There once was a time when Radio Bakery didn’t have lines wrapping around the block. For a few precious months when it first opened, to great anticipation among the Greenpointers and food insiders, the lines rarely extended outside the doors. And then it hit the FYPs, becoming a sensation with extended hype that continues to draw Manhattanites and knowing tourists into the borough. With a legacy tied to the beloved Ridgewood restaurant Rolos, Radio Bakery was destined to flourish. First in Greenpoint, and more recently, a second location in Prospect Heights. Both embraced by their neighborhoods, even in spite of the added sidewalk traffic.

Radio Bakery is a magic place. Where familiar shapes get pushed into new imaginations. Classic techniques have been perfected: marvelously laminated croissants, wonderfully pillowy focaccia, spectacularly decadent sandwiches on fresh baked bread. And the delight of seasonal drops that are to pastry-lovers what new sneaker collabs are to hypebeasts. The menu inspires fervor and an appreciation for the produce of each season: summer tomatoes, winter citrus, spring rhubarb, holiday pies (yes, they deserve their own category). Out of the modest sized bakery comes an impressive spread that lives in our heads rent free and has cemented Radio Bakery’s place at the top tier of bakeries in the city. Well worth repeat visits, and the extra 20 minutes to wait in line (or wait for a rainy weekday).