Move over Cronut, Angelina Bakery brissant is a new pastry set to take over the city. The new recipe of the Italian cornetto is in fact the most popular item in the store, that also offers a menu of bomboloni, mouth-watering Italian donuts, cheesecakes, fruit tarts.
Tony Park, the man behind the pastry shop that opened a second location on Central Park West just months after the original Midtown store, shares the secrets of his success, his following among Italian clientele, and what’s next in for his fast-growing pastry empire.
What makes your cornetti special?
I now call it the brissant, a cross between a croissant and a typical Italian brioche, similar to a danish. The croissant is flakier, due to the butter being added after the dough is made, while for the Italian brioche, it is included in the mixture to make it softer. Our cornetto, or brissant, has the best of both worlds, crunchier on the outside and fluffy on the inside. It is our clients’ favorite, and represents 60% of our sales.
How did you come up with the idea of updating Italian traditional recipes?
I have extensive experience as an Italian baker, although my parents are originally Korean, my wife is Chinese and I live in New York, so I am influenced by different cuisines. Take the bombolone for instance, an Italian donut that is made with fresh yeast, just like a pizza or focaccia dough, that we let it rise for two days. I have been playing with the measurements to make it lighter, sorry it’s a secret recipe! I can tell you that the filling is not all crema pasticcera, the delicious but quite heavy custard cream. Rather it is a mix of custard and whipped cream, similar to what is used in Korean choux. I feel it is a third Italian, a third American and a third Korean.
What are the secrets of your focaccia?
Our traditional Roman focaccia had a natural fermentation that we use for a day. Our ingredients are from Italy, including the natural yeast and Caputo flour.
Do you feel that you are influencing breakfast habits?
What is interesting is that most of the customers in my original location are Italian, I would say 60% including regulars and tourists, and they all speak Italian to me. They use to just have an espresso with a cookie, sometimes with a glass of sparkling water on the side. Now they are enjoying savory items such as the cornetto stuffed with prosciutto and cheese, and often followed by a bombolone.
Any celebrities among your clientele?
Yes, we have many. Just recently Avengers actress Claudia Kim, restauranteur David Burke, and comedian Ken Jeong passed by. We are also popular with many Italian chefs in the city, such as the team of La Piccola Cucina and Numero 28.
What is your favorite breakfast?
A cornetto dipped in a cappuccino.
What’s next for Angelina?
A flagship store in Times Square where you will be able to buy fresh pastries from the back window in the late-night hours.
Well, I guess we have a new motivation for late-night clubbing in the city.