Alf Bakery, NYC

New York City obviously has a lot of bakeries.  Many are known for a signature thing, e.g. the cronut from Dominique Ansel Bakery, the cupcake (or banana pudding) from Magnolia, the Milk Bar Pie (née Crack Pie) from Milk Bar, etc.  Sure, these places have plenty of other great things, but, there is one item that is a bit unique, and really put them on the map.

And such is the case for Alf Bakery, a small bakery located in Chelsea Market.  They make breads, viennoiserie, pastries, babka, and sandwiches, but if you ask anyone if they've heard of Alf, they'll probably say, "oh, yeah, the laminated baguette place!"  Because, as far as I know, they are the only ones making this hybrid bread.  I've had soooo many people tell me to seek it out, particularly given that our office is close by.

But I never prioritized it.  Sure, I like croissants, but in a city filled with so many epic baked goods, this seemed hard to prioritize.  And then, just like that, in early December 2025, Alf announced that they were closing at the end of the month (possibly relocating?).  Oh noes.  Well, now I had FOMO, and HAD to prioritize it when I was in town for a week for a summit.

But a co-worker beat me to it.  He went and picked up a loaf, and bought it back to the office to share.  Excellent!

Seeded Laminated Baguette. $10.50.

He selected the seeded laminated baguette, a great choice.  It came wrapped in a traditional baguette bag.

Alf Bakery also makes a non-seeded version, and regular baguettes as well, but the seeded laminated one is probably the most famous.  You can also get simple French sandwiches on them, e.g. ham and cheese.  We had just the baguette, all that as needed, really.

Seeded Laminated Baguette.

I ripped off a hunk.  My reaction was immediate.

Wow, this really was as unique and interesting as people say it is.

It was flaky and messy like a croissant (and even more so with the seeds), had all the deep butteriness of a croissant, but then ... woah, had the exterior and chew of a baguette?  So fascinating.  And it worked.  It really, really worked.

It was delicious to just eat a hunk like this, but I think it would be great with cream cheese, or stuffed with smoked salmon and creme fraiche ...

I don't understand why these aren't a thing at more places.  I'm glad I finally got to try this, and now mourn the fact that it will be my last (at least for a while).

4/5.