Fodor's Expert Review La Brioche

Don't be deceived by the French name: this unassuming bakery is Russian-Jewish, right down to its rugelach roots. The wall-to-wall trays are packed with babka (a sweet yeast cake filled with swirls of chocolate or cinnamon and sugar), smetannik (sour cream layer cake), vatrushki (cheese pastries), and honeyed poppy-seed rolls. Slices of cake are sold by the pound and prices are shockingly low.