PrintSerious Eats Finds New York's Best Bagel
Or, 'Ed Levine's Existential Bagel Crisis'
[Photographs: Robyn Lee and Carey Jones]
The Heisen-Bagel Uncertainty Principle
n. The principle of bagels that holds the following: The act of transporting a bagel to a second location produces fundamental uncertainties in its inherent qualities, such that determining a true "best bagel," in a head-to-head face-off, becomes impossible.
It's a question asked so often that it's astounding that we've never attempted an answer.
Who makes the best bagel in New York?
There are a few clear contenders. In the past, Ed has leaned toward the Upper West Side's Absolute Bagels; his exhaustive 2003 bagel hunt for the New York Times also saluted Bagel Oasis and Hot Bialys in Queens, Terrace Bagels in Windsor Terrace, and Manhattan stalwart Murray's.
And then there are Ess-A-Bagel and H&H, and neighborhood favorites like Bagel Hole and Brooklyn Bagel—all of whom have their fanatical defenders.
So we organized a simple taste-test. Serious eaters would fan out over the three most bagel-happy boroughs and hurry back to World Headquarters with their piping hot loot, as fast as their feet, bikes, buses, trains, subways, or Zipcars could carry them. We'd cut them all up; we'd do a blind tasting; we'd ponder their merits and crown a winner. Simple, right?
But it wasn't that easy.
Ed, hard at work.
The problem became clear as we chomped our way through Round One, pens at the ready, taking bite after bite. None of the bagels were more than two hours old. All of them had been hand-delivered that morning. But chewing through so many mouthfuls of plain bagels, we all felt the same uneasy feeling descending upon us. Ed broke the silence.
"They all taste the same."
Well... not quite the same.
No one mistook Dunkin' Donuts bagels for Murray's, say. (Although it should be noted that Dunkin' didn't place dead last.) Some bagels were clearly superior to others. But none really stood out. None jumped off its plate and declared itself a first-class New York bagel—and these were the best of the very best.
"They aren't calling to me," said Ed Levine—a man who had once written the sentence "No city, perhaps in the history of the world, is so closely identified with a breadstuff as New York is with the bagel." Who had used words such as superb and terrific and huzzah! to describe the very same bagels that sat before us.
There was only one bagel that the tasters rallied around—and that was one from the neighborhood bagel shop, a dark horse, one we'd thought little more than a control.
Ed hung his head, a full-blown mid-life bagel crisis coming on. What was going on?
The Realization
That corner bagel shop, Brooklyn Bagel—Bagel 1 in our blind taste test—told the whole story. Swooped up on the way to the office, those bagels weren't more than 15 minutes old. Bagels that had traveled from the outer reaches of Queens had spent more than two hours on the rapid decline. And since early-bird Ed had trekked up to Absolute Bagels at the crack of dawn, their three-hour old contestants came in dead last.
Our conclusion? A bagel's half-life, untoasted and unadorned, is no more than half an hour. It was far less than any of us had thought, but after more than thirty minutes, we saw a rapid decline in texture, crust, and even taste. Brooklyn Bagel's initial victory? Simply a matter of freshness.
And therein lies the fundamental problem of a blind test. Let's call it the Heisen-Bagel Uncertainty Principle. (Credit the name where credit is due.) It seemed that the very act of assembling a critical mass of bagels requires enough time that a fair comparison is rendered impossible. So a blind bagel taste-test could never produce conclusive results. And in Round One, Brooklyn Bagel's proximity to the oven threw our bagel sensors all out of whack.
So for Round Two, we synchronized purchase times more closely; no three-hour elderly bagels, no shiny young superstars. And in this controlled environment, our results were a good deal more informative. Here are our bagel conclusions.
The Painfully Terrible Control Group
We threw Dunkin' Donut's bagels in as a foil, and luckily for our credibility as food journalists, no one took the bait. The texture: "Very crusty, but way too bready." The color: "Evenly brown. That shouldn't be the case, should it." And the ultimate indictment: "I grew up eating these bagels. I also grew up in Kansas City!"
That said, more than half of our tasters ranked Dunkin's bagels above two or three local establishments. Chew on that.
