Rugelach all the rage at media mecca
THE sublime baked goods from Harlem institution Lee Lee’s Baked Goods — the home of ‘Rugelach by a Brother’ — has become a craze at Midtown media mecca Michael’s. Alvin Lee Smalls, 75, who runs Lee Lee’s on 118th Street, is said to be Harlem’s last old-style rugelach baker, and we are told customers have been lining up for orders before the holidays. Tamron Hall also joined the queue and managed to snatch one of the last rugelach batches, bringing it to Michael’s on Monday. After getting permission from Michael’s master of ceremonies Steve Millington, Hall — who is working on a daytime talk show — shared them with her high-powered friends after lunch, including p.r. expert for city billionaires and new communications firm founder Christine Taylor, Full Picture and Project Runway’s Desiree Gruber, philanthropy and events specialist Vanessa Weiss and Sandra Lee, who gave Smalls the domestic doyenne seal of approval, before the delectable dish was passed around to other diners. Smalls describes his baking style as “a dying art” and he rolls each rugelach by hand. He told Crains last year, “If you go to the supermarket, they’re selling the backs of somebody’s shoes and calling it rugelach . . . I have no competition at all. Period. Nobody can touch me. I’m the last of the old-time bakers . . . I put in a lot of hours with no pay — just out of love. With flour and water, I can create something perfect. Can’t beat that, right?”