Bagels

Greetings to all!!
I've been lurking for a while and feel that it is time to jump in.
Isn't a toasted bagel the BEST!!!
Buttered or better yet my own homemade garlic cream cheese spread.(YUM!!)
Where do you find your favorites?
I know i'll be told that there are no bagels of worth outside of NYC but please humor me. (LOL)
The best I ever had were over 20 years ago when I worked near the U. of Michigan in Ann Arbor. There was a place just off campus. You could walk in and get the warmest, freshest, chewiest bagels. The garlic was great but the everything (all the seeds) was heaven!!! Now heres the problem....Does anyone know the name of the place?
The bagels around NE Indiana are ok. Not terrible but just ok.
Excuse me... I must leave now and find a toaster. I need a fix!!!!

I was in NYC this past weekend, and could not get my fill of Tal bagels. Sme prefer H&H, but I go with Tal -- toasted, with any of the fabulous cream cheeses.

quote:

Originally posted by Grampy

I was in NYC this past weekend, and could not get my fill of Tal bagels. Sme prefer H&H, but I go with Tal -- toasted, with any of the fabulous cream cheeses.

Grampy, which Tal were you at? I live about 30 seconds from one, and would be disappointed if I didn't see you (after all, I know what you look like from the posting of your photo...)

Phil: Actually, we went to two: the one in the East 50s, and the one on 86. We were staying on 46 between first and Second. Sorry we did not hook up. It was something of a whirlwind two days. I should have posted something. At least i know for next time.

With raspberry cream cheese. MMMmmm.

Tal Bagels and Appetizing...between 53th and 54th on First. Great bagles and great salmon.

quote:

Originally posted by angelfood

With raspberry cream cheese. MMMmmm.

Raspberry cream cheese? Uh-oh...you're going to rile up some bagel purists. I'm staying out of it....but, please, for your own safety, don't bring up the subject of blueberry bagels.

Thanks for the warning!! Sorry gang, no offense intended!! P.S. I like my bagels plain... . Does that help redeem me at least in some small way?

Tal is great, but a long hike for me from suburban Philly. I love a rye Manhattan Bagel (local franchise), toasted with scallion cream cheese and sliced tomato.

quote:

Originally posted by angelfood

Thanks for the warning!! Sorry gang, no offense intended!! P.S. I like my bagels plain... . Does that help redeem me at least in some small way?

No need to redeem yourself....everyone has different tastes, and if someone likes fruit bagels and/or fruited cream cheese on bagels, so be it. :-)

I'll admit here and now enjoying dutch apple bagels, cinnamon/apple bagels, even chocolate chip bagels. My usual favorite is either asiago or everything, but pretty much as long as it doesn't have nuts on it I'll enjoy it.

Other than my own homemade (a very rare occasion), I love bagels made by my cousin in Toronto. They're hand-shaped, boiled in honey-water, then baked in a wood-fed brick oven. Soft but chewy and very tasty! He has 4 locations, name of St. Urbain Bagels (after the original in Montreal). How's THAT for Roadfood?

So glad to see a post on bagels! I worship bagels! To invoke Calvin Trillin, they are so much more than just "round bread."

As far as enhancements and accompaniments, the purist in me insists that if a bagel is really good, it should be delicious just plain - no cream cheese, no butter, no wacko flavorings needed.

But the part that is...whatever the opposite of a purist is....admits to enjoying an asiago bagel or a blueberry bagel now and then. Still, it does seem to me that these enhanced tend to be inferior specimens to begin with.

When Manhattan Bagels first opened, they had a scrumptious cheddar cheese bagel - basically a really good plain bagel with chunks of orange cheese worked into the dough. The cheese bits melted slightly if you heated the bagel - wonderful! Then one day I went to get one, and found that the cheese-studded delicacy had been replaced by a bland, salty, uniformly orange, cotton-textured thing. I don't know if the switch was due to cost-cutting measures, misguided notions about customer preferences, or sheer indifference. But it really upsets me that something delicious and unique was abandoned in favor of something mediocre.

I'll stop ranting now...
(but for another bagel grievance, please see "Green Bagels" in "Miscellaneous-Food Related")

Zaro's Bread Basket at Grand Central Station had green bagels today. Never had one, never will.

My allegiance is with H&H, particularly the sourdough variety. And in a perfect bagel world, I'd much rather have a bagel warm from the baker's oven than toasted.

One of the many benefits of living in NYC is that on those days that I crave those carbo's, I can head over to the east side for a 1/4 pound Esse Bagel. A warm Everything with scallion cream cheese hits the spot on these cold, snowy mornings.

