There may be no such thing as a free lunch, but there’s plenty of free bread around town. A slice or a roll comes gratis with your meal at many of the city’s eateries, but some are clearly above and beyond. We canvassed foodie blogs and patrolled the streets asking local bread lovers where they go to feast on free carbs. Then we quizzed William Alexander, author of the new bread-obsessed tome “52 Loaves: One Man’s Relentless Pursuit of Truth, Meaning, and a Perfect Crust” (out May 4), on what makes a good piece of bread.
Alexander, who spent a year traveling the globe learning how to make artisanal bread, says there are half a dozen things that lift a loaf from the ordinary to the sublime. “Bread should have an open crumb, a honeycombed structure and a really good crust,” he says. “It should be chewy and crisp with a natural sweetness.”
According to Alexander, the best bread isn’t overly flavored or filled with herbs and other goodies, and can be eaten without butter or spreads. New Yorkers, on the other hand, like nothing better than divine dough with all sorts of accoutrements. So loaf it or loathe it — here are our picks of the 10 best (free) breads in the Big Apple.
PHOTOS: THE BEST BREAD FROM NYC RESTAURANTS
Taboon
773 10th Ave.; 212-713-0271
The loaf of flatbread served at this Middle Eastern spot is made in the restaurant’s very own taboon (domed oven). Diners don’t often stop at just the complimentary serving: “Most people get three!” the eatery’s Kate Nash says of the sweet, herby loaf ($4.50 each after the first freebie). “It is hot and delicious and a meal in itself,” says customer Julie Flanagan.
Del Posto
85 10th Ave.; 212-497-8090
This Mario Batali-owned Italian eatery is famed for what comes with its bread: lardo. Diners get six different rolls to smear with the deliciously decadent pork fat (or butter), including a mini-baguette, olive bread and a thyme-and-olive oil-flavored focaccia, all made fresh every morning.
Applewood
501 11th St; 718-788-1810
The bread at Applewood is tasty — but the spreads that come with the country white and whole wheat varieties invariably steal the show. Three different spreads including duck liver paté, black bean puree and blue cheese and olive oil, are served every night.
“It’s three fairly substantial portions; it’s not inexpensive for us,” says co-owner Laura Shea. “But it’s a great intro into the food diners are about to have.”
Blue Ribbon
35 Downing St.; 212-337-0404
The bread should be fabulous at Blue Ribbon — co-owner Bruce Bromberg apprenticed at bakeries in Paris before opening his own boite in 1992.
“It was a pretty fantastic experience,” says Bromberg, who goes through 1,000 pounds of flour a week in the restaurant, and serves an ever-changing assortment of breads (challah, rye, bacon-and-onion flatbread and country white) made in the wood fire oven onsite.
“You can’t go wrong with any of them,” says a fan of the restaurant.
Scarpetta
355 W. 14th St; 212-691-0555
Scarpetta’s stromboli — just part of the delectable breadbasket at Scott Conant’s restaurant — is a meal in itself. It’s stuffed with prosciutto and smoked mozzarella, and accompanied by mascarpone whipped butter, eggplant caponata, and citrus-infused olive oil.
“It’s pretty insane,” says a regular diner.
“I go in daily just for it,” says another.
I Trulli Ristorante
122 E. 27th St; 212-481-7372
At I Trulli, the tomato-and-rosemary focaccias are made in-house by executive chef Patti Jackson. But best of all, they are served with a generous helping of soft and scrumptious fresh ricotta spread. No wonder the 15-year-old restaurant goes through 60 baking sheets of the Italian bread each week.
Mesa Grill
102 Fifth Ave.; 212-807-7400
Up to 450 muffins are served a day at Bobby Flay’s southwestern spot. Each is a mixture of two different types of batter, one made from blue corn meal, the other yellow corn meal, which are poured together to give them their signature two-toned look. They’re served at brunch, lunch and dinner, with unsalted butter.
Jane
100 W. Houston St.; 212-254-7000
This SoHo restaurant serves spicy crackers, cranberry-raspberry loaf — and a ciabatta (made by Balthazar Bakery) that looks fabulous and tastes pretty damn good, too.
Maialino
2 Lexington Ave.; 212-777-2410
At Danny Meyer’s newest boite, the breadbasket is deliciously diverse. There’s thin crispy crissini (breadsticks), filone (a Pugliese-style Italian loaf) from Sullivan St. Bakery, and sesame loaf and pizza bianca from Grandaisy Bakery in SoHo.
Nice Matin
201 W. 79th St.; 212-873-6423
Slices of crusty, crunchy boule (a rustic round loaf) and a dense, sweet multigrain are served at the table at Nice Matin. Both are made by Long Island City’s Pain D’Avignon (which last month opened a retail store in Essex Market, for those keen to serve the loaves in their own homes). “It’s a nice assortment,” says an Upper West Side local.