Cedars Pastry
“Finally, I can get really amazing Lebanese sweets and enjoy them with peace of mind.”
“We also got an assorted pack of baklava which was also very good.”
“Traditional semolina cake with the cashew decoration is delicious, as are the triangular pastries filled with pistachios or walnuts.”
Cedars Pastry
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Price range.
$ Price range Inexpensive
5 reviews
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Everything in here is delicious and dare I say..cheap? We got a huge package of sweets to share with the family for less than $9. I wondered if we were undercharged…
I don't really know the names of most of the pastries here but EVERYTHING is delicious, buttery, and rich–just the way it is supposed to be. The cheese knafeh (both round and square) are but, they also give you syrup to pour over it, as it is traditional to do in the middle east. Traditional semolina cake with the cashew decoration is delicious, as are the triangular pastries filled with pistachios or walnuts. Rose-water scented small pastries are exotic and fun to try! They also have ice cream here, as well as mahalabiah, which look great (but did not try).
tldr; delicious middle eastern sweets. not expensive. get some.
Wow awesome little bakery on 5th avenue that I finally got too try. As I stared looking at the pastry showcase with an iced coffee my mind went adrift. What to buy, what to buy?? Hmmmm
So I asked questions whats that? The friendly lady said coffee cake, yes thats one, coffee cake goes good with iced coffee. Lol It didnt look like coffee cake with the chocolate covering but it was very very good.
I had a few other pastries which I cant pronounce. Which isnt a bad thing cause they were so yummy. I will surely be back for the ice cream in warmer weather cause its all homemade. Funny you can stroll on 5th avenue and not even realize all these hidden gems.
Next time I am gonna ask the lady not too tape my box closed. It was very hard to open!! I wanted to eat the goodies but all 3 sides were taped shut. What a struggle!
*tried Arabic ice cream for the first time and it was just okay for me. Not horrid, but not the best. It is definitely a different type of texture and taste, which is great for trying but just personally not my thing. (I tried the mango.)
*one scoop of ice cream in a cup is only $1.50. With a cone, $2.
*choose from a wide variety of flavors!
I Would come back and get the kanafa with cheese. Omg so delicious. Baklava was ok but I hate the taste of rose water. My husband loved it.
They have ice cream my sis swears by it but I haven't tried it- people were buying it left and right.
I will Make another trip back to BK for the kanafa and the ice cream
"Hygiene factors by themselves do not lead to satisfaction."
For some reason I was reminded of Herzberg's two-factor theory after my second visit to Cedars Pastry. Simply put: there are factors that don't lead to satisfaction, but their absence causes dissatisfaction. So, Cedars gets the basics right, but they wouldn't tempt me to make that trip to Bay Ridge to satisfy any craving for Middle Eastern sweets.
I had not heard of Cedars Pastry, when I received a link to an article on them from yelper extraordinaire, Deanna W (I've realized that I'm the canary in the coal mine that saves her from unnecessary calories!!). I learned that while new to Bay Ridge, the (Kabdout) family has extensive experience with Lebanese pastries in Michigan. Now, I may be a sucker for any family operated business, but Cedars Pastry stands out from nearby competition by their exceptionally considerate and helpful service. Also, there is space inside to sit and enjoy the desserts, with coffee, while leisurely reading the newspaper.
They differentiate themselves competently: from the display of Lebanese ice cream upfront to the ample seating inside to unhurriedly enjoy the pastries. Helpfully, they've got tags that identify the sweet as opposed to the experience at other Middle Eastern dessert shops where one feels as if one has asked for the difference between Cryptovolans and Microraptor! Seriously, I have no idea why other shops do not display the names, for how else would anyone know what to ask for the next time? This is just poor branding and an unhelpful business practice as the only widely known dessert is Baklava (thanks to the Greeks and Turks), and beyond that maybe a small minority of serious eaters can name Kunafe. But, that's about it. So, I thought I'd emulate Craig in making a list of Cedars' extensive selection:
* Znoud el Sit: sweet-fried phyllo dough rolled into a cylindrical shell, stuffed with cream (kashta)
* Mafroukeh: Semolina served with kashta on top, then decorated with almonds, pistachios
* Shaibyat: phyllo triangles stuffed with kashta, garnished with pistachios & orange blossom
* Esmailiyah: Kashta cream sandwiched between two layers of stringy dough
* Basma: blend of pine kernels & cashews covered with Knafeh dough; chewy – not hard or soft
* Ma'amul Maad: squares with date filling
* Sfouf: A thick spongy cake garnished with almonds
* Mshabaak: similar to the indian Jalebi
* Awamat: golden brown dough balls (similar to Indian Gulab Jamun, but with crispy exterior)
Sadly, despite the textural variations, their richness necessitates small serving sizes even for a sweet tooth like me. While, it doesn't take an anthropologist to figure out how life in the dessert impacted (liberal) usage of sugar in the creation of Middle Eastern sweets, it might help clarify why only a few of these inspired Indian sweets while the rest didn't.