By Ava Stryker-Robbins
I was eye level with the display of macaroons and other baked delicacies every time my mom and I walked into Silver Moon to buy loaves of bread when I was a small child. Some of my earliest memories revolve around these macaroons — I was fascinated by the arrangements of hues and could not imagine what they would taste like. I asked for one for my 5th or 6th birthday and was amazed by the flavor and texture. I became eager to try as much as I could from Silver Moon’s vast selection.
Over the years, I think it is safe to say that I have. Many of my birthday cakes were from Silver Moon. I rewarded myself with meringues and madeleines all throughout high school when I scored well on midterms and finals.
My friends and I have had countless picnics featuring Silver Moon ciabattas that we ate in Riverside Park while looking at the Hudson River. My sister makes sandwiches with white pullman slices each day before heading to school. Just a few weeks ago my friends from college and I had a charcuterie board night with Silver Moon bread during a brief New York City trip.
In 7th grade, I landed a dog-walking gig and I spent essentially every penny I earned on plain sliced baguettes my friends and I would enjoy in Booker T. Washington’s outdoor yard. My teachers would wonder what I had in the brown paper bag I carried around each day and were delighted when I told them and offered them slices.
Losing Silver Moon is devastating. But what feels more important to me is that, looking back, I can connect so many important memories to this bakery: kneading dough with my father during the pandemic as we tried to replicate Silver Moon challah using owner Judith Norell’s online tutorials; interviewing Judith about the story behind Silver Moon for the Rag’s Here’s the Dish column, which I wrote at the time; writing a fictional story about a woman who worked at Silver Moon for a creative writing class assignment about a place I loved.
Silver Moon has given me so much joy throughout my life. I am grateful for having grown up on incredible bread served by eternally smiling employees.
I am writing this on Amtrak heading back home for my spring break and am preparing to wake up early Sunday morning and buy my last-ever plain sliced baguette and chocolate chip cookie. In the past 24 hours, I have had several conversations with friends and strangers about how sad we are that Silver Moon is closing.
Still, I can’t help but feel lucky for having lived two blocks away from a place that has provided so much joy for me and the Upper West Side. I want to thank Judith for adding enormously to the community.
If anyone has memories related to Silver Moon, please share them. 🙂
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What a lovely essay about Silver Moon Bakery. Thank you.
How beautiful! Thank you, Ava.
So wonderful how they were always there and especially staying open during Covid to remind us that it would not last forever. Thank you Judith and to the wonderful people working there!
I don’t know where I’m going to get my Bolo Challah for Rosh Hashanah. I didn’t just enjoy the Challah, I enjoyed the process of picking up my order with everyone else picking up their holiday order. Silver Moon will be so missed!
Beautifully written tribute to an indeed truly beloved bakery.
What a beautiful reflection and tribute to one of the UWS greats!
Lovely.
Silver Moon was the place where we got cakes for every family occasion, weekend breakfasts, sometimes cookies, and always croissants. Especially during COVID Silver Moon has been an anchor of the neighborhood, and its closing leaves a tremendous void. I will particularly miss picking up my Thanksgiving pies. Thank you for everything Silver Moon, and please come back!
I think this story takes place on a weekend in early fall 2004. I had just made a trip to Silver Moon with my toddler and walked to Tot Lot 110. All my goodies, including herbed brie sticks, pull-apart rolls, and a chocolate orange baguette, were hanging from the stroller handle in one of the wonderful sturdy white plastic bags you used in the old days.
While I was with my kid on one of the balance beams, I was startled by a loud BANG behind me. One of the Riverside Park squirrels had clearly noticed the delicious aromas wafting out of the bag, and it was so aggressive in trying to reach the California morning buns that it climbed on the stroller and knocked the whole thing to the ground! I lunged over and chased it away. No greedy squirrel was going to get a single bite of my chocolate chip brioche!!
I have been buying the decadent chocolate cake among many other items at Silver Moon for the last 24 years for family and friend’s birthdays. I told my niece who lives in Hoboken that it was closing, and she said that “if I hgad known it was closing I would have eaten a bigger slice at the last birthday party”. And my godson just wrote “Noooooooo”. I know that I and so many others have favorites. I would buy their hazelnut biscotti as a gift for every dinner party, adult class, meeting, and even as gifts for friends in France who loved the biscotti each year. It is a terrible loss, but it has left us with so many unforgettable memories. Thank you Judith. Thank you wonderful staff.
I was very lucky to live near Silver Moon and, as others have said, it was my go to place for the excellent breads and whenever I needed a special dessert. Silver Moon will be greatly missed. I wish Judith well.
Forgive the cynicism, but I’ve lived on the UWS for decades, and I never heard of the place. The bakery’s closing after only 25 years and all this fuss? Call me when Barney Greengrass or Zabar’s closes.
I bought two loaves a few days before Silver Moon closed. One was very dense with many seeds covering the outside. I am making it last as long as possible as if to keep the bakery still there. I loved reading Ava’s essay.