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The Holtermann family bakery is a Staten Island institution that's been around for over 125 years. Back then, bakers peddled their wares by horse and wagon. Nowadays, locals are more likely to drive out in a station wagon as they pick up a signature white-and-blue box of German home-style goods from this unassuming brick building. Choices abound: Soft, white bread, cinnamon-raisin loaves, Viking multigrains, and chewy-crust sourdoughs compete with pan-European pastries like cannoli and éclairs as well as Teutonic winter treats like braided, fruit-studded stollen and crisp, sugary kringelein. Fancy layer cakes and cream-filled pastries await in the refrigerated glass cases. The bakery’s signature item, the meltaway cake, is a large rectangular crumb cake with fruit, cheese, or almond filling. The bakery also sells videos and DVDs of the documentary Once Upon a Time on Staten Island for those looking to stock up on memories as well as pastries. — Helen Zelon

Home chefs looking for a shortcut, take note: Holtermann's sells frozen brown-and-serve dinner rolls, unfilled fluted pie crusts, and 18-oz. packages of pizza dough. Their buttered garlic bread is large enough for Sunday dinner.

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There is a $15 minimum on all credit card sales