Silver Moon Bakery, Broadway @ 105th

On weekends, the line snakes out the door.  Weekdays, you see the odd couple or solo person sitting on the bench outside the bakery balancing a cup of coffee and a pastry.  I often walk by the steamy windows which signify just baked breads and cakes and pies.  And "real" doggie biscuits.  The fresh oven aroma wafts out to the street, like the genie from Aladdin's lamp luring you into a deal you're not sure you want just now.  I don't often allow myself to go in -- but when I do, I reward myself with golden brioche baked into jelly-filled doughnuts or swirling cinnamon buns topped with sugar frosting.  There's something irresistible  about pulling off fresh chunks of sweet, yeasty bread that melts in your mouth.  You want another and another, even though you vowed to yourself when you bought the highly caloric pre-dinner snack that you'd only take one bite and save the rest for later.  There never is a later.

about $4 per pastry.