Jackson Heights Spot Finalist For Eater's Best Bakery Of The Year

JACKSON HEIGHTS, QUEENS — A Jackson Heights bakery is among the city's best new eateries this year. Farine Baking Company was named a finalist for the Eater New York award for best bakery of 2019, the food blog announced Monday.

Farine will compete against Ole & Steen and Fabrique Bakery in Manhattan and Ciao, Gloria and Win Son Bakery in Brooklyn for Eater's top spot.

Food Network star and Queens native Michael Mignano opened the bakery this spring on the corner of 37th Avenue and 75th Street after leaving his post as executive pastry chef at the Pierre Hotel on the Upper East Side.

Mignano, who has been featured on the Food Network shows "Sweet Genius" and "Fat Chef," is perhaps best known for his signature gourmet candy bar — layers of macadamia-cashew caramel, caramelized puffed rice and dark chocolate ganache, which are then covered in dark chocolate and sprinkled with Hawaiian sea salt.

Farine offers traditional French pastries, American desserts such as whoopie pies and an all-day menu and weekend brunch menu.

"The goal is to have fun," Mignano told Patch in a February interview. "If you can't have fun with food, then I think you can't really be a chef."