‘Rugelach By a Brother’ expands A Sweet business

Some folks call it rugelatch, others ruganut, some even confuse the name with the leafy vegetable arugula. Baker Alvin Lee Smalls pronounces rugelach with the guttural “ach” — as it’s said in Yiddish. The small nut and raisin filled pastry, which comes in different flavors, is a traditional Jewish treat that has become a centerpiece of his Harlem bakery. The notoriety he’s received inspired his company’s tagline, “Rugelach by a Brother.”

Smalls, 75, originally from South Carolina, has been a baker since he was young man. He found a recipe for rugelach published in a New York City newspaper sometime in the 1960s. As someone who likes to experiment and “change things around,” Smalls perfected the little pastry over the years. His recipe is secret, but he let us in on one key detail: the raisins are cooked in honey.

Smalls’ bakery, known as Lee Lee’s Baked Goods, is a tiny storefront on 118th Street off of Frederick Douglass Boulevard. The red and white motif and rose-festooned wallpaper have not changed much since he opened that location in 1994. He also had another bakery 1988-1994 on Amsterdam near Columbia University. Some of his customers once included clients from a methadone clinic that existed across the street. “They like sweet things,” Smalls says.

The bakery has always had a devoted following, including a young Mike Tyson. A black-and-white photo of the world heavyweight champ with Smalls hangs on the wall. Now, in a changing demographic with a Starbucks around the corner, Lee Lee’s is serving people of all races, religions and backgrounds, young and old.

Smalls recently partnered with Ben Neschis, a New York-based lawyer, and Scott Schuster, a brand manager, to help him expand the business. They will focus on increasing production and distributing the rugelach into neighborhood stores, says Neschis. “But Alvin is also loyal to his customers,” says Neschis, and continues baking danish, red velvet cake, carrot cake, pound cakes and pies. For a reporter and a photographer, the danish was a good example of Smalls’ artistry. A perfectionist, Smalls said there should have been more dark cinnamon added to it.

“One danish takes a lot of work,” Smalls says. “To make one danish you have to touch the pastry as many as six times.” The process to achieve the layers in the danish includes rolling out the dough and folding it, proofing it (letting it rise), and repeating that process several times. Then it is placed it in the oven, brushed with a water glaze, and finally decorated with glacé icing and toppings, he explains. “People don’t do that anymore.”

Smalls’ son Kevin Smalls, 41, who apprenticed with his father since he was a child, recently joined his father as a full-time baker. With the expansion the father and son will keep an eagle eye on the increased production.

The kitchen produces about 2,000 rugelach on a weekend day, but they have the capacity to bake 5,000 rugelach.

The rugelach will also soon be kosher certified “early in the new year,” says Neschis.

Kara Fenton, a frequent customer who lives nearby, said she’d come back to pick up some rugelach because a batch would only be ready in 20 minutes. It’s a common occurrence for customers to wait for a half hour or more; sometimes they’ll come back the next day if they miss that day’s baking.

Her best friend, Fenton says, got her sons’ bar mitzvah rugelach from Lee Lee’s. Fenton’s mother, who was visiting from Albany for Thanksgiving, adds, “Every time I come here, I take some back.”

“He’s the last of the Mohicans,” says Johnny Yates, a customer who’s known Smalls for many years.

“It’s old school,” says Neschis.

For the first time, the bakery is offering holiday gift tins for Hanukkah and Christmas. One can order online from their website, leeleesrugelach.com, or by phone at (917) 493-6633.