I feel sorry for those who never had a Lender's bagel when the Lenders made their own on the Boston Post Road in Orange, Connecticut. Then, of course, there were the bagels from Olmer's Bagel Bakery on Legion Avenue in New Haven. New York bagels, indeed.

I've had a Lender's bagel from my grocer's freezer case....:-)

Now, Now. Some of the best New Yorker's are former New Havener's and remember the old greats like Olmer's, M&T, Zackeys and Crown(new Haven not W. Hartford). But even the loyal have to admit that a good bagel can be found in NYC

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Hoffman

I feel sorry for those who never had a Lender's bagel when the Lenders made their own on the Boston Post Road in Orange, Connecticut. Then, of course, there were the bagels from Olmer's Bagel Bakery on Legion Avenue in New Haven. New York bagels, indeed.

quote:

Originally posted by TJ Jackson

I've had a Lender's bagel from my grocer's freezer case....:-)

Yeah, so have I. T'aint the same.

quote:

Originally posted by TJ Jackson

I've had a Lender's bagel from my grocer's freezer case....:-)

IMHO, Lender's is to bagels as cheese whiz is to cheese.

quote:

Originally posted by tsores

quote:

Originally posted by TJ Jackson

I've had a Lender's bagel from my grocer's freezer case....:-)

IMHO, Lender's is to bagels as cheese whiz is to cheese.

That's the Lender's bagels available today. But, when the Lenders made their own bagels you couldn't beat them with a stout stick.

quote:

Originally posted by Frank Smith


The best I ever had were over 20 years ago when I worked near the U. of Michigan in Ann Arbor. There was a place just off campus. You could walk in and get the warmest, freshest, chewiest bagels. The garlic was great but the everything (all the seeds) was heaven!!! Now heres the problem....Does anyone know the name of the place?

This is just a guess, but could it have been Bruegger's Bagels on University near State or possibly Einstein Bros. about a block away on State?

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Hoffman

quote:

Originally posted by tsores

quote:

Originally posted by TJ Jackson

I've had a Lender's bagel from my grocer's freezer case....:-)

IMHO, Lender's is to bagels as cheese whiz is to cheese.

That's the Lender's bagels available today. But, when the Lenders made their own bagels you couldn't beat them with a stout stick.

I have no doubt, my friend.

Thank You, 6star
It was Bruegger's.
All I could remember was that it was in the middle of the block near the campus. But once you mentioned University near State, the light dawned. I lived in Plymouth and worked in Livonia, but took some classes in Ann Arbor. Thanks again.

Great bagels have been around Skokie & Lincolnwood for years. Skokie is known for Kaufman's Deli & Bakery on Dempster and Lincolnwood has Fanny's on Touhy. My favorite are fresh, hot, onion bagels with chive cream cheese, smothered with nova lox, capers, onion, and nice slice of tomato. When the bagels are that fresh, toasting is unnecessary. Can't wait to visit NYC in 3 weeks.

To inject a little humor ( I hope that is still allowed). My Hubby is a little strange, I won't tell some of the things he likes. BUT One of his favorite sandwichs is - Bologna, farmers cheese & mustard ------ on a blueberry bagel. Oy, not a good thing

The Lady

As a kid, only egg and plain bagels were available. Then came onion & pumpernickel. Today,anything goes. As a bagel purist, I only eat lox & cream cheese on an onion bagel. The newer bagels have a variety of great cream cheese spreads to compliment them. I could never eat lox on a fruited bagel. That's almost like eating jelly on an onion bagel.

If you can't do the H&H Bagel thing 'cause you're trapped in the mid-Atlantic area (although NYC's H&H does ship frozen bagels to places like Richmond, Virginia's Padow's Deli [http://www.padows.com/index.cfm?redirect=true] and commercial bagel dough to places like Leesburg, Virginia's Deli South), I've found that the best bagels available can be found at both the:


Georgetown Bagelry
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?node=entertainment/profile&id=1026132&typeId=2) -- both the Georgetown and Bethesda [River Road] locations produce good size, chewy bagels and an even better bialy.


Bagels And...
Just before Annapolis' historic district off of Rowe Boulevard (2019 West Street -- across from the State Police barracks) where my favorite product is their limited production of what they call their Super Egg Bagel -- an egg bagel with both onions and poppy seeds.


FYI, mid-Atlantic RoadFooders.

Best bagels in Cincinnati, to my taste, are to be had at Metro Bagels on the North side of town in the Fields-Ertel area. Really, really good stuff.

