Thanks to the devoted gumshoes on Chowhound, I learned that an annex of Ostrovitsky’s Bakery in Midwood is located a few short blocks from my apartment. The shop is nestled into a gas station and offers challah, bagels, coffee, candies as well as a hot buffet, mostly catering to a gas-and-go crowd. Business was brisk on a sunny Sunday winter morning when I walked over. I left with challah rolls and a devastatingly good kokosh cake, a chocolate-filled rolled pastry with a consistency similar to challah.

The main Ostrovitsky Bakery offers more challah options, babkas, rogalech, mondel bread, and cookies.

Ostrovitsky Bakery
1201 Avenue J

Ostrovitsky Bakery Annex (in the Rio gas station)
38th Street and 14th Avenue

Originally published on Until Monday: Brooklyn