Coffee & Treats in East Orange

Owned and operated by the Stolz family for more than 35 years, Supreme Bakery fills its shelves with a fresh-baked bounty of certified-kosher breads, cookies, pies, and pastries made from scratch each day. Earning accolades from Modern Baking for the store's “high quality products”, bakers handcraft a variety of artisan breads, including baguettes made with all-natural, unbleached, unbromated flour mixed with water, salt, and yeast ($2.40/loaf). Or try a loaf of homemade challah bread ($3.95), which may be enjoyed fresh, fried into french toast, or used to smuggle a pound of raspberry-filled butter cookies ($12.75) across state lines. Customers preparing for a celebration can carry out a 7-inch yellow cake with buttercream frosting ($20.75) or design a custom cake in any size using the online cake builder, and cupcakes featuring beloved Sesame Street characters delight youngsters and keep Big Bird’s headshot in circulation ($2.55).

At The Cupcake Kitchen and Luncheonette, owner Jennifer O’Connel shows off her cupcake making skills. Mixers churn locally made butter and natural extracts into batter, creating delectable flavors such as chocolate, vanilla, and red velvet to bake into individual puffs. After pulling pans from the oven, the baking team swirls on frosting and sprinkles toppings, dressing each pastry for attendance at parties, holiday dinners, or liquid diet breakdowns. Before patrons come by to claim their frosted dozen, the pastries take up temporary residence in the 1950s-themed shop, basking in the glory of an artificial-additive-free existence.

Sweet Retreat Boutique's palate-popular bakers curb relentless sweet-tooth cravings with made-from-scratch cupcakes and whole cakes that have flaunted such flavors as red velvet, carrot, and pineapple cream cheese. The shop's imaginative cake designers work closely with clients to assemble custom cakes that commemorate special occasions such as birthdays, weddings, and the end of century-long thumb wars. Premade cakes in a variety of sizes come in round and square shapes, and proudly don top-shelf ingredients and layers of tasty frosting.

Considered one of New Jersey’s best kept secrets by NJ Channel 12 and celebrating its 50th anniversary, DiPaolo Bros. Bakery has helped placate Newark’s passion for fresh-baked goods since 1961. Load up on leavened loaves from a lineup that features panella ($1.85 small, $2.65 large), ciabatta ($1.99 small, $3.49 large), and French ($1.55 small, $1.99 large) and Italian rolls both round and long ($0.40). Patrons looking for traditional Italian specialties find a 40-year-old cannoli cream recipe clamoring for attention ($1.25 small, $2.25 large) and chewy pignoli cookies fresh from their pine-nut shower, a topping more palatable than honey-flavored hair gel ($16.99 per pound). Additionally, a collection of cakes ($15.99 for 7”, $99.95 for full sheet) helps to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, dental cleanings, grandma’s senior prom, or any of life’s other little pleasures.

NY Bagel Cafe & Deli's kitchen bakes its bagels fresh every day, fueling a savory expansion to locations across seven states. At the Newark site, a glass case displays doughy circles infused with ingredients such as sun-dried tomatoes and blueberries. Patrons can opt to decorate their bagels or the eatery's pumpkin-colored walls with cream-cheese spreads flavored with scallions, bacon, and strawberries. In addition, deli sandwiches enfold Boar's Head–brand meats and cheeses in italian bread, wraps, or rolls.

Before it became the set of one of the most polarizing television series finales of all time, Holsten's was a classic diner and ice cream parlor. Now, it still serves its homemade ice cream and house specials—two burgers, made with beef chopped that day—but camera flashes aren't uncommon, especially near one particular booth. People who sit there tend to order onion rings, because that's what Tony Soprano ordered just before the show ended.

The staff doesn't mind the extra attention that The Sopranos fanbase showers on their restaurant. In fact, they sell T-shirts emblazoned with the phrase, "The Final Episode." But they also stay true to their roots, whipping up diner fare from BLTs to grilled cheese and double-decker club sandwiches. The dessert menu features ice cream in flavors such as vanilla, black raspberry, and butter pecan, all of which can be piled atop brownies or bananas to make a sundae. There's also homemade candy, including truffles, assorted chocolates, and seasonal sweets more appetizing than autumn leaves dipped in honey.