The process of creating bagels is not difficult. Have you been able to generate an acceptable sourdough baguette in the past year? That is a feat of pastry prowess. Have you ever made a successful baguette? Perhaps you should abandon bagels and relocate to France. If you want to conquer bagels, any seasoned baker will tell you to follow a few simple rules and no one will get harmed.
Then why, if they are indeed that simple, are most American bagels scarcely edible? It does not take a great deal of age to recall a time when New York was synonymous with the highest quality, a time when bagels were nearly always appropriately proportioned, golden brown, and micro-crisped on the outside, crackling as the knife entered. The proof was the strain in your first bite as if your teeth were undergoing daily strength training. The remainder of the nation? Who required it?
1. Absolute Bagels (Manhattan, New York)
And then (almost) there was one. As a result of years of decline, the Upper West Side is now home to a surprisingly small number of bagel shops. This no-frills, cash-only shop at the northernmost tip of the neighborhood is not only one of the best but also one of the best old-school stores still operating in Manhattan. Sam Thongkrieng studied the craft at New York’s legendary Ess-a-Bagel, and it shows in the generously proportioned (but not overly enormous) finished product—big surface, big interior, and not so much of a cavity, all to the delight of the weekend audience. No need to rush out of bed; like any respectable New York business, they bake throughout the day.
2. Bagel Hole (New York, Brooklyn)
Infuriating Park Slope size queens since the 1980s, this obstinate traditionalist not only opposes the detested New York bagel obesity but does so in an aggressive manner. If you think their bagels are too small — and they’re not, they’re not — well, you’re in Brooklyn: there are a multitude of excellent options within a fifteen-minute walk of this appropriately titled store. Goodbye, and have a pleasant life. Despite being hand-rolled and emerging from the oven with that unmistakable blistered crust, this product is typically excellent and has a high chew factor.
3. Bagel Oasis (New York, Queens)
You could easily spend at least another hour (or more!) on the Long Island Expressway in search of the finest suburban New York bagel culture, or you could cut your journey short and immerse yourself in the 24/7 world of one of the most esteemed bagel stores in Queens, which has been in operation since the 1960s. Since then, bagels have changed little, which is already cause for celebration. These svelte (yet not overly large) treats are made with the simplest of ingredients and feature a lovely malt flavor in every morsel. Grab a case of Tropicana or a bottle of Yoohoo on your way out, and don’t neglect to play the lottery.
4. Bagelsaurus (Cambridge, Massachusetts)
Before the pandemic, customers waited in line and took their chances at Mary Ting Hyatt’s scene-stealing establishment, which opened in the vicinity of Porter Square over a decade ago. And while waking up extremely early to have your choice of the day’s bake is still a good idea, online ordering has made it simpler than ever to taste some of the finest sourdough starter-based new-style bagels in the country. The result is a traditional-looking bagel with the perfect crust and texture; however, on the inside, you’ll find one of the lightest bagels you may ever adore. This bagel will last for days on your kitchen counter.
5. Belle’s Bagels (Los Angeles, California)
The ten-year-old enterprise of Nick Schreiber and J.D. Rocchio never had difficulty locating its audience, regardless of where it was necessary to search. They are still in pop-up mode, but at this point, everyone is aware of their purpose. The co-owners are citizens of Los Angeles, but their bagels, which undergo a lengthy cold fermentation and are made entirely by hand, are closer to the classic East Coast standard. There are only six standard options available, and sandwiches are the primary focus, but this bagel requires no embellishment.
6. Benchwarmers Bagels (Raleigh, North Carolina)
Raleigh’s Boulted Bread, not content with delivering one of the finest bakeries in the South, went after bagels next. Partnering with another local institution, Jubala Coffee, in the heart of biscuit country, they’ve created an essential morning stop for some of the country’s fussiest modern bagels, wood-fired and made with the same high-quality, freshly-milled, heirloom grain flour for which Boulted is renowned. When you cut through that exquisite crunch, the crust of which is frequently faintly flame-kissed, you’ll find something resembling a perfect sourdough ring.
7. Bergen Bagels (Brooklyn, New York)
The point of this ordinary icon atop the Bergen Street metro, which is considered one of the finest bagel stores in the world by virtually everyone within a few blocks, is that it initially appears unremarkable. You may be thinking, “Great, another bagel shop, so what?” This is precisely why Brooklyn is so special: This is the only one of the five boroughs with an abundance of properly-sized, well-structured, and well-executed classic New York bagels. No commotion, no vacations, and no celebrity guest bakers; just doing the job correctly year after year. Several locations.
8. BernBaum’s (North Dakota, Fargo)
At North Dakota’s finest—and only—new-wave Nordic-Jewish deli, there are very pretty, very generously seeded bagels, but it’s best to order the plain variety on your first visit so you can admire the perfectly blistered exterior of a very fine bagel, the last thing you might have expected to find this far north. Their specialty is sandwiches, but the $1.79 bagel with cream cheese is undoubtedly one of the finest deals on this list. Since 2017, BernBaum’s has surprised and delighted residents and those traveling through town.
9. Bernstein’s Bagels (Portland, Oregon)
In 2017, Vermonter Noah Bernstein and friend/business partner Peter Hurteau launched a tiny storefront in Portland’s St. John neighborhood, discreetly throwing down the gauntlet. There were the bagels you were familiar with, and then abruptly there were the finest bagels in town, and there was no competition. Despite being thousands of miles from New York, this bagel is unmistakably a New York-style bagel, despite being slightly smaller and perhaps a little tighter than its progenitors. The original establishment is no longer present, and the remaining location was designed more as a full-service café, but these bagels are the kind you want to take home by the dozen. It makes little difference where you acquire them.
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