City Bakery

Contributor

Citysearch

This vast, incredibly popular Flatiron super-bakery is as crowded for Sunday morning brunches as an uptown 6 train during rush hour. Expect a mad jumble of Prada bags, baby strollers and fierce body-to-body jockeying for open seats. But for its baked goods alone--the wonderfully salty, soft-on-the-inside pretzel croissants, the moist cheese Danishes, the textbook lemon and chocolate tarts--City Bakery is worth the trouble. Also noteworthy is the eatery's global array of buffet salads and entrees. Typical choices include breaded catfish, black peas with kaffir lime and salads like jasmine rice with sweet preserved beans and Thai basil. When it's cold, steaming mugs of hot chocolate are served with or without a homemade marshmallow.