I'm no bagel purist - if someone brings in a bunch of bagels to work, and they are all fruit-flavored (blueberry, strawberry, apple, etc) then that's what I eat :-) I like nearly any flavor of bagel except the ones with nuts.

quote:

Originally posted by TJ Jackson

Best bagels in Cincinnati, to my taste, are to be had at Metro Bagels on the North side of town in the Fields-Ertel area. Really, really good stuff.

I'm no bagel purist - if someone brings in a bunch of bagels to work, and they are all fruit-flavored (blueberry, strawberry, apple, etc) then that's what I eat :-) I like nearly any flavor of bagel except the ones with nuts.

In the Columbus area it's Block's for good bagels. There are two sites, one on East Broad Street, a block east of James Road and their newer place on East Main at McNaughten. The Blocks are from Queens and have been making water bagels in Columbus for at least 25 years. Good hamentashen, too.

quote:

Originally posted by 10X10

Now, Now. Some of the best New Yorker's are former New Havener's and remember the old greats like Olmer's, M&T, Zackeys and Crown(new Haven not W. Hartford). But even the loyal have to admit that a good bagel can be found in NYC.

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Hoffman

I feel sorry for those who never had a Lender's bagel when the Lenders made their own on the Boston Post Road in Orange, Connecticut. Then, of course, there were the bagels from Olmer's Bagel Bakery on Legion Avenue in New Haven. New York bagels, indeed.

Then there was Tchicotsky's (although I'm sure I spelled it incorrectly), also on Legion Avenue. They made great corn rye, too.

BTW, what the heck happened to Bruegger's Bagels, anyway? Did they take a page out of Boston Chicken's playbook and expand too quickly?

quote:

Originally posted by i95

BTW, what the heck happened to Bruegger's Bagels, anyway? Did they take a page out of Boston Chicken's playbook and expand too quickly?

There is one in Northampton and another in Amherst, MA. Still, Senator, I knew New York Bagels, and they're no New York bagels.

quote:

Originally posted by Grampy

Still, Senator, I knew New York Bagels, and they're no New York bagels.

Alas, after waiting literally decades, someone has referenced both Lloyd Bentsen and bagels in the same sentence.

Congratulations, Grampy, your prize is in the mail.

Or, are they spelled bageles? Enquiring minds want to knowe....

quote:

Originally posted by Grampy

Or, are they spelled bageles? Enquiring minds want to knowe....

All I know is that in Texas, I believe that they're called the worst, driest doughnuts they've ever had. (And THIS is the most unwelcoming board I've ever been on!)

My fave is Bodos bagles in Charlottesville VA, I belive they have two locals,
I think they are as good as any Ive had.

I was on Atkins, and then I visited Montreal on business and had Montreal style bagels. I then proceeded to eat seven of them. I have had trouble getting back on Atkins ever since.

Argent, Where is Bodo's. When I went to school in C-ville in early '70's, there was no such thing as a bagel there. Once I brought back some bagels and lox, and my frat brothers took one look at it and said they weren't going to eat any fish and doughnuts.

quote:

Originally posted by i95

quote:

Originally posted by Grampy

Or, are they spelled bageles? Enquiring minds want to knowe....

All I know is that in Texas, I believe that they're called the worst, driest doughnuts they've ever had. (And THIS is the most unwelcoming board I've ever been on!)

I believe "bageles" refers to small bagels. You know--bagel-lehs.

quote:

Originally posted by Ballpark Roadtripper

I also live about 30 seconds from Tal (the one on 86) and I don't like them. They are way overcooked. They have the best appetizing on the east side, but their bagels don't do it for me. The Upper East side, in my opinion, has NO decent bagels. Pick-a-Bagel comes close.

Thankfully, I am moving downtown next month, and I will be seconds from Ess-A-Bagel, the greatest bagels on earth! Lucky me!!!

That's funny because, for my taste, Ess-A-Bagels are way too big and doughy. But I can't speak to the Upper East Side Tal's, because I live seconds from the one in the East 50s. I like their bagels just fine. Not the best, but more than good enough for 30 seconds away. I agree that their appetizing is really good.

Bodos has three locals in c-ville ,
505 preston ave
1609 university ave
1418 emmet st north

quote:

Originally posted by signman

Argent, Where is Bodo's. When I went to school in C-ville in early '70's, there was no such thing as a bagel there. Once I brought back some bagels and lox, and my frat brothers took one look at it and said they weren't going to eat any fish and doughnuts.

quote:

Originally posted by Phil J.

quote:

Originally posted by Ballpark Roadtripper

I also live about 30 seconds from Tal (the one on 86) and I don't like them. They are way overcooked. They have the best appetizing on the east side, but their bagels don't do it for me. The Upper East side, in my opinion, has NO decent bagels. Pick-a-Bagel comes close.

