Mamaroneck Bakeries, the Sweet Smell of Success

With the addition of the new Super Pan Bakery to Mamaroneck a few months ago, which brought the total number of bakeries in the Village to four, I set out to discover what each has to offer that is unique and special. From Italian bread and pignoli cookies, to Mexican flan and Guatemalan conchitas (conch shells), an international bounty of baked delights is yours for the tasting right here.

Boiano Bakery, 258 Mamaroneck Ave, Mamaroneck, NY 10543 | 914-698-2070

When I first moved to Mamaroneck with my Italian-American husband, one of the things we came to appreciate right away was the access to good Italian specialty items. There was no need to go down to the Bronx's famous Arthur Avenue (though I still like to once in a while) to get authentic Italian breads and desserts. Look no further than Boiano Bakery.

Over the years, we have sampled a multitude of their treats and honed in on our favorites. If its cookies you're after, the traditional Italian cookies are fine but ordinary, so I usually bypass those in favor of more flavorful (and more expensive) items such as the pignoli cookies, tricolors and biscotti.

Both the pignoli cookies and tricolors are moist and rich with that wonderful almond flavor. My 6-year-old can't get enough of the tricolors, which have layers of chocolate and raspberry and are super sweet. If I bring cookies to someone's house, the tricolors are always the first to disappear from the bakery box.

My older child usually goes for the big butter cookies, which have sprinkles, iced smiley faces or M&Ms. I love to take my girls into Boiano for an afternoon treat, as it is reminiscent of the days my mom used to take my sister and I to the bakery when we were kids.

In addition to the more than a dozen flavors of biscotti, Boiano also has great cakes. You can custom-order cakes for your celebrations, from 7-inch rounds to double layer full-sheet cakes (though they can be expensive), and choose from a variety of fruit and custard fillings. The traditional Italian style—vanilla cake with pudding-like chocolate and vanilla filling—is a crowd pleaser, as is the cannoli cake. There is even a tricolor cake, but you may need a trip to the dentist after eating it; it's that rich and sweet.

My best recommendation if you are dining at someone's home and you're in charge of dessert is to bring a box of the miniature pastries. Beautifully decorated and with so many to choose from, they never cease to evoke the "wow" factor from your host and fellow diners. And you can't go wrong because there is something for everyone. The mini éclairs, fruit tarts, napoleons and cannoli (either regular or with a chocolate-dipped shell) are always fresh and delicious. Oh, and grab a loaf of Italian bread while you're at it, too.

La Piñata Bakery, 640 Mamaroneck Ave, Mamaroneck, NY 10543 | 914-381-2222

The former Peter & Sons Bakery is now being run by Mexican father and son Octaviano and Salvador Zuniga. They offer traditional items—such as strawberry cheesecake, chocolate mousse cake, fruit tarts, and custom birthday and wedding cakes—in addition to Mexican baked goods and desserts.

I wanted to try the tres leches cake, but was disappointed to discover they were all out. I settled on the flan instead, which had a heavier texture than I like but a delicious vanilla/caramel flavor. My girls opted for the chocolate mousse cake, of course, but I found it to be run-of-the-mill. A friend tried the conos—a custard-filled, croissant-like pastry—which she found to be just fine.

I decided to focus my attention on the breads instead. The elder Zuniga said they sell a lot of the sweet rolls to neighborhood children to eat on the way to school. Coconut bread, Mexican-style conchas, flaky Napoleon pastries called orejas (ears), moños (bows) and vanilla-flavored sugar cookies called lenguas (tongues) are among the selections.

I opted for the chocolate concha, which had cocoa powder added to the sugar shell design on the top of the roll, as well as the very crumbly coconut bread. It was probably a mistake to try La Piñata in the afternoon, as the items I tried were less than fresh. The next time I go back, I'll do what the kids do and hit La Piñata in the morning.

Super Pan Bakery, 362 Mamaroneck Ave., Mamaroneck, NY 10543 | 914-630-2324

When owner Noe Delcid opened Super Pan Bakery, he set out to offer authentic Guatemalan fare, such as sweet breads (not to be confused with "sweetbreads," of course, which are the edible glands of an animal). "In Guatemala, we drink a lot of coffee, so we like to have the sweet breads to go along with that," he explained. With nearly 20 varieties to choose from, Delcid offered up seven of his best sellers for us to sample.

All of the breads we tried were very fresh and light on the sweetness. A friend and I enjoyed the traditional conchita, featuring a conch shell design, and its sweeter counterpart, novia (meaning girlfriend), whose shell design is pink. The batida (meaning "beat") was soft, pillowy and the most bread-like, with only a hint of sweetness. The sweet croissant cachito (little piece) is firmer than the batida. The yummy champurrada was flatter and drier, with more of a cookie texture and great for dipping in your coffee. And the Guatemalan quesadillas—made from rice flour, parmesan cheese and sour cream—reminded me of a corn muffin and are nothing like the Mexican quesadillas that may be more familiar.

But making bread is not all about the dough at Super Pan, which also offers a breakfast, lunch and dinner menu daily. There are several tables for casual dining in, and there are daily specials. We tried the delicious bistec (beef steak) —tender, thin slices of grilled meat served in a savory red sauce featuring onions, red peppers and potatoes. A grilled pork dish called adobado was well flavored with adobo seasoning and achiote powder, though a little dry. The dish was accompanied by rice and black beans (both a little too firm to the bite) and small, warm tortillas.

A potato tamal called pache was interesting and packed some heat with a cat's claw pepper cooked inside. At first I thought it was a sweet potato, but later discovered it's a white potato that gets its color from being mixed with tomato sauce and achiote, among other seasonings. There is also meat cooked inside the pache but, when I bit down on a piece of bone, I was done with that. I found the empanadas (they differ widely among Hispanic cuisines) to be too greasy and not very flavorful, but loved the freshness and crunch of the accompanying slaw called repollo.

Westchester Italian Bakery, 631 Mamaroneck Ave., Mamaroneck, NY 10543 | 914-698-6780

One of the best sources for really good bread is the venerable Westchester Italian Bakery. Established more than 50 years ago by Antoinette and Ray Giorgio, the bakery has been run by their son, Bobby, since 1988. "I learned growing up in the bakery, and started baking when I was 13," Giorgio said. "Everything is still done the old-fashioned way by hand and without machinery."

Customers flock to the bakery for the double rounds, single rounds, pizza bread and hero rolls. With a deli counter on the premises, you have the makings of a great sandwich. My absolute favorite is the shiny top roll, which Giorgio describes as a crusty hamburger bun.

On Friday, Saturday and Sunday only, the bakery makes provolone and prosciutto breads, and Stromboli. A current seasonal item is Giorogio's delicious version of Irish Soda Bread, and the bakery will soon be offering traditional Easter breads.

Westchester Bakery goes beyond bread, too, and offers hot lunch specials—like chicken scarpiello, chicken parmesan, potatoes and eggs, meatballs, etc.—Monday through Friday, as well as a different soup every day. The bakery also does seasonal catering.

With a long-established reputation and a following that spans multiple generations, you get the sense that the customer is at the heart of it all. "One of the best compliments I get is when someone moves away and they come back to Mamaroneck for a visit; they tell me they want a Walter's hot dog, a slice of Sal's pizza and some Italian bread from Westchester Bakery," Giorgio proudly tells me. "It's a great town to have a business in." Whatever way you slice it, it's just good eating.