Ed, on Lender's "New York Style" Pre-Sliced Bagels: "I love the size. But that's all I love."
The Big Names We Didn't Love
Once schmeared, there's nothing wrong with a good old H&H Bagel. But on their own, our crack tasters found them dense and sweet. "Way too dense," said Ed. And the seven-ounce monsters from Ess-A-Bagel were called "incredibly dry," and "funky, almost moldy-tasting."
The Solid Contenders
Terrace Bagel, in Brooklyn's Windsor Terrace, gave us a puffy, just sweet enough bagel that some liked for its "slight tanginess" and others for its "nice hole structure." Ed said he'd take a decent hike to pick a few up. But it didn't have a particularly crisp crust, and it was far bigger than most of us wanted in a bagel.
Murray's? Our tasters had some problems with the texture ("chewy but not crisp"; "like a Posturepedic pillow"). But the slightly malty taste got quite a few positive marks.
Ed liked Hot Bialys, which once ranked in his Top Five bagel list: "Not as crisp as I would like," he said this time, "but great flavor." Another taster agreed. "Very yeasty, good yeasty." Others weren't so kind. "I wish this had some texture." "Plasticky, ugh!"
Terrace Bagel: 224 Prospect Park West, Brooklyn (map); 718-768-3943; Murray's Bagels: 500 Avenue of the Americas (map); 212-462-2830; Hot Bialys: 11663 Queens Blvd, Flushing (map)
The Elusive Heartbreaker
Let's call it the Heisen-Bagel principle at work.
Rushing out of the Bagel Oasis in Queens, I tore my teeth into a fresh, plain bagel—and literally stopped dead in my tracks. As the cars tore by me on the LIE, I stood there on the side of the road, chewing blissfully. This was without question the best bagel I had ever eaten. The initial bite and crust. The way the inside pulled apart softly when I ripped it in half. The doughy, yeasty, but not too sweet interior. I felt as if I suddenly understood what a bagel was supposed to taste like. I got back on the freeway convinced that Bagel Oasis would win the day.
The tasters' comments? "Bready." "Dull." "Springy-chewy, but otherwise unmemorable."
I couldn't believe my eyes. But back at the office, a few hours later, I tried a piece of the bagel they sampled—and every comment was right. Two hours had made all the difference in the world.
Bagel Oasis: 183-12 Horace Harding Expressway, Fresh Meadows, Queens (map); 718-359-9245
The Surprising Game-Changer
Here's Brooklyn Bagel, just around the corner from Serious Eats. In Round One, it was the unanimous winner. "Crisp, with a noticable crisp SOUND!," one taster wrote. "Nicely salted," said another. "I'd travel far for this one," someone scribbled. "Perfect bagel shell." "Um—yes."
But the second time around, when these bagels had aged along with the others, it wasn't all so sunny. "Soft, some chew, but not much crunch." A minutes-old Brooklyn Bagel was as good as any we tasted. That said, an hours-old one wasn't bad, either.
Brooklyn Bagels: 286 8th Avenue (map); 212-924-2824
Ages Badly, But Otherwise Excellent
Ed's go-to, Absolute Bagels, fared terribly in the first round. Excerpted notes: "I guess this is edible." "Boring." "Eh." And: "I would only eat this if it were on my kitchen counter. AND if I were too hungover to leave the house."
But when a bit newer, and perhaps more importantly, not held up against newer bagels, they earned a solid silver medal for their real outside crunch, fine hole structure, and perfect salty-malty-sweet balance. Ed: "Now these are the Absolute Bagels I remember really liking."
Absolute Bagels: 2788 Broadway (map); 212-932-2052
The Ultimate Victor
Ed, on the merits of Bagel Hole:
Bagel Hole's plain bagel had just about everything I look for in a bagel. It makes a satisfying crunching sound when I bit into it; the exterior actually required the use of my teeth; it was a lovely dark brown color; it was moist and almost light on the inside, and it wasn't absurdly large. No sign of bagel elephantiasis on this puppy.
