoes in the summer of 2015, the store was celebrating its seventy-fifth anniversary. Danny Wasserman proudly showed me the most recent edition of Footwear News, which was essentially dedicated to Tip Top. There were messages from countless sponsors in the shoe world, congratulating the Wasserman family for their longevity. Sitting down with Danny and his children, Lester and Margot, who are in charge of West NYC and Tip Top Kids respectively was an absolute pleasure. Having grown up just a block away, Lester and Margot were immersed in the business even as toddlers. In high school, both began working at the store with their dad. Lester was immediately drawn into the world of shoes, learning as much as he could with the ultimate goal of opening his own sneaker shop, West NYC, a few doors down. Lester explained to me that Tip Top already sold sporty designer men's shoes, but that he expanded this concept into a trendier store in 2007. Margot, on the other hand, knew that she wanted to work in retail, but began her career with Ralph Lauren. She stayed there through the dot-com revolution and then returned to work for her father. Included in the copy of Footwear News was a picture of how the store looked decades ago. Display cases took up the first few feet on either side of the door. Danny's grandfather originally opened the store after coming to the United States from Israel. He chose to buy the little shoe shop, which had been uptown in Riverdale, from an elderly German couple. The family then moved the store to 72nd Street. "Things were very different, " Danny explained to me. "People were less affluent, there were fewer options, and every shoe in the store was in the window. " He told me that at one point there were two black shoes and two brown shoes for men, and that was what customers had to choose from. Expanding on the neighborhood's history, Danny said that the street was frequented by pimps. "We had white boots with fur at the time that we couldn't keep in stock. "Later, the store was expanded both forward (eliminating the window displays) and back. Today, Tip Top continues to have a loyal following, many from the next generation of shoppers. Having walked so many streets in Manhattan, Tip Top has been a wonderful reminder to me that the old world concept of customer service, with a warm staff who have been working with the Wassermans for years, still exists. This thinking was solidified when I asked the family why they never considered expanding to another location. The response from Danny simply stated that they never wanted to spread themselves too thin. "The reason for our success is because we're all here. "It was really touching to see how strong the glue is that holds the Wasserman family together. I was not surprised when I learned that Lester, Margot and their parents live in the same building, a block over on 72nd Street - but on different floors. Yes, Tip Top has been an incredible success story in the world of mom and pop stores, but not everyone has had the great fortune of such a beautiful family relationship. When I expressed this sentiment to Danny, he replied, "Everyone says how fortunate I am to have my kids, and they're right. " He then went on to say with a warm smile, "I mean, my son chooses to work with me six days a week. " Lester shook his head in agreement and responded, "And I am lucky to have the best possible teacher to educate me. "

Lost Gem
Gebhard’s Beer Culture 1 Beer Shops Bars Beer Bars undefined

Gebhard’s Beer Culture

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Lost Gem
Malachy's Donegal Inn 1 Bars American undefined

Malachy's Donegal Inn

With its prime 72nd Street location, I have passed by Malachy's Donegal Inn almost daily, but had never stepped inside. I was always waiting for the day when I would be working on this street, so that I could go in with the Manhattan Sideways team and have a good time. And that is exactly what happened. "Looks can be deceiving, believe me, " owner Bill Raftery immediately said when we popped in during the lunch hour in the middle of the week. He continued to speak lovingly and confidently of his pub, which has been in business since 1989. "This bar has the best pub food of any like it in the area, " Bill stated. Looking around, we were pleased to find the old wooden bar packed from end to end. According to Bill, most of his lunch customers are crew guys from local theaters like The Beacon and Lincoln Center, and "they are loyal. " Engaging in conversation with more than a dozen men and women, we learned a lot about Bill, and the warm environment that he has built. As Bill continued to serve people from behind the bar, he spoke of how much the neighborhood has changed since he purchased Malachy's. On Saint Patrick's Day, the area used to be blanketed in green bar-goers. "You could not move in this neighborhood the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. There's nothing like seeing them blow up those balloons. " Hikes in parking and travel costs have drastically reduced business on both of those days, he lamented. Still, he brightened up when pointing to the crowded bar, and said how his regulars are certainly devoted customers. Quite busy, he told us to stop by for a drink sometime soon, and headed into the kitchen.