Thankfully, I am moving downtown next month, and I will be seconds from Ess-A-Bagel, the greatest bagels on earth! Lucky me!!!

That's funny because, for my taste, Ess-A-Bagels are way too big and doughy. But I can't speak to the Upper East Side Tal's, because I live seconds from the one in the East 50s. I like their bagels just fine. Not the best, but more than good enough for 30 seconds away. I agree that their appetizing is really good.

Oh, ye jaded New Yorkers! What I would not give for Tal, H&H, Pick-a-Bagel -- or any of the dozens of other places strewn across the tri-boro map. Fresh and warm, right out of the bag. Compared to the pathetic excuses we have for bagels we have up here, you have an embarrassment of riches. And what about a warm bialy with onions!?! Sigh. I think I shall open a vein in the bath -- if only my bath had veins.

Pining for the real thing in Western Mass.

Ooooooo!!! I loved Bodo's when I went back to VA to visit old school friends! Being the non-purist that I am, I had a toasted poppyseed bagel with blueberry cream cheese.

My best friend was so pleased when she saw me grinning like crazy with every bite (this was my first bagel in America when I visited America for the first time in YEARS!!!!).

Grampy, I feel your pain - I am in northwestern Mass. and pining for good bagels too. A local gourmet pizza place has sporadically offered its own freshly baked bagels, but now seems to have abandoned the venture.

Have any of you bagelphiles have tried Ray's bagels? This is a frozen product that claims to be as good as authentic NY bagels. I haven't tried them yet and was wondering if they are any good.

quote:

Originally posted by spaniel

Grampy, I feel your pain - I am in northwestern Mass. and pining for good bagels too. A local gourmet pizza place has sporadically offered its own freshly baked bagels, but now seems to have abandoned the venture.

Have any of you bagelphiles have tried Ray's bagels? This is a frozen product that claims to be as good as authentic NY bagels. I haven't tried them yet and was wondering if they are any good.

Spaniel: Where is this gourmet pizza place?

Grampy- Hot Tomatoes in Williamstown, Mass. By "gourmet" I do not mean to imply snooty or swanky, just that they use high quality ingredients and offer some toppings, actually denoted on their menu as "gourmet toppings," that might be considered exotic, e.g. artichokes, chicken, breaded eggplant, caramelized onions, pesto, feta cheese. They have number of specialty pizzas on their menu but will also make just about anything you can dream up. One of my favorites is white pizza with pesto and feta. Anyway, they used to bake wonderful bagels, muffins, croissants and cookies as well as pizza, but I think now they do just pizza and some sandwiches.

Thanks for the tip. I will try it next time I am out that way.

I prefer my bagels from the bagel shop-I haven't found any at the grocery store that is up to par.

My Favorites:

All Toasted

Poppy Seed Bagel with Garden Vegetable cream cheese
Sesame seed Bagel with Sun Dried Tomato cream cheese
Cinnamon Raisin Bagel with Pineapple cream Cheese

Here in So Ca.....basically the choice is "Noah's Bagels" which I prefer to "Western Bagels"...Noah's by the way is an off shoot of Einstein Bagels.....that used to be opened in Rockville Centre,NY....one of the other reasons I prefer Noah's is they make a "real" white fish salad that reminds me of my days in NY.....

By the way I prefer either plain or egg bagels....while am sure the seeded variety adds flavor...who needs them stuck in ones teeth...?!?!?!?!

LaurieGee52

Time for a Bagel on Speedwell Avenue in Morris Plains, New Jersey is at the top of the heap for bagels in the Metropolitan area. I don't concede an inch to H&H or Tal---Time for a Bagel is terrific.

The owner, Steve B. used to be a butcher at Zayda's in South Orange, for deli experts out there---Zayda's still makes one of the leanest, largest, and most flavorful corned beef sandwiches out there.

Where is Brueggers, you ask? I guess no one's been to New York's Capital Region lately, because there's one on every corner here. I don't know how their bagels were, but now they're just average, not as good as you'd get in the city, or at a smaller, non-chain bagel shop. But they are alive and well in this area, anyway.

Bagels are good in Chicago's north suburbs, especially New York Bagel and Bialy in Lincolnwood on Touhy. It's the closest to a New York bagel that I've ever found. No baking allowed - just boiling.