Bagel Hole: 400 Seventh Avenue, Brooklyn (map); 718-788-4014
Ed's existential bagel mid-life crisis was over. No more bagel angst, at least for the moment.
Post-Script
Friend of Serious Eats Harvey suggested a way to combat the Heisen-Bagel.
"Kidnap Ed. Blindfold him. Toss him in the back of a van, drive him around New York, and feed him minutes-old bagels from all of these places."
Now that's a YouTube hit in the making.
Add a comment:
Previewing your comment:
HTML Hints
Some HTML is OK: <a href="URL">link</a>, <strong>strong</strong>, <em>em</em>
Comment Guidelines
Post whatever you want, just keep it pleasant. We reserve the right to delete off-topic or inflammatory comments. Learn more at our Comment Policy page.
If you see something not so nice, please, report an inappropriate comment.
64 Comments:
Yes! I love Bagel Hole. I used to live around the corner from it, but now that I've moved away (to the bagel abyss that is Miami), I miss it horribly!! I can still taste the everything bagel with a little schmear...
bitchincamero at 11:42AM on 10/06/09
I am probably biased, but I am so glad that Absolute Bagel fared well. When my boyfriend and I were doing the long-distance Chicago-New York relationship, he lived three blocks away from AB. We'd go there every weekend morning when I came to visit to devour whatever was still warm, followed by a long walk in Riverside Park. I know it's nostalgic and silly and a little overly-romanticizing, but AB is a big part of what I love about New York.
GirlFromJetCity at 11:44AM on 10/06/09
Brooklyn Bagel's "mini-bagel" is the right size and has just exactly the right crust to chew ratio. Their full-sized bagels are a carb-bomb. But the mini everything bagel, toasted with cream cheese, is as good as bagels get.
Harlan at 11:45AM on 10/06/09
How could you leave out Zucker's and Leo's in the Financial district?? Oh my god - both their sesame bagels are pure bagel nirvana, especially Zucker's.
susanl73 at 11:50AM on 10/06/09
You might want to throw in Panera Bread bagels along with the Lender's!
paolo at 11:50AM on 10/06/09
Great article. I grew up in Michigan and nobody does a salt bagel like the Detroit Bagel Factory. Every Friday in elementary school would be bagel day. I'd make mine last a whole hour - savoring every salty poppy seed bite...
kls2003 at 11:55AM on 10/06/09
Oh Terrace Bagels how I love thee. Even if you have been busted by the Department of Health for "vermin infestation" and I saw the actual sign on the door. You're still first in my heart.
Erin Zimmer at 11:55AM on 10/06/09
So the best bagel is a fresh out of the oven bagel? Stop the presses!
nhfoodie at 11:59AM on 10/06/09
I critique ten NJ bagel bakeries on my Yelp page here:
www.yelp.com/list/bagels-westfield
salpico at 12:03PM on 10/06/09
Disappointed that David's Bagels on 1st Ave wasn't considered to compete.
EastVillageKitchen at 12:15PM on 10/06/09
Yeah, I lived next door to Bagel Hole for 2 years. Imagine waking every morning, especially in the Winter, and the first smells you get are freshly baked bagels. I gained 10 pounds from my morning bagels. It was worth it.
ScottF at 12:36PM on 10/06/09
I would have to agree with EastVillageKitchen. David's bagels were a fav of mine when I use to live on 10th and 1st.
Kanger at 12:41PM on 10/06/09
Oh, thanks for this! I am such a NY bagel snob, and all the big names are always gross. I'm convinced that the best bagels are from the unassuming neighborhood places like the one my Grandpa got bagels from every morning when I was growing up in SI. I eat far less bagels these days because I can't find many places like that in north (aka "definitely not old-school") Brooklyn, nor in the Manhattan hoods that I frequent. I WILL be heading to Bagel Hole on my next leisurely day to try it out.
BrooklynBaker at 12:47PM on 10/06/09
NEWSFLASH: bagels MUST be toasted!
Jack_Barber at 12:55PM on 10/06/09
Do you seriously not have an oven or a toaster or anything that produces heat nearby? Why on earth would letting all the bagels go equally stale and then tasting be a better idea than taking all of the "diminished" bagels and giving them a few minutes of low heat (round 225-250) until they are not toasted, but very much like oven fresh again? Very easy to do and quite effective.
