Damascus Bakery getting some competition

By on February 8, 2012 1:54 pm in Brooklyn Heights

Apparently hookah pipes don’t pay the rent; a new middle eastern bakery is promised on Atlantic Avenue in a basement store under MOCHA, the hookah lounge / cafe / ice cream parlor in the former FOUNTAIN CAFE space.

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  • David on Middagh

    I encourage the curious to try the place out. I’ve been twice, for a square of spinach pie with a tea or mocha espresso. (I don’t smoke, and never liked smoky bars, but each time there was an individual or a group with a hookah, and the air was pleasantly perfumed.)

  • Andrew Porter

    Damascus Bakery is not simply a store. The owner was interviewed on the BBC World Service this week, and he has a commercial bakery employing hundreds of people in Brooklyn, selling Middle Eastern specialties to many retailers. He plans to expand west of the Hudson with another bakery operation in New Jersey. It’s likely that any other retail operation would be selling their products.

  • PromGirl

    Damascus Bakery is a Heights institution. It has been run by the same family of Syrian Christians for more than 80 years.
    A hookah bar is not my idea of a good time, and can’t IMHO be compared to a professional bakery like Damascus that produces hand made Pita, and a great variety if sweets & savory items.
    Like comparing Sahadis to the yuppie chain, Trader Joe.

  • David on Middagh

    PromGirl,
    Mocha is actually a family restaurant where you are allowed to smoke, if by smoking you understand inhaling fragrant steam from a tube of bubbling stuff. I like the place, and wish it success.

  • mlo

    There was a family owned and run middle eastern bakery in that basement for many years. The bread and other specialty items meat & spinach pies etc were baked in an underground brick oven and were delicious. In later years they had large retail accounts i.e. Macy’s Cellar. The business closed after the parenst died and son was running the business- it became too burdensome so he eventually closed. As a young girl I remember walking carefully down the steep steps and being awestruck by the oven. If the ovens are still downther get ready for some seriously good bread!! BTW it was called the Near East Bakery

  • PromGirl

    @mlo
    I have great childhood memories of Near East Bakery as well. The hand made pita & spinach pies were a real treat. Those stairs were really steep!
    Then we would go next door to see the Sahadis- Charlie, Richie, and Bobby. They had great homemade Lebanese ice cream and apricot shoeleather.
    Still a wonderful place to shop. I thinks it’s wonderful they still close on Sundays so they can go to church and be with their families.
    Do you all have any real favorite products? Aside from the excellent nuts, dried and candied fruit, and olives?