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Madonia Brothers Bakery
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 6 am - 7 pm
Sun 7 am - 6 pm
- Price Range:
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$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Street
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
About This Business:
At Sweet & Social we specialize in a multitude of flavors of cupcakes. We are also know for the best black & white cookie in Westchester County. Our… read more »
60 reviews for Madonia Brothers Bakery
Review Highlights
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"First visit, bought an olive bread loaf for $5." In 14 reviews -
"Holy cannoli this place makes some delicious treats." In 19 reviews -
"Great biscotti and italian coooookies too." In 12 reviews
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60 reviews in English
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Review from Rich C.
Point Pleasant Beach, NJ
4/20/2012
Excellent onion bread and olive bread! Wish they were closer!
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Review from Antonella P.
Yonkers, NY
4/3/2012
We've been going to Madonia for years, particularly since Terranova is too far down. The Italian round loaf sliced is Amazing.
We used to be HUGE fans of the Olive Bread. Although its still good, the recipe has changed throughout the years. We no longer pick it up as much.
I also find the girls to be rude in there, but get the round bread sliced. Who cares. -
Review from Lili K.
3/15/2012 1 Check-in Here
Good bread, I got the jalapeno w/ cheese which was delicious after I heated it up!
They have a ton of different bread samples in a bowl on top of the counter...some were ok, and some were delicious! Good thing you can try a variety out. -
Review from Stuart K.
Chino, CA
4/10/2012
The cannoli was perfect and bread was excellent. Small place with just enough good choices
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Review from Don I.
Clinton, MT
3/4/2012
again, these reviews are very generous. there is nothing outstanding about their bread, exept maybe the high prices. There is a time I an Italiano would ahve given them 5 stars for good bread, good service, not now
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Review from Jackie S.
10/29/2011 2 photos
I love visiting Italian bakeries. There were lots of cookies and baked goods to choose from! I tried the small cannoli which was highly rated on Yelp. Unfortunately the cannoli was not that great, especially having cannoli in Boston's North End area. The cream was too thick In addition, there was only one flavor, chocolate chip. Price was reasonable for $1.25.
I did enjoy the amaretti and the walnut cookies! The amaretti had a lot of almond flavor. YUM! I wish I bought a pound of these cookies. The walnut cookies were denser than the amaretti cookies. They were similar to Mexican wedding cookies. They had chucks of walnuts and pine nuts. Yum!
Cash only. -
Review from Bubble T.
Manhattan, NY
Olive bread, I repeat, OLIVE BREAD, is da bomb here. The cannoli has nice crunchy shell, and they fill the shell with thick thick cream with chocolate chips right before you purchase it. The Butter cookies were quite bland, and the armeretto cookies and macoroons are very very sweet.
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Review from Derek B.
Best cannoli in the Bronx. Wait, best cannoli in NYC. Wait, best cannoli I've ever had. That's more like it. Seriously, this thing is good. Filled fresh to order (which already puts it way over most "fresh" cannolis) in a super crispy, delicious shell (pretty sure it's deep fried in heaven) with the creamiest, most awesome, perfectly cinnamony filling you have ever had. Oh and throw in some chocolate chips and powdered sugar for good measure. Perfection. No one tops this thing. No one. I may have never been to Italy, but I've had my fair share of cannolis and this is number 1. There isn't even competition.
Ok, now that I've gotten that out of my system...I'm trying to get around to tasting other things here. On my last trip I got a big round loaf of bread and a few pieces of their biscotti. Both were also great. Not to the point of bragging about as with the cannoli, but still pretty good. I'm a big fan of the biscotti in particular. Perfect amount of crunch without being too hard and perfect amount of sweetness without being overwhelmingly sweet. And they literally melt in your mouth. The bread is good, but I'm not going to go into that as I'm not a huge fan/connoisseur of Italian bread. I want to try the olive loaf that is getting such great reviews on my next trip though.
I'll be back.Listed in: Arthur Ave.
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Review from Alexandra C.
New York, NY
9/18/2011
I have to say this beats the cannoli in my old favorite bakery in the East Village.
Freshly filled but you should eat them very soon after you buy them. We saved one for the next day and the shell became a soggy mess.
