Sweet Chef Southern Style Bakery

I bought my first pie today. It was an apple pie and it was DELICIOUS! . I got a tiny one because i wanted to try it first. It was very fresh, soft and the apples had the right combination of sweetness and cinnamon.
I am happily surprised of discovering this gem in the neighborhood. In a fee days I'll go for a bigger one and I will be sampling the other flavors like sweet potato pie, blueberry pie and others!

Dominicans make slamming desserts like Pineapple Flan (not some shit that's already prepared from the supermarket), arroz con Leche (don't mistake it for the whack Puerto Rican version), habichelas con dulce, Dominican cake, Tres Leche cake, etc. But what's not in our Dominican DNA is sweet potato pie. Simply put- Sweet potato pie doesn't run in our blood. Of course we have sweet potatoes in my homeland- but they're the Caribbean sweet potatoes that have that purpley-reddish skin and whitish inside. We don't have yams.

I first heard of Sweet Chef about 15 or so years ago when there was a kiosk at the Atlantic Antic and since I'm an outrageous fan of yams, I tried an individual size and boy was I hooked since then. When hubs and I found out back then they were on Hamilton Place in Harlem, I was singing God's praises.

Sweet Chef's owner, Amadou Diakite has been the backbone and delivers on taste. Plus service from him is always so pleasant and with a smile. While pies are at the forefront, he also makes pudding, cobblers, cookies and a '3 Berries' Crumble Pie hubs loves. I just go straight for the gusto for his Sweet Potato pie.

And every Thanksgiving Eve- either from work or home, we head straight here. I really don't care how phenomenally high-end of a supermarket it is because almost always the sweet potato pie crap you get is overloaded with spices and you seriously don't taste its true star: Sweet Potato. What you get here is tasty, silky and sublime.

This side of Harlem is Blessed. For me it says a lot when I literally have to travel out of my way from The BX and be in insane traffic to come here on Thanksgiving Eve- just to get his Sweet Potato Pie. And I never mind.

Cozy locale and amazing pies. My family loved them for Thanksgiving. It's sort of a hidden gem and there was a line but it was worth it. I hope they stay in business for many more years to come :)

Lazy delivery staff, they will not deliver to your door, you have to come to their car in the street to get your delivery.

Hits: rugelach, pies

Misses: banana pie, peanut butter cookie

Lovely staff, and cute cozy spot

Selection was great, so we got a variety of items including a piece of cake, and a few different cookies. Taste was fine, nothing special, but found everything to be a little dry.

Come for the pie!!!

Came on a Friday afternoon and was so excited to try their pies...they did not disappoint!

First, everything about their space is so homey. The exposed brick, the chalkboards, the tiered displays of baked goods, and the sweet smell of it all!

The woman who helped us was kind and patient with our order and though she made recommendations, she wasn't pushy.

We got the Sweet Potato Pie, Blueberry Crumb Pie, and Southern Pecan Pie. We ate them over the course of the weekend and heated them up a bit in our toaster oven and they were perfect. We're already planning for our next visit. I was worried they'd be overly sweet but each pie had a great balance of flavor and sweetness.

I haven't tried their other baked goods (like cookies or cake) and honestly, might never try them especially if their pies are this good. The availability of different sizes was helpful too, so you won't feel like you're wasting a pie if you just want a small one for yourself! If you have a sweet tooth, or even if you don't, make sure you visit this place!

Sweet Chef Bakery is a spot that's easy to miss cause it's tucked away on Hamilton Street a side street between Amsterdam and Broadway but they make very good pastries, whether it be a variety of different cookies or rugelachs. I've had their cookies. They're pretty good. I haven't had their pies but will eventually. This place is definitely a place to check out when you're in the area. It's definitely got a very homemade, mom and pop shop vibe to them.

I would say this is a Harlem gem. Wifey opted for the, sweet potato pie and boy is it really good. She recommends that you put the pie in the oven for 5-10 mins to get the full effect. As Harlem natives we went off the strength of someone who lives in the area recommending the pie, and it was not a disappointment.

This is just for the sweet potato pie ($10 for the medium size) that I got at a street fair in Forest Hills. I was curious by the 'best sweet potato pie' claim, and this was indeed the best one I've had. It has both a homemade touch to it by the slightly stringy-ness of the sweet potato so that it's not too much of a puree filling, while having a touch of added flavor that enhances the sweet taste. It doesn't taste too heavy either.