Now a question: Why aren't there any decent bagel shops in the Loop? I imagine that NY Bagel and Bialy would make a killing if they opened one here. Even an Einstein's would be OK. There's no decent place to get a bagel near where I work on Wacker and Madison. Or is there? Let me know.

Dan

What is Bialy???

I have never heard of it.

MikeS.

quote:

Originally posted by MikeSh

What is Bialy???

I have never heard of it.

MikeS.

"Named for the Polish city of Bialystok, the 'bialy' of Jewish-Americans is descended from the ‘kuchen’ of Bialystok, Poland. A Bialy is a fairly large (about 6 inches across) chewy round yeast roll. Somewhat similar to a bagel, it has a depression rather than a hole in the center, and is sprinkled with chopped sauteed onion before baking."

quote:

Originally posted by LaurieGee52

Here in So Ca.....basically the choice is "Noah's Bagels" which I prefer to "Western Bagels"...Noah's by the way is an off shoot of Einstein Bagels.....that used to be opened in Rockville Centre,NY....one of the other reasons I prefer Noah's is they make a "real" white fish salad that reminds me of my days in NY.....

By the way I prefer either plain or egg bagels....while am sure the seeded variety adds flavor...who needs them stuck in ones teeth...?!?!?!?!

LaurieGee52

If that is actually the case I would be very surprised. There are quite a variety of bagels available here in NoCal and, rather surprisingly, some of the best ones are available at Safeway (made by the Marin Bagel Company and sold in bulk). But every supermarket of my aquaintance has bulk bagels made by one or another local bagel bakers and all are better than the mass market/chain/packaged bagels.

Actually, one of my favorite quick lunches downtown is at Katz's Bagels (2nd and Mission) which puts out a very acceptable traditional lox/cream cheese/bermuda onion/tomato-topped bagel.

Bagels have, of course, gone cross-cultural but the best ones are still found in areas with substantial Jewish populations. San Francisco and surrounding burbs has a moderate Jewish community (e.g. both Senators Boxer and Feinstein) but LA's is (like everything in LA) much bigger and somebody there has got to be making bagels. I suspect the movie industry would have long since moved out otherwise.

I don't believe this qualifies as hi-jacking the thread, but if the moderator disagrees I'll apologize in advance.

Several years ago, a friend of mine postulated the following: that your city or town can either be a "bagel" town or "doughnut" town, but not both. His theory encompasses not only his belief that no place excels in both foods, but also extends to a somewhat philosophical contention that there's a "bagel sensibility" and "doughnut sensibility" that can be seen in the psyche of a community. My friend is a bagel guy, who admits he doesn't "get" doughnuts.

I live in New York City, which is clearly a bagel town, and a pathetic doughnut town. You can find a good doughnut here or there -- but even that wasn't truly the case until recently. More important, in my estimation, is that to lots of people here (the yuppified types, anyway) doughnuts have an element of kitsch to them; they're not taken seriously, and they're not a part of the framework of the city like bagels are. Having grown up in a doughnut town and being a "doughnut person" (who also happens to like bagels), that drives me nuts.

What do you think?

quote:

Originally posted by Spudnut

your city or town can either be a "bagel" town or "doughnut" town, but not both.
What do you think?

I'm trying to think of an exception--and can't. But it might just be that no place excels in everything and if it's really, really good at something, it kind of drives out the rest.

For example, my own town of SF has marginal doughnuts and decent but not great bagels. On the other hand, it has sourdough like no other. New Orleans, far as I know, is not known for either its bagels or doughnuts, but those beignets!

quote:

Originally posted by BT

quote:

Originally posted by MikeSh

What is Bialy???

I have never heard of it.

MikeS.

"Named for the Polish city of Bialystok, the 'bialy' of Jewish-Americans is descended from the ‘kuchen’ of Bialystok, Poland. A Bialy is a fairly large (about 6 inches across) chewy round yeast roll. Somewhat similar to a bagel, it has a depression rather than a hole in the center, and is sprinkled with chopped sauteed onion before baking."

And I love them. I prefer them to bagels.

quote:

Originally posted by BT

quote:

Originally posted by Spudnut

your city or town can either be a "bagel" town or "doughnut" town, but not both.
What do you think?

I'm trying to think of an exception--and can't. But it might just be that no place excels in everything and if it's really, really good at something, it kind of drives out the rest.

For example, my own town of SF has marginal doughnuts and decent but not great bagels. On the other hand, it has sourdough like no other. New Orleans, far as I know, is not known for either its bagels or doughnuts, but those beignets!

Interesting point...perhaps I too narrowly defined the realm of "meal breads."