Profile

Damascus, like its neighbor Sahadi's, is a mainstay on a stretch of Atlantic Avenue dense with Middle Eastern markets. The bakery is small but the selection, displayed in a long, blue-paneled glass display case, is almost grandiose, offering brick-oven baked pitas, vegetable and meat pies, baklava, bird's nests, kanafa rolls (shredded wheat pastries filled with custard or nut paste) and dozens of other breads and sweets. The craftsmanship of the Halaby family, who have run the shop since Hassan Halaby opened it in 1930, make it obvious why Damascus has thrived all these years, and why the store is seldom empty. Among the big draws are a crisp, honey-soaked-pistachio baklava, rich, fresh-baked potato-spinach pie, and the fried, almond-filled burrma pastry. — Jonathan Dixon