The Ultimate Bagel

[davids]

Back when I was a kid in the 60s and 70s, bagels were an exotic food. We had to drive to the other side of Cleveland to get them - my family (often accompanied by other familes) would make the long trek to Corky & Lenny's deli, and then pick up fresh bagels at the 'factory' a couple doors down in the strip mall.

Next thing I knew, Lender's was making bagel-shaped objects for the masses.

Nowadays we've got their curated artisinal offspring. They're still not bagels.

[e-RICHIE]

Bagels have become like bean to bar chocolate, or grass-fed beef, or craft brewed beer. Or gravel bikes. My 8 years in a Yeshiva legitimizes my opinion atmo.

[jclay]

I'd be happy with solidly decent; we have Bruggers.

Used to have the Bagel Peddler that was owned by a NYC bagel family who migrated down here in the early '70s but they retired and the deli went with them. I used to go to Carteret, NJ for work and found the Bagel Buffet in Seacaucus. That was pretty tasty and it made me appreciate our Bagel Peddler.

It's amazing what can be done with a few simple ingredients and know how.

[summilux]

St-Viateur and Fairmont are a good antidote. Their Montreal neighbourhoods have become hipsterified but the bakeries remain grungy places with unwashed windows and sacks of flour blocking the entrance. Several Yeshivas close by too.

[spopepro]

St-Viateur and Fairmont are a good antidote. Their Montreal neighbourhoods have become hipsterified but the bakeries remain grungy places with unwashed windows and sacks of flour blocking the entrance. Several Yeshivas close by too.

...and they are open 24 hours. Which is awesome.

[guido]

When I lived in Brookline MA in the early eighties, Kupel's was the real deal.
Kupels Bakery
Even longer ago in Portland ME, Mr. Bagel on Forest Ave was sublime when Eric Hartglass still worked the shop (1978ish...). Family took it over in 2008, but it had slipped a bit last time i visited...
All the bagel shops on Long Island i used to go to as a kid are long gone.

[summilux]

...and they are open 24 hours. Which is awesome.

Sitting on the St-Viateur (or Farimont) curb at 3am eating a bagel fresh from a wood oven is one of life's great pleasures. And it's only a dollar.

[CXinNH]

Just for the record "Zaftig" is a polite yiddish term for pleasingly plump.

Like most yiddish terms originated from German, "saftig" which means juicy or succulent.

Same for ess-a-bagel, eat-a-bagel. But I prefer Russ & Daughters as well.
Nobody has mentioned Daniel's bagels yet, on 3rd Ave and around 33rd. Testimony to good bagels is the armada of police cruisers parked in front in the morning.

[NYCfixie]

Bagels have become like bean to bar chocolate, or grass-fed beef, or craft brewed beer. Or gravel bikes. My 8 years in a Yeshiva legitimizes my opinion atmo.

My 14 years as a Yeshiva Bocher (n-12) means I do not think bagels should be artisanal; they are peasant food.

And for everyone else, please do not confuse round bread named "Bagel" with an actual Bagel.

[NYCfixie]

Like most yiddish terms originated from German, "saftig" which means juicy or succulent.

Same for ess-a-bagel, eat-a-bagel. But I prefer Russ & Daughters as well.
Nobody has mentioned Daniel's bagels yet, on 3rd Ave and around 33rd. Testimony to good bagels is the armada of police cruisers parked in front in the morning.

So much good stuff here.

Yiddish is basically middle German with a little bit of this and a little bit of that thrown in.
I thought even NYPD spends time near the best doughnut shops like The Doughnut Plant.

[Too Tall]

There are so many good fresh bread experiences "out there" one wonders that some things worth dying for do still exist. Thank g-d this thread gives me hope.

FWIIW I went to Tel Aviv Univ. for a year and 1/4. During that time there was a gent who would walk from his bread oven bakery to campus selling salted pretzels and a onion bread. All the breads he sold were carried on a long pole which he slung over his shoulder all the while singing his bagel song. I think everything sold for something like .25

[davids]

There are so many good fresh bread experiences "out there" one wonders that some things worth dying for do still exist. Thank g-d this thread gives me hope.