If you eat it at first, the cream is so fresh, not at all too sweet and shell is crisp and perfect.
Olive bread was delicious. Good sesame cookies as well (reginas, I think).
Only disappointment was the cocoa almond cookie which looked so good but tasted terrible.
Come for the bread, and of course the fresh filled cannolis. -
Review from Christina P.
Hackensack, NJ
9/28/2011 3 Check-ins Here
My favorite Italian bakery! Their cookies taste like childhood.
The Olive Bread is always a big hit- soft and delicate on the inside, and crisp, fresh crust on the outside.
The variety of Italian cookies that I've sampled are absolutely perfect!
Staff is efficient and get through the hordes of hungry customers quickly, without being rude or rushing anyone.
Cash Only, so be ready! There is an ATM at the grocery store down the block if you need it. -
Review from Seven T.
San Diego, CA
9/27/2011 1 photo
Awww Madonia!
Yes indeed, the official Italian Bakery! This may very well be the best cannoli ive ever had! They fill the shell right in front of you after ya order it--the way it should be!
The pignolis were on point, but not the best. Great biscotti and italian coooookies too!
Yea, so i cant decide who ive got the bigger crush on...the person that makes the cannolis, or the blue-eyed Italian girl working in there! Itsa fair bet that mom would approve of both! -
Review from Cassandra S.
Bronx, NY
1/3/2012 1 Check-in Here
On Christmas Eve I made my first visit to Arthur Avenue to embrace Little Italy. I had had Italian Christmas cookies before and was looking to start a holiday tradition with my children. For Christmas Eve the store was pretty much empty with just one person in front of me and it was very easy to order an assortment of butter cookies. The cookies were I believe either 17.99 or 18.99 a pound and I ordered a pound and a half. They were okay, I've had better, and wish I had brought better home, my children were not enthused and did not like them much at all. There excitement ended at the sprinkles.
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Review from Lee H.
7/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
Nine, count them, nine flavors of biscotti - all sold by the pound. The cannoli - filled to order so not to make the shell soggy - was a divine little treat.
This is a real deal Italian bakery. -
Review from Bif P.
Manhattan, NY
1/18/2012
Bastone bread ould be the best I've ever had. Service was prompt and polite.
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Review from Paul M.
Dumont, NJ
1/17/2012
The best bread ever...
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Review from Carmen O.
Manhattan, NY
12/27/2011
After reading reviews I stopped by here for some Italian bread and was not disappointed. It was fantastic! I can't wait to go try some other goodies!
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Review from Alyssa U.
Manhattan, NY
3/16/2012 1 Check-in Here
omg omg omg omg omg... prosciutto bread!!!! I need to come back here after fasting for five days just so I can eat everything in the store, I don't think bread has ever tasted this good before!
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Review from Neelam P.
10/14/2011 1 photo
Pretty good bakery on Arthur Ave. Jaimin S. and I tried a boxful of the butter cookies (the kind with the jam/jelly in the middle) and they were really yummy. They have tons of cookies and breads and other baked goods. We sampled some of the bread and I thought the cranberry bread was really good.
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Review from Mike F.
East Meadow, NY
4/13/2011 3 Check-ins Here
Gotta love Madonia Brothers...
We've tried just about every bread they sell and they are almost all top-notch. The chocolate-cherry bread was the greatest surprise. It was as good as it gets, stuffed with both cherries and chunks of chocolate. It's perfect for something different as a dessert.
My personal favorite is the prosciutto bread. It's full of cubed prosciutto and has a nice peppery spice to it.
The jalapeno-cheddar bread is loaded with melted cheddar and is hot, but not too hot. Slice it lengthwise, toast it and put a little butter on it for a treat.
The girlfriend loves the olive bread (I hate olives), and it's got a crispy crust, is chewy inside, and is overflowing with black olives.
The cinnamon-raisin bread is as good as cinnamon-raisin bread gets. It seems as though they add a touch of anise which sets it apart from others. I normally don't like anise, but it definitely adds another dimension.
The provolone bread is a touch above mediocre. After having the jalapeno-cheddar bread, I was expecting the same cheese overload, but was disappointed. The bread was well-made, but there wasn't nearly enough provolone for my liking.
