Desimone Bakery - Simple, Crunchy, Delicious Bread

Desimone Bakery - 27-17 23rd Avenue, Astoria NY 11105
718.721.7511

N/W train to Ditmars Blvd (last stop)

"What's the big deal about bread?" you might wonder.  The following quote from Robert Browning, which I found on The Fresh Loaf, explains it best: “If thou tastest a crust of bread, thou tastest all the stars and all the heavens.” I couldn't agree more - that's why I'm going to talk about one of the most memorable breads I've had in Astoria, a close second to my beloved Pane di Casa from Gian Piero's Bakery.

The bread I'm talking about is from the quiet, humble bakery on 23rd Avenue called Desimone's.  I've passed by it on many occassions but it keeps such early-morning hours and its inventory is so limited that I've never actually seen it open. 

The first time I've tried it was about three weeks ago when Dan got that horrible stomach virus and all he could eat was dry bread.  I wanted to get him not just any bread, but good bread he could munch on and actually enjoy.  After hearing some good "telltales" about Desimone's, I decided to try it. 

The small store-front was on the empty side when I walked in.  Although the selection was limited, I knew what I came for - a nice big, crusty loaf of bread, which I got sliced.  For such a large loaf, I was surprised it only set me back $2.75.

Once I brought it home, I wasted no time.  It was so fresh and spongy, that I didn't need to toast it and decided to dig in as soon as humanly possible.  I slathered some spicy hummus on top, a few pieces of roasted red peppers, spicy nduja sausage from Ornella and took a bite. Ohhh it was a beautiful! A soft bite of delicate dough with a crunchy crust.  The bread was light and airy and the slices were so long that a piece took a good couple of minutes to finish.  Yum...it was bliss.

A day later, when the bread lost it's "fresh-out-of-the-oven" flavor, we made paninis with it.  The bread was perfect for it, as it was sliced thin and as mentioned, the long pieces made for a substantial meal.

Needless to say, I highly recommend this place.  Try it and let me know what you think and how this bread measures up to some of your other Astorian favorites.