By Sara Kay, Assistant Features Editor
If the last bakery you walked in to didn't make you feel like you were about to go into diabetic shock from all the sweetness, then you're going to the wrong bakeries. When I go into a bakery, I expect to be overwhelmed by the amount of cakes, pastries, cookies and other sweet treats available to me, and Dortoni Bakery and Pastry Shoppe in Levittown was no exception. The simple baked goods that still resembled elegant and appetizing treats gave Dortoni's the homey feel of a local neighborhood mom and pop bakery mixed with an Upper East Side cupcake shop.
A bakery is a difficult thing to judge based on the extreme variety that is offered. It's impossible to get a literal taste of everything unless you have the money and the stomach room to eat that much sugar. And most of the time, I'm so toppled over by the complexity of sweets offered, that I find myself ignoring the quality. The amount of variety offered at Dortoni was remarkable; they had enough Italian, European and American treats to satisfy my sweet tooth without making my head spin, as well as enough delicate and outstanding birthday and wedding cakes to make me walk around the shop three or four times to take them all in.
What stood out to me the most about Dortoni was the level of freshness I could sense by both the smell and the taste of everything I tried; when they said that everything was baked that morning, everything really was baked that morning. The frosting on the pumpkin faced cookies was still melting from being just put on the warm fresh cookies, and the fruit in my fruit tart was still crunchy and flavorful.
The one thing I dread when eating fruit from a bakery is the caramelized gooeyness of fruit that is covered in sugar, and the fruit at Dortoni was perfection. Every bite was crisp and juicy, and each piece of fruit was big and full of flavor. Not being a New York native or an Italian, I was more than just excited to see the giant cannolis full of spiced cream. I may be Jewish, but even I found myself being reminded of Christmas after experiencing the warmth and cinnamon sweetness of the oversized pastry. I found myself walking out of Dortoni with bags of sweets, wondering how many custard-filled and sugar coated bites I could eat before I needed to take a deep breath and lie down.
The most intimidating part of the meal to most people tends to be the dessert, which is unfortunate. The sweet tooth is something to be respected and revered, not insulted and given the cold shoulder. I too have been one of the many to try and cut dessert out of my diet, thinking it was just unneeded calories. After eating at Dortoni's, I can't help but wonder what made me think dessert should be the lame duck. The comfortable décor and delicious sweet treats have absolutely changed my feelings about respecting my sweet tooth, and I recommend everyone else do the same. Grab a cannoli, grab a cake, and don't be afraid to enjoy it.
(Photo Courtesy of www.Dortinibakery.com)