New York Times Lauds South Philadelphia Bakery as One of America’s Best

A South Philadelphia bakery has earned a coveted spot on The New York Times Best Bakeries Across the U.S. list for 2025. The Machine Shop inside the Bok Building at 1901 S. Ninth St. has garnered the praise of The New York Times for its extraordinary laminated pastries and its story of resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Machine Shop, a boulangerie and patisserie, highlights the produce and ingredients from small local farms across the mid-Atlantic region. Its pastries, tarts, breads, jams, and more celebrate the agricultural diversity of Pennsylvania along with rich French baking traditions. 

The bakery began as a wholesale operation in 2016 and relocated following a post-pandemic closure to the ground floor of the Bok Building in January 2022. That same year, owner and pastry chef Emily Riddell earned recognition by FOOD & WINE magazine as Best New Chef, and the bakery earned a Best New Restaurant award by Eater. In 2023, the bakery was nominated for an outstanding pastry chef award by the James Beard Foundation.

In the New York Times article, writer Regan Stephens noted the following about The Machine Shop: "In a former auto body shop in a one-time technical high school, Emily Riddell is transforming freshly milled flour and sugar and seasonal produce into laminated pastries like jammy egg and pepper croissants, orange cardamom morning buns, and quince Danish. ... By 2022, Riddell had converted the space into a full-fledged bakery selling viennoiserie, as well as delicate caneles, cookies made with three types of ginger, and beautiful lemon tarts capped with torched meringue."

On Jan. 13, 2025, The Machine Shop celebrated the third anniversary of its reopening as a retail bakery. In an Instagram post, the bakery's team acknowledged its New York Times recognition and dedication to serving Philadelphia. 

"Our team is dedicated to quality, sustainability, and to providing a space to cultivate community through sharing food," the post read. "We love being a part of the @buildingbok family, and we are so grateful to our farm partners @greenmeadowfarmpa@3springsfruit, @cvmllc, and @thirdwheelcheeseco. They are why our food really shines."

Back in the ‘80s, Saturday mornings were sacred. It was the one time of the week kids had the TV all to themselves. No parents yelling about chores or bills, no news anchors going on about politic. Just pure kid fun in the form of cartoons. These weren’t just any cartoons either; these were shows so epic, they made waking up early on a weekend feel worth it. If you were lucky, you’d grab a bowl of your favorite sugary cereal, plop down in front of the TV, and let the magic happen.

In the ‘80s Saturday morning cartoons had it all! Action, comedy, and sometimes a random PSA about how not to be a jerk to your friends. They had characters you wished you could be, like a sword-wielding hero or a cool mutant turtle with ninja skills. The stories were wild, the animation was colorful (for the time), and the theme songs? Certified bangers. Seriously, some of those intros still live rent-free in my head decades later.

The best part? These Saturday morning cartoons shows had no shame in being completely over the top. They’d mix robots with dinosaurs, throw in some aliens, and add a plot about saving the planet for good measure. But that’s what made them awesome, they were ridiculous, and we loved them for it. Even now, thinking about those Saturday mornings hits me with a wave of nostalgia so strong I can almost taste the Cap’n Crunch.

He-Man wasn’t just jacked—he was the guy. Fighting Skeletor in a world of magic and monsters, He-Man made you believe yelling “By the power of Grayskull!” could fix anything. The show was cheesy but in the best way.

Robots turning into cars, planes, and everything else? Genius. Optimus Prime was the dad you always wanted, and Megatron made being bad look cool. It was the ultimate battle of good versus evil with explosions.

Four mutant turtles trained in martial arts by a giant rat? Sure, why not! They ate pizza, kicked butt, and had catchphrases like “Cowabunga!” What’s not to love?

Lion-O and the gang brought a mix of sci-fi and fantasy to your screen. With their epic battles and that wild “ThunderCats, ho!” battle cry, they had you hooked. Plus, Snarf was everyone’s weird little sidekick.

“Knowing is half the battle!” If you watched G.I. Joe, you probably still say that line. The team of elite soldiers fought Cobra and taught life lessons at the same time. A true classic.