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06/04/2001 Archived Entry: "Bagels"

I started a new segment on Food Talk today. It’s called. “It’s Not a Good Thing” and you can expect me to continue it on Mondays.

My choice for the first installment were Thomas’ New York Style Bagels. Bagels are about as New York as noise, traffic, and my Brooklyn accent, and we love them all. (Don’t we?) As you must know if you listen to my radio show, I have strong opinions about bagels. I am old enough to remember what they used to be like and gone are the small, chewy bagels of my youth. They have been replaced by oversized, soft bagels, often in flavors that make my skin crawl: cinnamon, blueberry, dried cranberry. By me, plain and salt would be enough, although I am willing to accept garlic, onion, sesame, and poppy seed.

As if these nouveaubagels are not awful enough when made by bagel-bakers all around town, we now have Thomas’ version, which are not bagels at all, but Pepperidge Farm white bread in bagel drag. I mean, they have holes. That’s the only relation they have to bagels at all. The nerve of calling them “New York Style!

After I introduced my new segment, the phone lines were clogged with New Yorkers wanting to offer suggestions of where to buy the best bagels. I claim that the best bagels in the New York area can be bought at the The Bagel Hole on Seventh Avenue, near 12th St., in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Blessedly, that’s my neighborhood, although I would certainly travel for a great, old-fashioned, dense and chewy bagel. Bagel Hole’s are beautiful, high-glutton bagels that should be purchased when they are hot from the oven in the morning. Later in the day, they can be refreshed in your home oven – a few minutes at 350-degrees. I put them directly on the rack, no baking sheet or anything. Or you can split them and toast them. Bagels freeze well, too. Split the fresh bagels when you get them home and pack them into plastic bags. You can either heat them from the frozen state in the oven or defrost them a few minutes at room temperature, separate the halves and toast them.

One caller, Ellen from Woodmere, reminded me that Bagel Oasis in Fresh Meadows has very good bagels. Next, Jim from Long Island and I talked about how some chains like Brueger’s Bagels don’t necessarily do a bad job and they are certainly better than Lender’sor Thomas’ from the supermarket. He also reminded me that ESSA Bagel, with stores on both First and Third Avenues in Manhattan make good bagels. We also heard about the other Bagel Hole, on Coney Island Avenue in Brooklyn. That Bagel Hole (I don’t know if the two are related) is a kosher store that does, indeed, have a very good bagel, and also a great selection of kosher cheese.

Finally, James from Long Island called on his cell phone while he was camping in the great outdoors. Actually, we learned that his tent was set up in his brother-in-law’s backyard not more that half a mile from a store. He thought that there were very good bagels throughout Suffolk county. It’s been a while since I’ve spent much time in Suffolk eating bagels, so I reserve judgement. We also heard

Later that evening, my dear cousin Erica Marcus called and left a message on my machine, scolding me about letting out the secret of Bagel Hole and informing me that great bagels, vying with those in Park Slope, can be found in Valley Stream at a place called Valley Bagels on Rockaway Boulevard. She told me that these bagels are hand-rolled by a guy from Thailand and they don’t have any of those “weird flavors.” She also said that Ed Levine and Jeffrey Steingarten, when they were on Metro TV, did a bagel tasting and Valley's came in first. I didn't need that confirmation of her taste, however. Besides that Erica has great taste when it comes to bagels (among other things), she is a food reporter for Newsday and really gets around. She knows what's out there. By the way, Erica warns, do not try to call Valley Bagel. They rarely, if ever, answer the phone. And to the best of her knowledge they close at 3 o'clock.

GREAT BAGELS
The Bagel Hole
400 Seventh Ave.(bet. 12th and 13th Streets)
Brooklyn, NY; (718) 788-4014

NNJ Valley Bagels
155 Rockaway Boulevard (between Sunrise Highway and the train station)
Valley Stream, NY; (516) 823-1647

SATISFACTORY BAGELS
Bagel Oasis
183-12 Horace Harding Expressway (near 183rd St.)
Fresh Meadows, NY; (718) 359-9245

ESSA Bagel
359 First Ave. (at 21st St.)
Manhattan; (212) 260-2252

ESSA Bagel
831 Third Ave. (at 51st St.)
Manhattan; (212) 980-1010