Around here, a conversation about who makes the best Italian bread is the type of debate that can turn into an all-out carbo clash. We all have our favorite, and there’s no changing our minds. Usually it’s what we grew up with, the bakery our parents dragged us to when we were kids.

“At the end of the day, people have their customs,” said Mary Kiernan, a certified professional chef from the Culinary Institute of American who teaches at Syracuse University’s Falk School. “I used to love going to Columbus Bakery just to watch them make the bread. And there was always a line. That doesn’t make it the best bread. That just makes it one person’s favorite.”