Giertson at 12:57PM on 10/06/09
I agree with Harvey. Grab Ed and maybe a few others and drive around to get these bagels as fresh as possible. Also: do all these places make bagels fresh throughout the day?
When I was growing up, out favorite place was Bagel Boy on Fort Hamilton Parkway in Brooklyn. Last time I checked. it had a new name and awning, so i dont think its the same anymore.
engmcmuffin at 12:59PM on 10/06/09
when i used to work in midwood, there was a place on avenue M called bagel and cheese that had the best bagels i have ever had. i wonder if they're still there?
cybercita at 1:07PM on 10/06/09
Good choice..and good point about the power of a fresh bagel. That's why I usually just get whatever flavor is freshest out of the oven (unless it is one of those sweet ones like cinnamon raisin).
sloppy at 1:21PM on 10/06/09
what a shame that Columbia Bagels, three blocks north of Absolute Bagels, is no more. They would easily have been in contention here...
mr guy at 1:28PM on 10/06/09
I think a great but underrepresented bagel is Daniels Bagels, on 3rd avenue and 37th street. Once you get over the fact that it's in Murray Hill, it is a strong contender for my personal favorite bagel in NYC. A
burgerblogger at 1:36PM on 10/06/09
I think a great but underrepresented bagel is Daniels Bagels, on 3rd avenue and 37th street. Once you get over the fact that it's in Murray Hill, it is a strong contender for my personal favorite bagel in NYC. A
burgerblogger at 1:38PM on 10/06/09
This may seem out of place, but after living in nyc for 10 years I still find the bagels in Toledo, Ohio to be pretty superior!
Barry's: http://www.barrybagels.com/
It doesn't make any sense, but try them if you visit North West Ohio or Ann Arbor, MI.
Cantaloupe Alone at 1:48PM on 10/06/09
So basically the conclusion of this post should be "the best bagel in NYC is the one around the corner from your apartment."
Which is my case is the H&H Factory on 46th and the West Side Highway... every fresh/warm bagel I've ever had from that place has been beyond amazing.
Zach Brooks at 2:16PM on 10/06/09
While I am not happy with bagel makers on a whole who did not reduce the price of their bagels after the price of flour went down, I must say that Rolen Bagels (who also own Corner Bagels West 235th off Netherland Avenue) Riverdale Avenue & 256th Street in the Bronx are very good too.
hondo3777 at 2:31PM on 10/06/09
Twice Upon A Bagel all the way out in Wainscott (right off Montauk Hgwy) is definitely the best bagel on LI. I always stop there whenever I go out to Montauk. Nothing beats their toasted everything bagel with lox & dill cream cheese. Yum!
themagikarp at 2:36PM on 10/06/09
I ate a steaming hot Bagel Hole Bagel at 5:30am once on a freezing December morning. It was a singular NYC food experiences, and I will never forget it. However, my wife and I chose Absolute Bagels for brunch the day after our wedding, and now we are moving just one block away (to 108th st.)
We're really lucky to be alive in this, the age of great bagel.
david at 2:47PM on 10/06/09
I'm an Absolute girl, probably because I used to live around the corner from there. But also because they make pumpernickel-raisin bagels, a combo I haven't found anywhere north of the border.
piccola at 2:59PM on 10/06/09
To hondo3777, Rolen is indeed very good, as is Bagel Corner - I've lived off both my entire life, since I grew up and now live in Riverdale. But if you're in the city and you have the time or you are near Zucker's (Chambers and West Broadway, not far from the Whole Foods), head in for a salt or sesame bagel. And if you can get it before 8AM - they serve them fresh from the oven. Mmmmmm . . . theirs have the best crust/chew I've ever had on any bagel, bar none.
susanl73 at 3:34PM on 10/06/09
Hate to say it, but Long Island definitely has the superior bagels these days. I was reminded of this while I was breaking fast on the Island just weeks ago. It makes a ton of sense, the LI shops are far more likely to be family run, Jewish establishments, aimed at serving discerning primarily Jewish clienteles. (I felt bad writing that, but then I thought that no one would have a problem saying if you want to try the best Chinese food in NYC, you need to go to Flushing and try out the Chinese family run restaurants there designed to service a discerning Chinese clientele--so there).
