Maybe it was their buttery pastries, their melt-in-your-mouth black and white cookies or their Irish soda bread. Whatever it was, Leske's Bakery has been a favorite for many Bay Ridge Brooklynites since 1961. After being closed for more than a year, the Scandinavian bakery reopened under new ownership on August 8, 2012.

With a line of people stretched down the block, free samples of cookies, bread, julekage (Yule Bread) and soda were handed out by workers to keep their loyal customers waiting patiently. They even had a DJ entertaining the crowd, playing doo-wop and rock and roll classics.

Inside, the bakery was just as packed. Although there wasn’t a menu, that did not interfere with the orders. People knew exactly what they wanted, asking for their childhood favorites such as a crumb raft and rainbow cookies. The men and women behind the counter were working diligently to fulfill everyone's orders, and customers walked away pleased with multiple boxes of their favorite baked goods.

With only one oven in use, the array of danishes, cakes and other baked goods were abundant. Leske's Bakery was having problems with the registers and ovens, but that didn’t stop them from having a successful reopening.