Soutine Bakery, a tiny shop that has sold cakes, pies, muffins and pastries at 104 West 70th Street for more than 30 years, closed its doors on Friday. The bakery was facing a rent increase.
“It was the right time,” owner Madge Rosenberg told us.
Madge sold the lease to Muffins Cafe, the muffin shop on Columbus between 70th and 71st Streets. The name of the bakery may change, but some of the food may be familiar: Madge said she sold them her recipes too.
She also sold recipes to Jessica Echevarria, a former Soutine employee who opened bakery One Cup Two Cupcakes on 107th and Columbus earlier this year. Madge (pictured below) plans to help bake at One Cup too.
“I want to thank everyone, all the interesting people, all the good customers I’ve met,” Madge said.
We had first heard Soutine was closing back in June, and numerous readers have written in letting us know too. But Madge had asked us to hold off on publishing the news until after the deal was finalized.
Anyway, it’s a sad day for lovers of baked goods.
As Lee Reichman wrote to us as part of a recent story on readers’ favorite local small businesses: “When I knead a great cake, pie, pastry or sandwich, I give my dough to Soutine. They take the cake. They rise to the occasion with their custom cakes and holiday treats – there’s no one batter! Give them a try – it’s the yeast you can do.”
Wrote Mel Wymore: “Soutine has been the anchor of West 70th Street for decades. I can’t imagine not waking up to the irresistible waft of fresh bread baking, or feeling Madge Rosenberg’s unfaltering presence each morning. One shop literally shaped the lives of hundreds of local residents, not to mention the thousands of birthdays, weddings, bar mitzvahs, and community events made more memorable with chocolate and butter cream. That’s what makes a neighborhood. We will miss Soutine.”
Photos by Avi.
A sad day for the UWS and our family! Not a birthday, Halloween party or special event has taken place in our home without Soutine cupcakes. Soutine will live on as a fond and nostalgic memory in the history of our children and family. Good luck Madge. Your cozy enclave of delicious smells and tastes touched many lives and will be missed more than you could possibly imagine.
I am sad to see Soutine’s go. Another wonderful small business pushed out by greed.
Soutine will be sorely missed by the community. Unfortunately, the price of progress is often the demise of venerable establishments like Soutine. We can only hope that the new operators live up to the standards of Soutine.
There goes the neighborhood again, dammit! It’s amazing that after so many years of gentrification/mall-ization/homogenization that there are still enough of these wonderful old shopkeepers around to sustain something of that old-time Upper-West-Side spirit. But the supply is getting dangerously low. Madge, we’ll miss you — and our special family events will be lacking a favorite ingredient.
Oh great! I’m so happy a small independently owned tasty bakery has closed. This neighborhood really needs another frozen yogurt place.
Oh this is so upsetting. they make the best cakes.
Thanks for the lovely send off.
Madge
We loved Soutine! We will never forget your special shop that brought happiness to so many! We will visit you on 107th. Congrats, Madge on 30+ years of beautiful baking!
It is sad to see Soutine go the way of so many great Mom and Pop shop that gave the Upper West Side it’s unique character.
I was so sad to hear about Soutine! We have been going there for over ten years. The made the best cakes! I’m happy that One Cup, Two Cupcakes opened up. There cakes are just as yumy!! <3
This is devastating even still…I didn’t know until recently (because I’ve left the neighborhood as i cannot afford it either!) I didnot get to say goodbye. I was born and raised a few blocks away and Soutines WAS the upper west side for me. Every time wee lose a small, family owned neighborhood icon, we lose a little piece of history. Nobody can ever replace those cheese rolls, tarts and old-nyc feel that were slowly losing.