I am a particular fan of the Bagel Boss and Town Bagel "mini-chains".
ashaps at 3:35PM on 10/06/09
When I lived in Murray Hill I would go to Daniel's Bagels on 3rd and 37th. Very good bagels..not too sweet with a nice crunchy exterior.
pickled at 3:59PM on 10/06/09
The Elusive Heartbreaker end of paragraph one.
"I got back on the freeway..."
The freeway????
Highway, Expressway, Thruway, Parkway, yes yes yes.
But Ed, should anyone who gets back on a FREEWAY be judging
a real New York bagel? Maybe guacamole.
uncajay at 5:14PM on 10/06/09
I've always been an H&H fan.
constantlyhungry at 5:16PM on 10/06/09
For the ambitious bagel lover, Peter Reinhart's bagel recipe from his "Breadbakers Appretice" book are excellent if you don't mind the labor and time involved. I make a dozen about once every month, and freeze them to use as needed. The absolute essential ingredient is malted barley syrup, which I buy from a brewers supply store. If your disappointed with commercial bakery bagels, give homemade a try.
dmcavanagh at 6:49PM on 10/06/09
We at Brokelyn couldn't agree more, which is why our esteemed Brokavore wrote the same thing more than a week ago:
http://bk.ly/J1
Glad you guys agree...
Brokelynite at 6:49PM on 10/06/09
@uncajay I think Carey Jones wrote this post, and I agree...her use of "freeway" marks her as a native Californian, not New Yorker.
NYminknit at 7:11PM on 10/06/09
@dmcavanagh
Yes, and I would also suggest using the malted barley syrup in the water too (enough to make it look like strong tea), rather than using baking soda as he suggests. The results, I find, are better. Also, many swear by the bagels in Hammelman's BREAD over Reinhart's, although really, both are excellent. I have found that these recipes allow me to make a better or at least equal bagel compared to just about any of the places listed above.
Giertson at 7:47PM on 10/06/09
wow that was an epic post! good sleuthing, guys! if you ever want to taste a west coast bagel, my absolute favorite is Izzy's Brooklyn Bagel in Palo Alto, CA. It's as good as or better than any bagel I've had in NY. MMMMmmm!! Now I want a bagel!
happygomarni at 8:14PM on 10/06/09
@uncajay & @NYminknit: I think Carey did a fine job with this post, regardless of her state of origin. She has a good palate, is discerning and passionate about food, and is a great writer/blogger/editor, which is why we hired her. I had several LOL moments reading this, particularly her clever "Heisen-bagel Uncertainty Principle."
Adam Kuban at 8:35PM on 10/06/09
I agree. Bagel Hole is the best NYC bagel today. However, I must admit that the old Columbia Bagels (good enough to be 'imported' by Zabars, albeit in the store well after their peak of perfection) were the best NYC bagels.
playscape at 9:50PM on 10/06/09
Yeah!!! I love the Bagel Hole. It has the best bagels I have ever eaten, and I've lived in Brooklyn for most of my nearly 5 decades, and have eaten some very good bagels from some very good and now extinct bagel stores.. I'm always worried it will go out of business, because it is small and unassuming, and is merely a bagel store, not a huge deli -- and because I am fatalistic and assume that the forces of darkness too often triumph. But maybe in this instance virtue - in the form of amazing delicious old-fashioned bagels - will win out over glitz and marketing and fame.
Michaelrow at 12:04AM on 10/07/09
A few questions about this comparison
1. Were all the bagels fresh baked when purchased? like 5 mins. old
2. How were they wrapped, paper or plastic? This makes a big difference. Plastic ruins a bagel in minutes (steaming) and even in a paper bag they start to steam.
3. Who eats plain bagels without any topping? even fresh baked they're not the best.
double0 at 3:27PM on 10/07/09
At last! Recognition for Brooklyn Bagel! There's no comparison. :) I have been known to walk there in pajamas for a mini everything bagel with cream cheese.
