Rockin' Rockland Bakery

After moving to Rockland County I had heard for years about the Rockland Bakery & Deli in Nanuet, NY, but only in passing. I finally came across it by accident when I was driving around the neighborhood. I made a turn onto Demarest Hill Road and the incredible smell of fresh bread hit me. Then it was a scene out of a cartoon... you know, a character gets a whiff of something yummy, they get that goofy/happy look on their face, then the smokey stream literally carries them by the nose to the thing that smells so good. That was me.

I walked in through the pastry section and immediately got a sugar high looking at the goodies behind the glass. I fought the urge to demand a dozen of everything and followed the crowd towards the back. I stopped to grab a disposable plastic glove and a variety of large and small paper grocery bags with everyone else then entered the most beautiful room ever! I walked through the double metal doors and saw fresh, hot bagels spilling out of a huge oven onto a conveyor belt (how sexy is that?). Further in were more belts carrying all kinds of different rolls.

To my left were shelves and shelves full of fresh bread including whole loaves of pumpernickel, ciabatta, Irish soda, white and whole grain baguettes, kaiser, egg twist, and sourdough rolls, Italian panes, and my and family's favorite, challah! I went to town immediately and grabbed enough to cross the Mohave. By the way, not only is the bread unbelievably fresh, it's also a serious bargain. The volume they pump out makes for nice prices. They also have a deli counter and their prices per pound are pretty comparable to what you get at the supermarkets.

The kids and I make a trip every weekend to stock up. They love picking out the "best" loaves on their own, watching the machinery, and are amazed by the embarrassment of riches. I'll typically double-bag portions of what we bring home then send them into a deep freeze for later use. It works out beautifully because during the week when we start running low, I pull frozen slices and make school lunches (they're perfectly thawed by the time they eat) or pop them into the toaster oven for breakfast.

This place is one of my family's faves in Rockland. If you haven't discovered it yet, do yourself a solid and go.