Vegetable Failsafe Westville Is Branching Out With a Bakery

Westville, that reliable American full-service chain known for its vegetable plates, is opening a bakery in the East Village. Called Westville Bakery, it will take over the former Zucker space at 433 East Ninth St. between First Avenue and Avenue A.

Westville’s longtime pastry chef Meital Cohen will be in charge of the food, focusing on sweets such as carrot cake, apple and blueberry pies, assorted cookies, and seasonal specials like a dragon fruit smoothie bowl with berries, almond butter, and granola. But there will also be a savory menu featuring sandwiches, tartines, quiches, and salads. Specific tartines include ones with smoked trout, crème fraîche, and chives or marinated fennel and chickpea salad with whipped feta, while quiches may have roasted vegetables and herb goat cheese or grilled onions and mixed mushrooms. Expect vegan and gluten-free options too.

Owner Jay Strauss decided to go with the bakery after so many years of expanding the original restaurant because Cohen’s pastries have proven popular with his clientele. Westville originally opened in 2003 as an American restaurant, and it has since grown into six locations around NYC as a go-to for New Yorkers looking for a convenient, reasonably priced, and casual weeknight option.

A seventh location of the restaurant is on the way in Hell’s Kitchen, and the bakery is on track to open in November.