Blue Ribbon Bakery

I could live on Downing Street in New York's West Village just to eat more meals at the Blue Ribbon Bakery. My party arrived at the end of the lunch crowd and were quickly seated by the window in a rustic booth with a cutting board style table. Our cutie-pie waiter, Casey, greeted us quickly and apprised us of a few menu changes. The bread basket with a crusty white bread, a rye and an olive flat bread quickly threatened to sabotage our appetites.

I ordered a glass of the New Zealand Savignon Blanc and surveyed the youthful crowd in the bistro. I caught the eye of a gray-haired waiter that would be played by John Malkovich in the movie version of his life story. The window booth was not only decorated with boxes of geraniums and rosemary, but it provided a perfect view for people-watching.

Based on Casey's recommendation I ordered the Mushroom Ginger Broth, which he generously offered to divide into two bowls so I could share with my teenage daughter, and the Hummus Platter, one of his favorites. Casey was so charming and the bread and wine was so delicious that I wasn't even irritated when the food came out before the soup. I'm sure it would have been wonderful, but I canceled the order with the hopes of ordering dessert instead.

The couscous and iceberg salads that accompanied the hummus and freshly made pita were fabulous. I tasted my friend's smoked salmon sandwich. We agreed that the sweet raisin bread made an interesting contrast to the savory salmon. My daughter wiped her grilled chicken ceasar bowl clean.

I'm so glad I saved room for dessert. I ordered the Kona coffee and considered the grapefruit sorbet, but decided to give my diet some time off. Instead I selected the Banana Walnut Bread Pudding and my daughter the Chocolate Bruno. I was in epicurean ecstasy. The chocolate was so rich and the caramel sauce on the bread pudding so mouthwatering that I wished I hadn't eaten all that bread earlier.

Despite my fullness, we still crossed the street for the bakery after our meal. I selected a couple of flatbreads to enjoy later and was easily convinced to sample the Blue Ribbon honeys. It was a difficult choice, but I opted for the Tuscan orange blossom variety. Even the next morning, the breads were delicious.