Dominique Ansel Bakery is without a doubt the most popular bakery in New York City, and Dominique Ansel is absolutely the most well known pastry chef, not just in New York City, but in the world. He amazed the world with the first ‘cronut,’ a mix of a croissant and a dount, and then stunned the world again when he introduced the cookie shot; a shot glass made out of chocolate chip cookie filled with milk! Unfortunately, neither of these novelties are gluten free, thus I saw no reason to go to the bakery. It wasn’t until I heard DA Bakery serves gluten free options, including a flourless chocolate cookie, that I knew I needed to go to the bakery and have a try…
Three things stuck out to me at Dominique Ansel Bakery. First, the man himself was there!There is nothing I enjoy more then seeing a Chef or prominent owner that is visible to his or her customers. It shows their love for the restaurant and for his or her craft. Second, not only does the bakery have gluten free options, but the staff is WELL aware of which treats are gluten free, where in the bakery they are placed, and the ingredients included in them. When I went to the bakery for the first time last week and asked which items were gluten free, I was completely impressed by the staff’s gluten free knowledge. I was instructed, without hesitation, on which pastries I could try, and I even got the run down of which ones were the crowd favorites! This brings me to the third (but not final) notable aspect of the bakery. The flourless chocolate and pecan cookie. This chocolate cookie is incredible. Hard on the outside but completely soft and gooey on the inside. It also has big chunks of chocolate and small bites of pecan, giving the cookie extra flavor and texture. Furthermore, it is placed right next to the register and when ordering, it is the first item you see! A gluten free pastry front and center of one of the most famous bakeries in the world? Love it!
I enjoyed my experience at DA Bakery so much that by the end of my visit, I didn’t even care that I couldn’t order the famous cronut or cookie shot! Delicious gluten free options that I will absolutely be back for, a well trained staff, and adorable ambiance; it’s no wonder why Dominique Ansel has the most successful bakery in New York City. Now let’s just work on a gluten free cronut and cookie shot and I’ll really be impressed…