The onion bread has been hit-or-miss. Sometimes it's fantastic and other times it's just a soggy mess. -
Review from Dave A.
New York, NY
1/29/2011
Had some very nasty tasting cookies from Madonia today. The walnut crescents left such a bad aftertaste in our mouths (my wife agreed that the cookies were bad) that we had to brush our teeth. The chocolate swirl cookies taste like they were made with a cheap mix. The butter cookies were average. At $12 a pound, they should be superb.
We've tried other Belmont bakeries -- DeLillo's, Egidio, Palumbo and Arturo on 187th Street, and Morrone's on Arthur Avenue (along with the new cookie counter inside the market on Arthur Avenue). The best cookies in winter of 2010-2011 have been from Marrone's.
Bread is another story. Madonia is known for bread. It's very good. A tad pricier than others but very good.
The two-star rating is because this shop should not sell any sub-par merchandise. The cookies are expensive and bad. -
Review from Euripides K.
ASTORIA, NY
11/20/2011
The Italian bread here is fantastic.
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Review from julie m.
Brooklyn, NY
11/16/2011
best italian bread i've ever had (although i feel like all the shopgirls were speaking...polish? russian? something eastern european?)
the olive bread was amazing-- doughy and a little chewy the way i like it, but still thick around the perimeter. i only bought it because it was fresh, but it turned out to be the best one i got. high quality black olives, too-- not the kind that come from a can.
the 7-grain was also really good for people who are into a crunchy, thick crust. -
Review from Franny A.
8/2/2011
More bread fantasies fufilled at Maddonia- lots of lovely loaves- bought a very nice plain one for $2.25, also bought a fruity, Italian olive oil for $7.95.Round, long, semolina. The duo of Addo and Maddonia on Aurthur meets all my bread buying criteria- gorgeous loves of love, wish Aurthur Ave, was closer to home..
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Review from Nicole A.
Jupiter, FL
7/3/2009 ROTD 9/20/2009
Three Things You Didn't Know But Now You Know:
1. One year my dad bought my sister a mock-electric guitar called The Jaminator. My best friend and I rocked out on The Jaminator and stuck my little sister with two sticks to make a drum with. Thus, we created our band in my basement. All three of us. We called our band Toe Breath and we had a one hit wonder based off a local commercial jingle.
2. I have two sweet dance moves that I've coined throughout my wild days at the clubs. They're called "The Grandpa Hat" and "Spare Any Change" Ask me to show you. It would be my honor.
3. Madonia Brothers has the best bread and cannolis in all of Arthur Avenue. You need to go to Arthur Avenue for some bread and cannolis? You get your ass to Madonia, you get yourself any goddamn piece of bread in the whole store, and then you go to Duane Reade and get yourself a camera. You shove that camera to one of your friend's hands and tell them to get ready. You then ring the doorbell of wherever you're bringing your fresh Italian Bread of the Gods to. They open the door, see you brought them Madonia and yell things like "You're a Legend! You're a Champion! You're a Saint! You make me not want to ever sob deeply about anything ever again and you make life worth living!" and after that awkward last chant, they carry you above their heads like the winner you are and chant your name in proud victory like in the movie Rudy. Your friend takes a picture.
Three things you didn't know, but now you now. -
Review from Atif I.
8/15/2009 ROTD 12/24/2009
Sizes 12-26 only.
The huge billboard was the first thing I read emerging from the subway station. Well, I mused, it was but to be expected that plus sizes would prevail in the neighborhood, given the unprecedented number of bakeries per square mile in the Little Italy of Bronx!
As I stood in front of Morrone Pastry waiting for my partners-in-crime to arrive, I re-read the reviews for Madonia. "Best bread and cannolis" danced off the iphone screen, and I was so tempted that upon meeting Champagne Frank, I immediately brought up Madonia. Frank who also has a sweet tooth didn't need any convincing: "no harm in taking a look".