Also--you couldn't ask for a sweeter band of bagel guys.
Expatslat at 9:58PM on 10/07/09
Hey playscape and mr guy -- Columbia Bagels has been reincarnated as Times Square Bagels on 44th st west of Broadway. They're just the same as they used to be and should be considered in any serious NY bagel survey. The bagels at Kossar's Bialys on Grand should also be considered. And Harlan -- I am also a fan of Brooklyn Bagel's minis. I am not a fan of Murray's, H&H, or Ess-a-Bagel: too sweet and puffy.
kalaresh at 12:36AM on 10/08/09
Bagel Hole is the best bagel.
Most of the others are oversized and underbaked.
Another great bagel can be gotten at Boro Park Bagels,
4305 14th Avenue, Brooklyn.
litrase at 2:11PM on 10/09/09
Bagels are a New York institutions. Unfortunatly they are no long made by New York Jews and have become mere rolls. I used to swear by Fairway until they decided bigger is better (and more expensive). H&H is highly overated. Lately I have found that Eli's comes closest to the bagels of my Broooklyn childhood. I buy them at Zabar's where they are already several hours old and eat them the next morning. They are nice and chewy, the way a bagel should be, and the perfect foil for cream cheese and lox.
readtony at 5:01PM on 10/09/09
I have to agree that Daniel's bagels in Murray Hill is my favorite, despite living across the street from Essabagel on 1st and 21st for 7 years.
I also happen to love Cropsey Bagel near Coney Island, and Bagel Boy in Bay Ridge. Getting them hot and fresh is the only option for me, I will not toast a bagel.
designnerd at 7:27PM on 10/10/09
I guess none of the commenters live on the UES (I know, no longer chic...), because no one mentioned Tals. I live almost next door to one, and my open windows overlook and capture the almost constant lovely smells of fresh bagels baking in this neighborhood place (the onion must be baking right now - making me salivate). There are a couple of others around - mine is 86th bet 2nd and 1st, another is Lex and about 83d, another First and 54th. I live close to the H&H east side branch, and I used to love them...but too often these days their bagels are soft, pale and puffy - no bite to the crust and not dense enough. I've been to Absolute several times, and they are indeed delicious.
djhnyc at 7:41PM on 10/10/09
Here is a link to an interesting web page about the famous Watson Bagel bakery in Essex Co., NJ.
I literally teethed on these bagels as a baby, and some of my earliest memories are of my father taking me there late at night. We would buy a bag of hot salt bagels for 7¢ each, and eat them in the car on the way home, just as soon as they cooled off enough to touch.
The illuminated doorway of the store was like a beacon in the dark, open all night when all the other neighborhood businesses were closed. I remember the worn, wood plank floors, the big baskets of golden bagels sprinkled with gleaming white salt, and the wonderful, warm aroma that permeated the place.
http://www.oldnewark.com/memories/weequahic/bodianbagel.htm
salpico at 9:16PM on 10/10/09
Hello,
I just want to thank Carey Jones, Ed Levine and everyone else
involved with this article. It is an honor to be called the best!!
Sincerely,
Philip Romanzi
Bagel Hole
Of Park Slope
bagelhole at 10:42PM on 10/10/09
I think the theory of a bagel expiration taste time is a valid one. I've always been a huge fan of a small place called Bakers Dozen's out in Kew Gardens Queens. They make them there right in your face and have a 6dollar/dozen deal... but you know what, I lived less than a block away from the place so its no wonder the bagels I bought from there were extremely fresh and tasty. I still take the trek out there sometimes to get my fix.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/bakers-dozen-bagels-kew-gardens
muffintops at 3:25PM on 10/12/09
I didn't have to read this to know it was Bagel Hole. :)
bobbob at 4:28PM on 10/15/09
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/653172
--Guttergourmet
guttergour at 10:24PM on 10/15/09
Why are you going you the trouble of doing all those bagels tests??? The best bagels are for sure in Montreal. Not dought.
katerine rollet at 6:13PM on 10/17/09
"Please put to rest immediately the myth that Montreal bagels are superior to New York City bagels"
http://www.seriouseats.com/talk/2007/03/montreal-bagels-exposed.html
david at 9:07PM on 10/17/09
I always hold true to La Bagel in Brooklyn. So delicious.
