Antonetta Binanti and Cristina Nastasi, Rudy’s Bakery
Did you know that New York City has the highest number of women entrepreneurs in our neighborhoods? According to New York City Small Business Services, women across the five boroughs employ over 190,000 people and generate approximately $50 billion in sales. This month, we’re proud to present our annual Women’s issue—dedicated to all the innovative women chefs, food entrepreneurs, restaurateurs, bakers, mixologists and more who help feed the borough everyday.
Coinciding with the print issue (you’ll be able to pick up a copy soon!), every weekday throughout the month of May, we’re featuring a different Queens woman in the food industry. From Flushing’s dumpling maestro Helen You, to Long Island City’s Brazilian baker, Daniela Martins-Schwarzbauer and Last Dragon Pizza’s Nicole Russell in Rockaway, each woman reflects the diverse and independent spirit of Queens. Oh, and did we mention that our woman-owned magazine produced this women’s issue with a team of all-women writers, photographers, illustrators, designers and editors (save for our photo editor, Ed Lefkowicz)? No big deal.
Antonetta Binanti and Cristina Nastasi, Rudy’s Bakery
Baking is definitely in Toni Binanti’s blood. Shortly after immigrating from Naples to Queens at the age of 13, she began working in her uncle’s Ridgewood bakery and has been the beloved proprietor of Rudy’s since 2003. Not to mention Binanti’s status as a pillar of the community, having served on the Myrtle Avenue Business Improvement District board, been named Business Person of the Year by the Ridgewood Democratic Club in 2011 and been recognized by Assemblyman Mike Miller as one of 2018’s Women of Distinction.
And while she’s certainly no slouch in the cake-and pastry-making department, she’s proven a savvy enough owner to infuse the establishment with new blood—and talent. Cue French Culinary Institute Graduate and former Rudy’s counter worker Christina Nastasi, who’s used her fine dining background (as a pastry chef for Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group) to co-devise a menu with Binanti that’s both envelope-pushing and nostalgic. So while sweet fiends can still indulge in old-timey pleasures such as black and white cookies and cannoli cakes, more modern sugar seekers can stock a box with oatmeal marshmallow sandwich cookies, vegan brownies and Nutella linzer tarts.
