The Best Cinnamon Roll in NYC - by John Cline
I might be killing this newsletter here giving you the moment everyone has been waiting for, with what is likely the best cinnamon roll in New York City. Likely because it is the best cinnamon roll of the 72 that I’ve officially tasted, but there are 4-8* more that need to be rated.
Well, if that’s the case, so be it, let’s roll (get it?????). I ate it again this morning, and it was still pretty dang good. Let’s talk about that, plus the best value roll you can find in NYC, plus the roll to get after you have (probably) the best cinnamon roll in NYC.
Close friends who have been following along know this already, but the title of best cinnamon roll in NYC, in my critical opinion, belongs to Mah-Ze-Dahr Bakery (MZD). They don’t even call it a cinnamon roll, they call it a sticky bun, that’s how humble this place is. This whole adventure started out with my complaining that I wanted a less-artificial Cinnabon, and I think MZD did it. It’s big, it’s got deliciously sweet and bitter and cinnamony filling, with a smooth frosting that is drizzled atop. Just look at it.
They only serve it on weekends, where when you walk in it’s sitting next to all the pastries on a cooling rack and you can just see all the goodness dripping from it. The dough is a bit flakey, with a hint of vanilla and egg, and the cream cheese frosting balances the cinnamon filling in just the perfect way. It’s just about a close to the platonic ideal of a cinnamon roll as you can get, and if you’re in NY (or their recently opened location in DC) you should absolutely check it out.
They also have a lot of other very delicious pastries. As mentioned, I stopped in this morning since it’s been about three months since I had one of their mouth-watering rolls, and I picked up a chocolate chip cookie that was the best, most pure chocolate chip cookie I’ve had in the last three months and a croissant bread pudding that was very good but needed a bit of something (I think jam?). Either way, you can’t go wrong at MZD. They also ship nationwide for a handful of items, so…see for yourself.
This was a twist. Ikea, as many probably know, has cinnamon rolls. They’re at the little cafe after checkout, and they are a single dollar. For that single dollar, you get an above average cinnamon roll. That value is impossible to beat (and might be the best bang for your buck in that whole store). They serve them hot and fresh, with a dough that is fairly standard but light and airy, and a strongly flavored cinnamon filling dripping out of every crevice (seriously look at that photo). The frosting is your regular sugary frosting, but it’s not overly sweet. There is a bit of an artificial taste the whole thing, but let’s be honest that’s probably because these things are fairly artificial. But they’re only a dollar!!!! And you deserve to treat yourself after navigating the hellscape that is plagueworld Ikea.
A few weeks ago I wrote about the absurd Derby Pie Roll on offer from The Doughnut Project, which happened to be taking the place of their normally offered cinnamon roll. I went back later in the week (pre-Ikea adventure) to try it out, and I was not disappointed. This is definitely the best donut cinnamon roll, which is a category of cinnamon rolls typically offered at donut shops that are basically donuts with some cinnamon dusted on them. They take their standard donut dough, dust it with a bit of cinnamon, roll it up, fry it, slather it with a cinnamon glaze, and dollop an unhealthy serving of homemade buttercream frosting on top. The cinnamon glaze is a unique standout from many other rolls, and the buttercream frosting is a great blend to balance it all out.
It’s mid-September, and this last week fall struck with a vengeance in NYC, and my goal is to knock out a few more bakeries so I have enough content to keep us all warm throughout the winter. Also, if you live in the NYC area and have a Costco card (or access to one) please let me know, I need it for scientific research.
Bun stuff is better with friends, don’t forget to share!
*This is variable because there’s a handful of places that haven’t re-opened yet, or if they have their cinnamon roll is no longer on the menu, and it’s unclear when either of those things may change. Thanks, novel coronavirus**.
**Is it novel anymore? Do we just call it that until a new one shows up? If any of you have an answer to this please let me know.
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