AnaPowell at 6:43PM on 10/19/09
@Anapowell try any of the above with the exception of Lender's or Dunkin. They are all better than La Bagel.
bobbob at 9:46PM on 10/20/09
Hi !
I'm a french reader and i tasted ess-a-bagel during my latest trip in NYC : they where kind to let me take photos from the oven, but unfortunately, the cinnamon raisin bagel i had was not so good...
http://foodista-en-ville.over-blog.com/article-37072256.html
The best for me is Daniel's Bagels (post to come)
http://foodista-en-ville.over-blog.com/
Foodista-en-ville at 4:34AM on 10/21/09
I understand the scientific urge to use the plain bagel as one litmus, but that just aint the whole tale of the taste. And I don't get the animus all the tasters apparently have against size, especially in the rising-price world, if the maker can deliver all the qualities of outer crunch, inner chew, and flavor balance. What, we want a LITTLE bagel? Hard to take that seriously. If you can experience the fresh pumpernickel at Ess-A-Bagel and not immediately comprehend how the combination of rye-and-carraway tartness and the kiss of malt create a tension that is absolutely thrilling--the single greatest bagel experience in NY--then you aren't paying attention. This is an art object. I live down the block from Rolen and Bagel Corner in Riverdale, and every weekend I travel down to 20th and First; there isn't even a serious comparison. Incidentally, Ess-A-Bagel appears, uncredited, in the poem "Creed" by contemporary poet Meg Kearney--to my knowledge, though they have satisfied many writers and appear as props in literature , these are the only bagels actually to be celebrated in a serious work. Here's the link: http://www.megkearney.com/creed.html
sonnetboy at 3:17PM on 10/21/09
I agree that Daniels in Murray Hill is pretty good. My all time Manhattan fav though, is Jumbo Hot Bagels on 56th and 2nd Ave. They are boiled, baked and delicious just like a bagel should be.
jordo2798 at 1:20PM on 11/02/09
Personal Favorites:
Brooklyn: Montague Street Bagels
Manhattan: Ess-a-Bagel
Favorite used to be Bagel Zone (Ave A between 3rd St & 4th St), until they changed their name and stopped baking their own. Was the perfect bagel -- crisp on the outside, soft and bready on the inside...I'd pay a ridiculous premium just to taste one again.
popcontest at 12:49PM on 11/07/09
Agree with one of the above posters that Jumbo on 2nd Ave. (Manhattan) extremely underrated, and that both H&H & Ess-a-Bagel horribly overrated. Tal (a chain) is pretty decent. David on 1st Ave. had a great pumpernickel. And there's actually a good bagel now in North Brooklyn: Baker's Dozen, on Manhattan Ave. in Greenpoint. But for me, the number-one bagel is "Hot Bagels" on 79th st. & Metropolitan in Middle Village.
bake at 12:52PM on 11/09/09
I like Area Bagels in North Park Slope on 5th Avenue, which makes a very respectable bagel - not too big, some crunch to the crust and soft inside. The owner learned bagel making from a place out in Little Neck on Horace Harding Parkway that dates back to the late 1940's when the bagel baking union controlled the business and its quality. I will have to re-try Bagel Hole although I remember not being too impressed years ago.
Maybe my preference of getting a plain buttered (not toasted bagel) let me enjoy a fresher bagel in the store, rather than taking it home, missing out on the short freshness life.
mike1213 at 8:12PM on 11/11/09
Ugh. You all need to get a LIFE and try Montreal bagels. None of these tested bagels actually qualify as an honest-to-goodness bagel. These are basically buns with holes.
cutelittlebirdie at 11:17PM on 12/30/09
Huh. I love Ess-A-Bagel and have had a bunch of fresh bagels from a lot of other places - Murray's, Daniel's, David's, Absolute, Bagelsmith, H&H, and others... just had to put in a word for it.
vegny at 1:41AM on 01/04/10