Kneads Bakery Cafe

About Us
Daniel Moreno, Chef/Owner
Growing up in the kitchen of his family’s restaurant, De Tapas, Chef Daniel Moreno was naturally drawn to cooking. With his grandmother, Carmen Jimenez, leading the helm as the head chef, she taught Daniel, her then unofficial sous chef, the kitchen fundamentals and helped ignite his passion for making good, quality food.

Daniel’s ten-years preparing traditional Spanish dishes alongside his grandmother ultimately led to pursuing an education at The Culinary Institute of America where he graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Culinary Arts Management. The next three years were spent at Restaurant Daniel in New York, a prestigious Michelin starred restaurant. Later, Daniel moved to Paris to work at L’Abeille, a two Michelin star restaurant, at the Shangri-La Hotel. While in France, Daniel spent his spare time staging at Maison Verot, an award-winning Charcuterie shop. Upon returning to New York, Daniel obtained a much sought after sous chef position at Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Chef Dan Barber’s farm to table restaurant. It was there that Daniel gained a deeper appreciation for the symbiotic relationship between restaurants and local farmers.

Now, as the chef of Kneads, Daniel wants to continue that tradition; therefore, highlighting ingredients sourced from local farmers in his comfortable, yet modern, take on traditional breakfast and lunch dishes.

Brittany Moreno, Chef/Owner
Chef Brittany harvesting local organic Rye

Kneads is a dream come true for Chef Brittany Moreno. For as long as she can remember, Brittany has aspired to have her own bakery.

This early found passion led Brittany to Henry Abbot Technical School for Culinary Arts, and eventually, to The Culinary Institute of America, where she obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Baking and Pastry Arts Management. After graduation, Brittany spent time at Amy’s Bread and then headed to Northern California where she worked at the Della Fattoria. Upon returning to New York, Brittany began baking at the prestigious Gramercy Tavern and quickly became the pastry sous chef. Wanting to focus on classic French pastry techniques, Brittany moved to Paris to begin fine-tuning her skills at Carette in the Place de Trocadéro. Later, she transitioned to Boulangerie Berthe, where she spent countless hours making breads under Florian Berthe, who believed in supporting local millers to source high quality flour. A true testament to her hard work, Brittany was brought on by Chef Dan Barber to be the pastry sous chef at, Blue Hill at Stone Barns, a two Michelin Star restaurant. Working at Blue Hill helped expose Brittany to the ways in which using locally milled flour along with properly sourced grains leads to more nutritious better tasting breads.

As the Chef at Kneads, Brittany applies the same principles she learned in her experiences. In order to ensure her fresh baked breads and pastries are both delicious and ethical, she only uses locally sourced fresh milled flour and grains in her goods.

Tarik Rivera, Assistant General Manager
Raised in Puerto Rico, Tarik Rivera grew up in a family of farmers. He gained a deeper sense of appreciation from spending time around the fields tending the animals, watering the crops, and harvesting the tropical fruits and vegetables. Finishing the day in the restaurant with his mother, his interest in hospitality began to emerge.

Tarik’s role as assistant general manager encompasses his big personality and overwhelming dedication to hospitality. He seeks to provide all guests with outstanding service meanwhile jumping in on all aspects of the bakery. Any given day you may see him behind the counter with a big smile, with the kitchen staff assembling sandwiches, tending the stand at the farmer’s market, or even in the bakery shaping croissants. Be sure to say hello wherever you see him!