No sooner had we walked in and surveyed all the breads (Jalapeno, Olive, Prosciutto, etc.) on display that I noted from the corner of my eyes that Frank had already ordered the chocolate drizzled cookie, and was evaluating bread options. "Wow, what happened to just taking a look", I thought as I placed my own order for a pound of Italian butter cookies, Pignoli, Amaretti, biscotti, etc. The serving lady politely packed everything and thanked us courteously as we left. As we were leaving, I mentioned to Frank, that in our excitement we had forgotten to sample their celebrated cannoli.
We went back, and the lady took out the shells and piped in the ricotta cheese fresh into them. Frank took a bite and gushed how great the ricotta cheese tasted, much like frosting. As I bit into the crunchy shell, I too realized that the texture of the cheese was dense, semi-freddo like, and while not too sugary sweet brought out a great balance of citrus and chocolate chips in the flavor. Exceptional!
However, while the shell was not soggy, frankly it did not add anything to my enjoyment of the cannoli. To its credit, the crisp shell didn't flake all over as is the case with some other famous cannoli places that pipe in ricotta (I am looking at you Rocco's). Madonia regularly wins accolades for the best cannoli in the city. It quite possibly deserves the accolade as Veniero's cannoli are not piped in fresh, even if their ricotta cheese similarly tastes fantastic! I will reserve judgment here till I've gone back and sampled the cannoli at a couple of famous Italian bakeries in Brooklyn.
For my money's worth, Madonia has some of the best Italian cookies in town. While not a big fan of their biscotti (other than Pistachio Chocolate), my love for their Coco Cashew cookie is fast approaching that for Levain's cookies. The textural variations (one bite crunchy and the next fudgy!), nuttiness, and cocoa all come together wonderfully. Another delightfully rich cookie is Mario's Special - with chocolate chip, walnut and coconut, again due to the flavor and texture variations. Please note that these are nothing like Levain's cookies, though best-in-class in their own right!
But, before you commit yourself to a contractual relationship with Madonia, do remember that it will extract its pound of flesh in return. Or, rather, add (at the very least) a pound of flesh from your returns. Let the huge billboard serve as the Surgeon General's warning, for no Portia will be able to bail you out! :)Listed in: Popular Awards, Pasticceria Paradiso
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Review from Adrian V.
Queens, NY
11/5/2010 1 Check-in Here
You go here for the bread and that's it. The bread is incredible. The cookies and pastries are sub-par.
The olive loaf. Oh man. Just get yourself one... or three. -
Review from Mark Anthony B.
New York, NY
3/15/2009 1 photo
Any trip to Arthur Avenue in the Bronx would render one speechless upon going into one of the restaurants there. This is the real Little Italy. The one downtown has got nothin' on this. If you're traditionally Italian, this is where you get your seafood for the Christmas Eve feast. This is where you go to real oyster bars that are literally out on the street. This is where you can get your meat and be able to feel good about it.
At Madonia's getting the mini or large cannoli is a must. You essentially purchase the shells since it's made-to-order, then the filling is inserted right before boxing to preserve the crispness of the wafer. Pignoli is a great underrated cookie also that is just out of this world. The wait can be long, but the staff is all cougars (maybe they rotate-- cougars on Saturdays) and work really fast. (Ped egg break!) I'll definitely try the other pastries, but I just haven't had the chance because I always get the pignoli.
I can't believe my mom used to live here, and why she moved from here. -
Review from Lolia S.
San Francisco, CA
4/23/2008 1 photo
Part of the Arthur Avenue, Italian district, this bustling local Italian bakery had the longest lines that I witnessed. The piles of biscotti looked top notch in the display case and they offer quite a few types, including the ones I describe below and chocolate, Napolitano, toasted almond, etc. Some are drizzled or dipped in chocolate.
GREAT BISCOTTI! Their biscotti are dense, compact, small, and extra crunchy, just the way I like it. They're also generous with their nuts and chocolate chips. I've eaten plenty of biscotti and biscotti like this is hard to find. I bought a dozen biscotti for $4, good price.
Biscotti:
* Chocolate chip with pistachio: A favorite with a nice balance of sweet, salty and nutty flavors
* Vanilla nut: Better than regular almond biscotti, sweet and crunchy with almonds
* Double chocolate: Has chips in a chocolate dough, addictive
* Chocolate chip: The chips were a little too sweet
They also sell bread, cookies, and cannoli. My friends raved about the olive bread which was studded with generous amounts of olives. I don't like olives so I didn't try it. I don't think they have seating, so pop in for some treats and keep strolling.
