Here’s a tasty tidbit to lure you to Queens this weekend. To mark its 80th anniversary, Rudy’s Bakery and Café on Seneca Avenue, the oldest German bakery in Ridgewood, is offering baked goods at 1934 prices. The celebration on Saturday, October 25th, from 12 Noon to 5pm, coincides with Ridgewood’s “Seneca Avenue Oktoberfest Stroll”.
For 80 cents apiece, you can try miniature Jelly Donuts, Linzer Tarts, Black Forest Cake, Cheese and Cherry Strudel, and Danish. There will also be complimentary hourly tastings, a German Band, and for the kids, Pumpkin Decorating and a Pop-Up Library.
Ridgewood (Queens) has been called the “New Williamsburg” and is the largest historical district in New York. Firmly traditional, Rudy’s Bakery and Café also incorporates the touch of former café at MOMA pasty chef Cristina Nastasi. Those seeking gluten-free and vegan treats will not be disappointed.
Rudy’s began in 1934, during the Great Depression when Ridgewood was home to mostly German immigrants who worked in the breweries and knitting factories nearby. Most had come following World War I and were generally from Gottscheer, a region of Slovenia populated by Germans who had migrated after the war. The German residents were followed in the mid-20th century by Irish, Italian, Romanian and Yugoslavian immigrants. Today the area remains multicultural with populations from Puerto Rico, Poland, the Dominican Republic and Ecuador. 905 Seneca Avenue, Ridgewood, NY 11385, (718) 821-5890
