Bread Advice From the Expert

It was a typical Saturday for me this past week, working in Soho with too much to do and not enough time to do it.  Anyone who knows me is well aware that I rely too heavily of coffee to get me through the day.  It was just when I was hitting up Balthazar for my standard 3 p.m. coffee refill that an ordinary day turned surprisingly extraordinary...

Inside the teeny bakery/cafe I - hoping to snag a little sweet treat along with my cafe - waited patiently in line when a tall blond woman steps in.

"There's a line for the bakery?"  she says with a sigh to no one in particular. 

I felt compelled to answer her question: "Yes."

As we both wait patiently the room starts to fill once again.  She reaches across to grab a loaf of their freshly baked breads.  "Is their bread as good as everyone says?" I ask her.

"Yes, it's delicious." She says, and continues to describe her favorites from the Brioche to the Valrhona Chocolate.

I nod nicely and reached for my prepared coffee.  Just when I was sugaring up my coffee did the girl beside me say "That's Martha Stewart, right?" 

"Who?" I ask.

"THERE!" and she points to the nice lady giving me bread advice.

I study her more closely and sure enough, there was Ms. Martha Stewart, buying her bread and thanking the cashier.  I appeared that my bread whisperer also happened to be the Queen of Domestics herself - safe to say I will follow her bread advice.

Few examples of the delicacies at Balthazar.

Scenes of the City: Apple 4S Released in New York City

We line up for everything in New York City: Starbucks coffee, the entrance to the subway, restrooms, restaurants, even lines at the bar - where we wait in line for a table.  Long lines have become as common to me in New York as yellow taxi cabs.  

I was still surprised however that despite the its mixed reviews and the recent shock of the death of its co-founder, chairman, and CEO Steve Jobs, Apple's iPhone 4S had many eager customers lined up outside its many AT&T and Apple Stores in New York City.

The infamous Apple Store on Fifth Avenue never closes, despite constant renovations and improvements.

Nine days after his death, a memorial remains for Steve Jobs.

Bushels of the symbolic "Apple" fruit line the stairs leading to the store's entrance, many with written messages and good-byes.

Despite the highly unpleasant rainy weather many still lined the sidewalk and streets, waiting to glimpse the latest addition to the iPhone family.