Influencing bagels and being influenced by bagels (Part 1)
Since it is the weekend of Valentine’s, I decided to celebrate love by talking about bagels.
For a couple of weeks in December, I decided to become a #bagelinfluencer. The results are below.
The Neighborhood Spot: Tompkins Square Bagels
First on the list was a trip to a local favourite, Tompkins Square Bagels. They have two locations in the East Village so make sure you are ordering from the right location when you are pre-ordering (Trust me, lots of folks make the mistake of ordering from the wrong location, including myself). They deliver a solid bagel filled with fresh ingredients and good flavor. Be sure to order ahead or go during off-hours as the waits can get long at either of their locations.
The (Other, not so local) Neighborhood Spot: Black Seed Bagels
There is a Black Seed Bagels location in the east village, which is on 1st Avenue located directly in between the two Tompkins Square Bagels locations on Avenue A and 2nd Avenue. While I wouldn’t say that Black Seed Bagels are the most filling, their bagels can pack a unique punch with their pastrami lox. Bonus points for returning my complaint really quickly and giving me a gift card when they messed up my order.
Best Customer Service: Absolute Bagel
Absolute Bagel is located in the Upper West Side and is run by a Thai family. It is a no-frills experience in their simple but quaint location. Everyone working there was very friendly. If you want your standard bagel, it doesn’t get more standard than this in terms of quality, pricing, and good service. Shout out to Danielly and Pat for joining this one.
My winner: Brooklyn Bagel & Coffee Company
There was a point in time where I was obsessed with this place. I used to order two bagels every time I went and I definitely overdid it. After taking a hiatus for a year, this spot still does the business for me. Their bagels have the right chewiness and the quality and more importantly (quantity) of other ingredients was just right. I am not a fan of packing the bagel with too much and they do it just the way I like here. The location I frequent the most is by NYU’s campus. Definitely bagels as a treat here and not as a daily breakfast item due to the higher than average price. This video below was masterfully directed by Amanda.
Honorable mentions: The best of the rest
Best Fish: Russ & Daughters
I forgot to record my taste test for Russ & Daughters. Their bagels and supporting ingredients are pretty good but what makes them stand out is the quality of their smoked fish. Their smoked salmon was out of this world. They have two locations, one is a deli and the other is a sit-down restaurant. Their restaurant is one of my favourite breakfast/brunch spots in the city with classic and tasty Jewish dishes. Great latkes.
Something different: Bagelsmith
They offered a sourdough bagel, which is not offered everywhere. I thought that was special.
Old Digs: Chelsea Bagel & Cafe
I used to live in the West Village and this was my spot there. Similar to Absolute Bagels this is a no-frills location where you get what you paid for. I once saw Daniel Radcliffe walking by here so that was something memorable too.
King of the Capitol: Call Your Mother (Washington, DC)
I used to go to school in DC and some of my best friends who live there still rave about this place. I had to check it out. While it’s no Nandos (the best food establishment on earth), it was a solid experience. I got their famous za'atar bagel, and it delivered. I didn’t take a picture of my bagel because I devoured it but I did take one of Dan’s bagel below.