Don't miss this old-fashioned Italian bakery if you're in the area and you like biscotti.Listed in: Non-Asian European Bakeries, Big Apple Picks from the…
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Review from Allison J.
Henderson, NV
8/2/2006 3 photos
Awesome double chocolate biscotti. Some of the best I've ever had. The first time I went there, I bought a dozen and it was too few. So I made a special trip up to Arthur Ave recently and bought 55 of them. My roommate eats them in bed and freaked out last night when a mouse tried to crawl up her duvet and get into the bed. The biscotti is *that* good. :)
The bread is fantastic too like the first review said. The jalapeno bread, the cheese bread... olive bread.... it's all fantastic. From the outside, the bakery looks like any other random bakery.... ahhh... but go in and partake! You won't regret it. -
Review from Taylor J.
Moraga, CA
9/22/2011
Their olive bread is everything that olive bread should be, slightly crusty on the outside, chewy on the inside, and loaded with tasty olives. Pairs amazingly with charcuterie products, cheese and wine. Can't wait to try everything else here
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Review from Regi K.
San Francisco, CA
5/7/2008
On every visit to NYC, my sister always takes me down Arthur Avenue. We don't usually even leave this block... first stop is the clam bar next door, then we have Madonia brothers....
My husband loves their cannoli, they fill it when you order it... Then the other is a box of biscotti to take back to my co-workers. They love it... I got the double chocolate biscotti and the almond biscotti dipped in chocolate. I bought 2 lbs and one day later.... all gone.
Its that good! -
Review from Jonathan S.
Bronx, NY
12/24/2010
I love bread! Their olive loaf is absolutely amazing... and this is coming from someone who does not like olives. After they slice it for you, you should immediately go for that middle slice and gobble it up. That middle slice - so warm and so soft and chewy, thin crusty crust, savory olives. Heaven in your mouth.
The fennel and raisin bread is also absolutely delicious.
Everytime I go, I have eyed their other breads, and have wanted to order them, but whenever I reach the counter, "olive bread please" rolls of my tongue. Next time, I must order something else!
Biscottis were okay. I would come here for the bread only. -
Review from Eric K.
2/25/2010
Oh temptress Madonia, how you seduce us with your cookies and breads. We had just eaten lunch at Mike's Deli next door and heard about your freshly made cannolis. So we went in and were sent back into time when bakeries were simple yet everyday parts of people's lives.
We stared at the prosciutto bread and drooled wondering why no one else had thought of such a genius combo. And thankfully you had a loaf left for us to purchase for $5--a little expensive I initially thought...that is until I bit into the bread and found plentiful chunks of porky goodness that no butter could match.
Your rainbow cookies tasted fresher and looked more natural than any other catered rainbow cookie i'd ever eaten, and it helped us to overlook that each relatively small piece was almost $1 each.
And finally the cannoli. We ignored such new world terms like transfat and BMI and ordered the cannolis in the large crispy shells instead of the small shells. And unlike other places, you made each one to order, overfilling the shell with your addictive chocolate chip-filled ricotta cream. Now if you could just get a couple tables or a bench inside, we could've enjoyed the combination of crunchy shell and rich cream within your confines. But we ate your cannoli out in the cold winter air wondering when we would be back for more.Listed in: NYCheap eats
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Review from L C.
Westchester, NY
4/4/2008
I had lard bread and biscotti for lunch on Sunday. Gross combination, but each on its own is a Madonia masterpiece.
They have a ton of different varieties of biscotti, my favorite being the chocolate drizzled chocolate one (naturally), and the ladies will patiently box up your desired variety.
The lard bread is as rich as it sounds. It's an O-shaped loaf dotted with chunks of prosciutto-- very salty and chewy.Listed in: the Bronx needs some love!
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Review from Allyson R.
Alpharetta, GA
4/11/2010 2 photos
My boyfriend and I regularly do random walks in random places in New York. We heard about Little Italy in the Bronx and decided to check it out for ourself. After strolling the street, and having a great lunch a little cafe, we stumbled across the street to Madonia's just because it looked really good.
