A Letter to Keith

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May 01, 2025

Yes, I wrote it on a Balthazar napkin. I always do. Been doing it for a long time—my girl still rolls her eyes. Meeting notes, life thoughts, even a poem on the verge—all end up here. I guess it’s just my thing. 😅

My favorite Balthazar sticky bun...🤤 instant comfort on a hard day. It’s the kind of thing that deserves a poem (and nearly got one).

Dear Keith,

Reading your short messages in your posts and learning about the story behind Balthazar has been very special to me lately. Every weekend morning, coffees at Balthazar Bakery (on the bench), watching people passing by, even steering customers—“Oh, that’s the door to the restaurant!” (it happens more often than you’d think)—as if I’m part of Balthazar’s team or something 😁 makes me weirdly happy.

Through all my ups and downs in 25 years of New York life, Balthazar has always been there. It was a privilege to start my business right above you: my team’s daily coffee ritual, pivotal editor meetings, proudly bringing out-of-town friends for those famous breakfasts. A long day of work smelling the cooking from the Balthazar kitchen traveling up to our windows was just a beautiful mental rest for all of us. Everyone who’s been there with me knows my line: “There’s a reason Balthazar has been loved for so long.”

My love for the chicken paillard still remains above everything—it’s always my special choice whenever my now-college-student daughter comes home on breaks. Honestly, even on Valentine's Day, I’d happily sit with complimentary champagne and a side of fries, all by myself.

Today, having my favorite sticky bun to nurture one of those hard days (finishing it in under a minute—instant gratification!), I thought: I should write to Keith and share my own Balthazar narrative—my Balthazar story.

I could go on forever, but I'll end here 🙂
Thank you and your team for giving me a place to cherish—through good days, hard days, and everything in between.

Best,

Sang A 😎