Reasons why I love By The Way Bakery? First, Helene Godin, the owner. Similar to myself, Helene left her job in corporate America to follow her passion and open BTW… and I’m so happy she did. With locations on the Upper West Side and in Hastings, NY, Helene and I bonded over the passion we have for our current jobs helping the gluten and dairy free communities. The second, and most important reason why I LOVE BTW, is because of the DELICIOUS baked goods. I’m always on the hunt for great gluten free dessert, and at BTW I found myself saying over and over “is this really gluten free??” Trust me, one trip to BTW Bakery and you will be calling all of your friends telling them how you found the best bakery in the world, and “by the way” the entire shop is gluten and dairy free…
My favorites treats were the chocolate chip brownie and the chocolate chip cookie. Yes I am a chocoholic and might be a bit biased towards all things chocolate, but these brownies and cookies are outstanding. And I know my brownies and cookies! The almond cookie and the ginger crinkle cookie were both delicious, too, and great options for people who prefer hard-baked cookies over soft. When I was at the bakery, a customer came in and ordered an almond cookie. Two minutes later, he returned to the store exclaiming he had a bite of the cookie on his way out, and ate his entire order and needed more! Helene noted that the pear cranberry muffin as well as the mini chocolate bundt cakes are also incredibly popular. I’m a big granola person, and BTW packages and sells their own house-made granola. Again, another must purchase. Lastly, I need to talk about the chocolate cake with raspberry filling and vanilla icing on the outside. This cake might have been the most amazing piece of cake I’ve ever had. The vanilla icing tastes like pureed vanilla beans and I am in awe that it is dairy free, too! Chocolate and raspberry is a unique combination, and I was curious as to how the flavors would mesh; it’s official, they mesh incredibly well!
My gluten-eating family partook in the tasting and everyone agreed that the baked goods are incredible. As much as I hate the word “moist” it was the first word everyone (including myself) used to describe the food, and they, too, asked on several occasions, “is this really gluten free??” Gluten free, dairy free, and kosher! Thank you Helene for making gluten and dairy free easy, fun, and absolutely delicious. It’s official BTW Bakery is my favorite bakery in the city and “by the way”… it’s gluten free. 🙂