CHEESECAKE REVIEW: Lety Bakery & Café

My search for the best cheesecake in New York continues….

Jackson Heights is one of the most diverse neighborhoods in the entire world. So why was I so surprised to find a legitimate Italian bakery in its heart?

I guess I think of it more as a neighborhood of Latin American and diverse Asian cultures. No question this is the best place for Indian, Himalayan, and Peruvian food. But Italian food? It just struck me as a surprise.

Specifically looking for great cheesecake, I entered the packed bakery named Lety. I could only find a small corner table to sit down for a taste. Every other table was taken by all sorts of people reading a newspaper, chatting with friends, or drinking some coffee. Funny, I didn’t notice anyone actually eating pastries. Maybe this was more of a hang-out destination than a culinary one.

There was a wide range of cakes, pies, and cookies on offer. But I stuck with a plain mini-cheesecake.

With a nice browned top, I had high expectations for what looked like a promising specimen. Unfortunately, the flavors were off. It was definitely not cream cheese based. I’m guessing it was ricotta, but it tasted more like provolone. It had a sharp, sour aftertaste with barely any hint of sweetness.

The mouthfeel was also strange. It lacked smoothness and I could actually chew the cake, as opposed to letting it melt in my mouth. I would have been ok with that, but the off flavors gave me the sense that it might have turned.

It left me with a sort of queasy feeling in my stomach. Maybe I should come back and give Lety’s cheesecake a second chance, but I think I’d prefer to stick with Indian or Nepalese food next time I’m in this vibrant neighborhood.

Does Lety Bakery & Café have the best cheesecake in NY? Maybe I got a bad batch, but the strong sour provolone flavor and chewy texture did not earn it high marks in my book. 5 out of 10.