Since 1964, Harlem baker Alvin Lee Smalls—known locally as Mr. Lee or “Lee Lee”—has handmade rugelach, the Jewish pastry he perfected after discovering a newspaper recipe while working in a hospital bakery. Lee Lee’s Baked Goods has sold its fresh, all-natural rugelach in Harlem for more than 50 years, building a cross-cultural neighborhood institution around Smalls’s distinctive version of the pastry. The shop also makes other signature baked goods and ships its rugelach beyond New York.
My Mother’s Delicacies, IncSince 1988, Susan Herlands’s Scranton bakery has turned her family’s Old World recipes into hand-rolled rugelach and other pastries. The signature rugelach recipe, preserved through four generations from her grandmother Bertha Hodin’s Polish heritage, remains the company’s defining specialty, alongside Hungarian kipfel and a café selection of baked goods. My Mother’s Delicacies is certified Kosher dairy under the supervision of the Union of Orthodox Rabbis, New York.311412SCRANTON, PA
Carrot Top Pastries, IncKnown around New York City as the “Carrot Cake Queen,” Carrot Top Pastries has baked cakes and pastries on premises in Inwood since 1979 and Washington Heights since 1985. The family-run bakery is also a full-service restaurant, serving its uptown community from two locations and catering celebrations, offices, and other events. Its customers have included Stevie Wonder, Bishop Desmond Tutu, and the King of Spain, but the Mancino family says its heart remains with local neighbors.NEW YORK, NY
Lloyd's Carrot CakeLloyd’s Carrot Cake has been baking from scratch in New York since Lloyd Adams opened his Riverdale storefront in 1986, built around a carrot-cake recipe he adapted from his mother. After Lloyd’s death, his wife Betty carried on the bakery before their children, Lilka and Brandon, took the helm following her passing. The family-run bakery now serves its signature carrot cake and other baked goods from locations in the Bronx and East Harlem, and is certified kosher dairy.RIVERDALE, NY
Mansoura BakeryTracing its baking legacy to Aleppo circa 1780, Mansoura Bakery makes handmade Mediterranean and Middle Eastern pastries, confections, and specialty foods in Brooklyn. The family rebuilt its business in New York in 1961 and continues to use traditional recipes and methods across more than five generations, including for its baklava and handmade chocolates. Mansoura is also kosher certified and marked as Made in NYC.BROOKLYN, NY