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Nov 29
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The Simits Take Manhattan

NY Simit -- photo by Sara Reisman
We recently posted about the arrival of the simit – the sesame-encrusted bread ring that it is a Turkish street food staple – in Manhattan, where it is being baked on location at the newly opened New York outpost of Güllüoğlu, an Istanbul baklava maker (not to be confused, as we initially did, with the legendary Istanbul baklava house also called Güllüoğlu). When we first posted about it, we (half) jokingly suggested that the simit might give the bagel a run for its money. But now it turns out that the Güllüoğlu simit’s biggest competitor might turn out to be… another simit!

From tipster S.R. we just got the news that another spot in Manhattan – downtown’s newly opened Ashley’s European Bakery (96 Chambers St.) – is serving up freshly baked simit. In fact, Ashley (née Aslı) is not only baking simit, but also other Turkish breakfast pasteries such as poğaca (poh-ah-cha) and açma (atch-mah). The bakery had run out of simit on the morning of our tipster’s visit, but she did have a spinach and cheese filled açma, which she said was “delicious.”

Are more simit joints in New York’s future? We’ll keep you posted.

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13 Responses to “ The Simits Take Manhattan ”
  1. The simit at Ashley’s is delicious: crunchy on the outside and softly buttery inside like an un-crusty croissant (if that makes sense). It’s fresh and is awesome on its own…no need for cheese, butter, jam or anything of the sort.

    Will swing by Gulluoglu on my next trip to NYC to compare ;o)

  2. I’m keener to try Ashley’s acma. Gulluoglu offers several varieties of pogaca (their simit is great, too), but at least for the time being, they’ve stopped making acma in their Manhattan shop.

  3. I’ve been dying to find simit here in NYC since my trip to Turkey a few months ago – I’ve been going to Gulluoglu in Coney Island in NYC for years but they don’t have simit there. Since the new branch in Manhattan is now serving simit and one of my other favorites, cilbir, so I will have to check it out soon. And how exciting about Ashley’s, especially since I work just 3 blocks from it! Full report tomorrow on Ashley’s, Gulluoglu forthcoming.

  4. I was very surprised to read about a branch of Gulluoglu Baklavacisi opening in New York because I am quite certain that there is only one production house and only one branch of Gulluoglu and it is in Karakoy, Istanbul. Is the New York branch selling real Gulluoglu baklava? if not aren’t they stealing the Gulluoglu name? I think the REAL Gulluolgu family should get a good lawyer in New York (or maybe open a branch themselves).

  5. Does anyone know the hours of this bakery? The simit at Gulluoglu is more than $2, so I really want to visit Ashley’s European Bakery to see what the simit is like. Thanks for the report.

  6. Kim, not sure about the bakery’s hours, but here’s a link to writeup that includes its phone number:

  7. I am not sure about simit, but last year, I went into an Amish market and I was pleasantly surprised surprised to find about half the employees speaking Turkish. It really made my day. That must be on Murray St., just down the street from Chambers.

  8. Did Ashley’s European Bakery (96 Chambers St.) used to be Sophie’s Cuban Cuisine? So says Google Earth. (I suppose it needs to be constantly update in a city like New York.)
    http://maps.google.com/maps?t=h&hl=en&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Corson+Ave,+Staten+Island,+Richmond,+New+York+10301&ll=40.714788,-74.007648&spn=0,359.998794&z=20&layer=c&cbll=40.714736,-74.00754&panoid=xDI9tE8cEpCOoldAWarTCg&cbp=12,199.79,,0,0.14

    We live in wonderful times. I can sit in Izmir and shop for simit in New York.

  9. I would like to thank everyone whoever made a comment about my place.As a new starter in business life,those encourages me a lot , indeed.appreciate it.

  10. We are making Simit at our bakery in New Paltz, NY: http://www.ilovethebakery.com. My son spent a semester in Istanbul and told us how good it was.

  11. Great news! The simit’s global conquest continues!


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