Well, we were NOT disappointed. We decided on the cannoli and while we waited, watching them filling the shell with the filling, I was very excited. Not being a huge fan of sweets I didn't know what to expect, and I have had some cannoli's that taste like they are just filled with a sugary cake frosting-gross. We paid our 2 bucks and then headed out to the street. I took a bite and my taste buds flared up and I was in sweet heaven. OMG, it is SOOOOO good. It was so good in fact, that I debated going back and getting more, but seeing that I don't need to gain another 5 pounds anytime soon, I decided to wait until the next trip to Little Italy,
OH, and, don't worry there will be another trip, even if it's just to go to Madonia's and get some more cannolis (and it will be several, trust me).Listed in: All 4 Kids: NYC Edition, Good for Desserts
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Review from Katie S.
5/1/2010
I'm so happy I tried this place, and yet also happy that I live far from its siren call. I do not wish to gain the weight of a dozen cannoli per day.
Having said that, the cannoli and the butter cookies filled with raspberry jam are among the most delicious things I've ever tasted. The angels sing. In fact, I may starve to death, because all other food now seems bland and stale in comparison to my long lost beloved cannoli. Pardon me, I need a moment. . .Listed in: Worth Going Out Of Your Way
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Review from John M.
8/1/2010
How Bad Do You Want Your Bread?
Food - 3 Stars / Service - 0 Stars / Atmosphere - 2 Stars
I will call this "The Bitchy Bakery." Where a simple request for bread becomes a scene from an overcooked telenovela!
All we wanted was a loaf of Italian bread. It was mid-afternoon, and there wasn't a whole lot left but large loaves. My wife was simply asking (understandably since it was our first time there), what was available. Immediately, the gal behind the counter practically demanded what my wife wanted. "Do you want this or not?!" she fired off repeatedly. And, this was with two people in the place. Not exactly rush hour!
Listen, hon, your job is simple: Ask what the customer wants, get it, put it in the bag and give it to the customer. If this job is too demanding, perhaps you should pursue a less intellectually-taxing line of work.
Oh yeah, the Prosciutto Bread my wife was finally able to wring out of her was very good. Spicy, crusty on the outside, tender with nice bits of Prosciutto inside.
Bread: 4 Stars. Service: 0 Stars. Average: 3 (Yeah, I was nice and rounded up!). Bottom line: if you are masochistic by nature, here's the bakery for you!Listed in: New York City
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Review from Stephanie L.
New York, NY
11/3/2008
I've lived in New York all my life and never knew Arthur Avenue existed, not even while attending high school in the Bronx hanging out with my girls randomly scattered around the borough.
A friend mentioned a few of the kids we knew were going to Arthur avenue, the "real" Italy in the Bronx. We intended to go to Roberto's for a late lunch/early dinner but didn't realize Roberto's didn't open until 4pm on Saturdays.
So we decided to explore the streets and I would have to say the delicious aromas wafting out of this cute, albeit PACKED little place hooked me in the nostrils and dragged me in.
They make made to order Cannolis and have a small selection of baked goods. Not as much as Morrone Pastry Shop across the way but you go into this place for the Cannolis and baked bread. The bread...we got a few olive loafs for the parents and bags and bags of cannolis for ourselves and well...drowned ourselves in delicious cannoli cream..yum -
Review from G H.
Fort Lee, NJ
2/28/2011
Ahhhh Madonia Bro's brings me back to my childhood. The bread... Olive, Parmesan, Prosciutto, Provolone & Jalapeño. I come here every few months and stock up. Love Arthur Avenue.
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Review from Lynn G.
Davis, CA
6/16/2011 1 Check-in Here
Holy cannoli this place makes some delicious treats. If you go in, get a mini cannoli filled fresh and eat it on the spot while you decide what else to get. So good. Awesome selection of biscotti, the chocolate chip pistachio was my favorite. The almond chocolate dipped were also excellent. The rainbow cookies were good, but a little sweeter than I am used to. And of course, the bread. I mean, its Arthur Avenue, of course they make amazing bread. Hit it up, you will not be disappointed.
