PrintAll Your Bagel Questions Answered
[Robyn Lee]
At Serious Eats, we turn to walking New York food encyclopedia Ed Levine for all of our bagel-related quandaries. (Ed knows a thing or two about bagels.) But even his expertise pales in comparison to that of Maria Balinska, author of The Bagel: The Surprising History of a Modest Bread. Over at the Times website, she's answering all sorts of questions about the history of the bagel. Read the responses so far—from the origin of the everything bagel to the best bagels in London—or ask your own question.
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11 Comments:
Interesting story. But that just leads me to my story of woe. Does any one know of a place that serves even halfway decent bagels in Downtown DC? It's hard to find decent bagels anywhere downtown. The "bagels" at Au Bon Pain are insipid--basically donut shaped dinner rolls. And don't even get me started on Cosi's "squagels" or whatever they call them. My other option is Starbucks, and I hate them. The mom and pop places serve bagels that are wrapped in plastic wrap and stale. Or is it just asking to much to find a decent bagel?
edritch at 4:49PM on 09/03/09
I'm not a huge bagel person, but I when I have a truly good bagel, I really do enjoy them. Sadly, there really aren't that many great bagel shops outside of the New York City area. It's kind of like the pizza. You can get good versions of the same thing elsewhere, but there's just that little something missing that keeps them from equaling the ones they attempt to imitate.
I can find good bagels and pizza where I live in Virginia, but there is still no comparison. It's got to be the damn water up there.
Raiders757 at 8:18PM on 09/03/09
I'm curious....for all those that extoll the virtues of New York bagels, how does a Montreal bagel stand up?
I've always wanted to go to NYC and probably will finally get to later this fall...but the best amongst Montreal's bagels seem to fit the description of the ideal. Yes or no?
katrina at 9:58PM on 09/03/09
Many aficionados consider Montreal bagels to be the best, actually. I've had both, and Quebec's finest are indeed amazing although a little different. I like both, although I'm a little biased towards NYC.
YancyDC at 8:45AM on 09/04/09
Sadly even in NYC there aren't even that many good shops selling real bagels anymore.
bobbob at 9:32AM on 09/04/09
Either that's a kid holding that bagel, or that's one HUGE bagel. Someone ask Robyn Lee where she got that bagel from.
gregb at 10:27AM on 09/04/09
@gregb: Ess-A-Bagel!
Carey Jones at 10:37AM on 09/04/09
@gregb - you are right - EssA-Bagel. There are two locations. Please people look around. 359 1st Avenue - 831 3rd Avenue - Manhattan
Tweet202 at 11:36AM on 09/04/09
Just make your own. I use the recipe from the Bread Bakers Apprentice. They're big, dense, chewy, and delicious! Also much cheaper than buying them.
xwafflesx at 12:36PM on 09/04/09
It's interesting that Ed's article lists Breugger's as part of the reason bagels have gotten bigger over the years - theirs are only about 4 oz., not the 6 or 7 that seems to be the norm nowadays!
@edritch - Try Bruegger's, there are some in DC. And they are definitely better than a lot of the ones you'll get in NYC even. (H&H on 46th weren't any better than the ones at our grocery chain upstate, Price Chopper, IMHO.)
cara_mia at 3:42PM on 09/07/09
@xwafflesx-I do the same thing.
dmcavanagh at 10:46AM on 10/04/09