FWIIW I went to Tel Aviv Univ. for a year and 1/4. During that time there was a gent who would walk from his bread oven bakery to campus selling salted pretzels and a onion bread. All the breads he sold were carried on a long pole which he slung over his shoulder all the while singing his bagel song. I think everything sold for something like .25

It's never crossed my mind to look for a bagel while in Israel.
Too much good food.

[alexstar]

Here in the SF bay area, as noted, good bagels are rare. Local baker Emily Winston here in Alameda is making an effort to rectify that. I bought a dozen this morning and can confirm, she is turning out a great product. She'll be serving them up at the Eat Real festival in Oakland next Saturday, the 23rd, for those who are interested.

boichik bagels - Home

[Too Tall]

It's never crossed my mind to look for a bagel while in Israel.
Too much good food.

Yah see my bubbalah, not a bagel. These guys carry bread that fits on a big stick. Heck, I spent two summers and close to two years there and never saw a bagel for sale. The yiddish term for breads hawkers call out sounds like "bagelah" written: beygl. Anywho...never saw a bagel. Bet they are everywhere now sigh.
Good times.

[snotrockets]

It's never crossed my mind to look for a bagel while in Israel.
Too much good food.

Not a bagel; those are made across the Atlantic. What Too Tall was probably talking about is Jerusalmeite Baygel, which only share a name: it isn't steamed, and probably originated in Turkey (compare with Simit).

Anywho...never saw a bagel. Bet they are everywhere now sigh.
Good times.

Yes, and those found in Israel taste worse then the ones I *gasp* buy at Costco *gasp* and freeze for emergencies.

Never actually had a proper NY bagel – only the west coast approximations of Montreal's bagels.

[Too Tall]

I'm adding you to my list along with Crumpton for the next time I'm at exit #6 on the NJTPK....send me your address. Cost be d@mned, it's bagels after all.

Not a bagel; those are made across the Atlantic. What Too Tall was probably talking about is Jerusalmeite Baygel, which only share a name: it isn't steamed, and probably originated in Turkey (compare with Simit).



Yes, and those found in Israel taste worse then the ones I *gasp* buy at Costco *gasp* and freeze for emergencies.

Never actually had a proper NY bagel – only the west coast approximations of Montreal's bagels.

[Too Tall]

I like the blue cookies. Do they have blue cookies?

Here you go buddy. I had a need this morning for one (not from NJ or NYC) adequate toasted sesame bagel with a smear and nova. Bethesda Bagels had one lonely blue cookie. I'm sure his buddies will show up later in the day.

cookie1.jpg

[prcrstn8]

This seems the appropriate place to ask - can we bring Montreal bagels back to the states on commercial flights?

[jerk]

i'd like to contend with "Katz Bagel Bakery" in Chelsea, MA. they know how to do a damn bagel. but, i'll have to check out rosenfelds! thanks for the tip

this. there is no better bagel in the entire fucking world. i've seen the dude shake down mobsters shaking him down, refuse to toast a bagel because it's too hot and a fucking stupid thing to do to a fresh bagel, call me tattoo loo and refuse to take a twenty dollar bill because, "what kinda hard on pays for a $2 bagel with a twenty?"..claimed to have invented the pizza bagel, and once claimed he was set to introduce jewish cuisine to china before he was taken out by the corporations...(jews love chinese food- maybe the chinese will love jewish food. shit craig, there's 1.2 billion of them- if only 1% of'em like bagels i'd have been set"....beyond all this insanity- Katz's make the best bagels in the world. Rosenfelds sucks donkey dicks compared. sorry.

[jerk]

fact: yiddish is closer to hoch Deutsch than just about any other German dialect.

Like most yiddish terms originated from German, "saftig" which means juicy or succulent.

Same for ess-a-bagel, eat-a-bagel. But I prefer Russ & Daughters as well.
Nobody has mentioned Daniel's bagels yet, on 3rd Ave and around 33rd. Testimony to good bagels is the armada of police cruisers parked in front in the morning.