Orwasher’s
Almond Croissant
Raspberry Jelly Donut
Chocolate Old Fashioned Donut
Tricolore Cookies
Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookie
Black & White Cookie
With locations on both the Upper East and Upper West sides of Manhattan plus Brooklyn it was early Sunday morning that a stop was made at Orwasher’s, their East 78th Street location opening early every day to serve its neighbors many of the same great recipes they’ve proudly been baking since 1916.
Self-proclaimed New York’s “Original Artisan Bakery,” the Hungarian owners’ descendents finally passing the torch to Keith Cohen in 2008, Orwashers now still looks much the same as it always has thanks to accurate restoration, though items have most certainly expanded to include more modern options in addition to Loaves fashioned from ancient Grains and Rye.
Large enough for perhaps fifteen shoppers, though lacking seats and thus exclusively take-out only, it is from racks and shelves behind glass that guests are invited to peruse a variety of choices, regulars making the process seem effortless while first timers will likely take more time for fear of overlooking something delicious.
Not style-specific, Croissants and Scones just a few feet from Cookies and Doughnuts, it was finding the former still oven-warm that tasting commenced, a baked layer of Frangipane thankfully not indicative of insides that are overly sweet but not wet while the $4 Doughnut stuffed with Raspberry Jam was well-raised and yeasty with plenty of housemade filling.
Onward to Rainbow Cookies, presumably the same Jelly here dividing pale Almond Flour layers robed in Chocolate, it was at this point that Orwashers Black & White Cookie was tasked by a reputation of “Best in New York,” the thick Sponge somewhere between Angelfood and Pound Cake while Icing was good, though personal preferences veer towards creamier Frosting.
Wrapping up Chocolate, the Cocoa Old Fashioned not dried out like so many others and even a little tangy on the tongue, it was largely the name which commanded the order of Orwashers’ “Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookie” though it did indeed live up to such as a crisp edge and soft center were each found with more melted morsels than Flour, Sugar, Eggs or Butter.
www.orwashers.com
