F. Monteleone Bakery

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Early in 2007, two legendary Italian bakeries joined forces to reclaim their Carroll Garden turf. Cheesecake and cookie mecca Monteleone, and Cammerari Brothers, known for its bread, are now under one roof—a rallying point for the area’s family-run Italian businesses. After renovation, Monteleone’s original space still has plenty of old-school elements, like a plate-glass front window emblazoned with looping golden script and hexagonal-tile floors. (The flat-screen television added to the back wall is one incongruously contemporary element.) Four display cases are packed with pignolis, almond biscotti, palm-sized napoleons, and other cookies and mini-pastries. Tall ivory cylinders of ricotta cheesecake fill the third case; you can also find seasonal treats like the dried-fruit-speckled sweet bread panettone, traditionally imported around Christmastime. Brick-oven baguettes, sesame-flecked loaves, and peppery meat-dappled lard bread are stacked behind the counter. The staff quickly boxes up these temptations, deftly pulling red-and-white string from the egg-shaped dispensers hanging overhead. And if you come near closing time, you might be offered an extra treat for the road. — Jennifer Paull