“Cake Boss” Around the Corner: A Look at Carlo’s Bakery from 555TEN

Living at 555TEN means waking up in the middle of the most exciting city on Earth, where everything, from theater to pastries, is world-class. Take, for example, nearby Carlo’s Bakery, where Manhattanites have been enjoying classic Italian pastries and elegant cakes for over a century. Residents of the Midtown West apartments at 555TEN are less than a 10-minute walk away from this “Cake Boss”-approved bakery. Come with us as we explore the past and present of this iconic New York institution:

Family-Owned Excellence
Carlo’s Bakery was founded in Hoboken, N.J., in 1910 by Carlo Guastaffero, who ran the bakery for 44 years before selling to Bartolo Valastro Sr. in 1964. When Valastro passed in 1994, his wife Mary and their three children took over the business and began to expand it across the country and across the hemisphere, opening locations in Las Vegas, São Paulo, Brazil, and, of course, on Eighth Avenue in Manhattan. Valastro’s son and namesake, Bartolo “Buddy” Valastro Jr., is now the shop’s master baker and the face of Carlo’s, hosting TLC’s show “Cake Boss” and appearing on Food Network and NBC’s “Today,” where viewers voted his cake the best in America.

Tradition Meets Innovation
From classic cannoli to Americanized sfogliatelle (filled pastries sometimes called “lobster tails”) to good old-fashioned chocolate chip cookies, Carlo’s has trays of fresh-baked sweets for sale all day. The shop also features a line of cupcakes, with favorites including red velvet and carrot cake, as well as the Eastern European treat rugelach, which resembles a croissant filled with cream cheese and nuts. And, of course, Carlo’s serves delicious cups of coffee to wash down these goodies.

The “Cake Boss” Earns His Title
But if you’re heading to Carlo’s, chances are it’s for the shop’s legendary cake offerings from the “Cake Boss” himself, “Buddy” Valastro. The bakery’s wedding cakes are things of beauty, and range in size and style from smaller modern varieties to extravagant vintage centerpieces decked out in multicolored icing flowers. Carlo’s also offers a wide range of pastries for other occasions, with a line of desserts that includes a cake shaped like a bottle of whiskey, and another that looks like a stack of waffles, complete with a hovering bottle of syrup drenching the top in chocolate frosting. Carlo’s Bakery is also the perfect place to grab a cake for a gender reveal party or child’s birthday, with a line of children’s cakes featuring intricate jungle and fairy tale scenes.

Image courtesy of © Carlo’s Bakery