Stop 2: Lee Lee’s Baked Goods

Of the stops on this postcard adventure, Lee Lee’s Baked Goods was certainly the oldest but its core brand proposition is still fresh. This is thanks to the quality of its offerings and the compelling nature of its origin story. “Mr. Lee” (Alvin Lee Smalls) moved from South Carolina to New York City in the 1960s and became immediately enchanted with rugalech, a traditional Jewish pastry often served during Rosh Hashanah and Hanukkah. Over time, Smalls perfected his own version, and in 1988, he opened the bakery. Although New York City has multiple neighborhoods with established Jewish communities, Harlem wasn’t one of them. Lee Lee’s Baked Goods isn’t third-culture cooking so much as it is a culinary exchange, demonstrating how chefs and bakers can honor and celebrate foods with rich heritages different from their own.

Rugalech is, naturally, de rigeur at the bakery, available in classic flavors like apricot, raspberry and chocolate, but with a texture that’s a bit crispier than the standard variation. Other sweets including pies, danishes, raspberry thumbprints and even chocolate rugelach cookies round out the selection.