Modern Malt, the 1950s styled gastro-diner that took Armory Square by storm in February of 2015, recently branched out and opened a separate location based on all things baked. Modern Malt Bakeshop, conveniently located a few doors down from the original location at 315 Clinton St., opened in early September to both serve the greater needs of the restaurant and provide a light breakfast spot for the downtown community.

The existence of bakeries in Syracuse can be traced back to its rich immigrant culture. Traditionally, Italian bakeries were scattered throughout the city, but as trends changed and Armory Square was rebuilt, bakeries fell out of favor with mainstream culture.

Bread is still baked all over Syracuse – Pastabilites has its own bakery as well – but cakes, pastries and cookies have turned into accessories of coffee shops. While Modern Malt Bakeshop still serves coffee and tea, the main attraction of the storefront is its baked goods.

Most bakeries now live in the suburbs and on the North side, giving Modern Malt the opportunity to capitalize on a small market. This is the reasoning behind the extension, said head chef Anthony Donofrio.

Chris Gallardo | Contributing Photographer

Modern Malt gave the downtown community a trendy yet nostalgic place for gourmet diner food – but for a lot of people who work downtown, time is of the essence.

Convenience is key, said pastry chef Brandon Gore. The central location of the bakery allows easy access for people who work downtown. Also, as a separate, smaller location, it is easier for customers to come in and quickly grab a muffin and coffee on the way to work instead of being caught up in the bustle of the diner.

The interior of the shop pays homage to the themes inside of Modern Malt – fun colors, retro yet modern – but at the same time it’s very warm and rustic. The exposed brick walls and minimalist layout reminded me of those trendy bakeries in Brooklyn serving $5 croissants. However, Modern Malt Bakeshop is softer on the wallet while still providing a high quality product.

The menu boasts various options for coffee and tea, pastries, muffins, cupcakes, cakes, toasts and bread. A few tables line the exposed brick wall, allowing for a nice quiet place to read a book or have a chat with a friend while enjoying breakfast.

When I went, I ordered their lemon poppy seed scone. Not only was the lemon poppy seed scone the size of my head, but it was also fluffy and light – unlike the usual dense, crumbly scone that gets all over your car as your trying to fit in breakfast on the way to work.

I also highly recommend the cheese Danish – because who isn’t looking for an excuse to eat cheese at every meal? Safe to say, the Danish did not survive the ride home, and I debated going back the next morning for another.

In addition to their breakfast options, Modern Malt Bakeshop also creates beautiful cakes worthy of any celebration. Keeping in check with the eclectic style of Modern Malt, these cakes are not your prototypical vanilla with chocolate frosting. During my visit they were working on a vanilla cake with a brown butter icing, apple filling and caramel on top that looked heavenly.

Chris Gallardo | Contributing Photographer

With Modern Malt’s successful first year and a half of business, opening up this location lessens the load on the kitchen. The separate bakery location also allows for the restaurant to be more self-sufficient without compromising quality.

A large portion of desserts and bread made in the bakery head right to the flagship diner, as well as to some other restaurants downtown. As a growing wholesale bread distributor, the bakery is reaching beyond its duties of serving the restaurant and is slowly but surely becoming its own machine.

The increase of new business opening in the greater Armory Square area has been beneficial for all parties involved. Downtown is becoming much more than professionals and bars — it’s creating its own scene that is self-servicing. It seems that everyone does business with each other, not against each other.

Whether it is providing bread to pubs or meat to a diner, each individual business really values the others in the area. Yes, rivalry exists, but the people doing business downtown are there because there is a common desire to provide the community with a place to gather.

Published on September 18, 2016 at 7:41 pm