The Bagel list
The bagel. Either the best bread in the world because of its softness, diversity, and warmth, or the one you stay away from because of its staleness, difficulty to eat, and the rush to eat a dozen bagels before your Philadelphia cream cheese expires.
In my house, we keep a dozen bagels in the freezer at all times, and usually they get nice and freezer-burned because no one wants to eat a stale bagel before a stale day of work or school. Of course, we eat them at some point, but they do not even compare to the bagel shops across the country that make me miss the cities I hate the most.
Given my current craving for a bagel, here are my favorite bagel spots in no particular order that you must go to if you ever find yourself in one of these cities.
Taste of New York Bagels - Chicago (Lakeview)
I have the fattest crush on Tony. I used to see him everyday before religious school, but now, I rarely see him. And I miss him. I miss his friendliness, variety, and freshness. TONY, Taste of New York, makes bagels most comparable to New York bagels given its name. They have insane bagel sandwiches and homemade cream cheese flavors (if you're into that type of thing like I am). Before religious school, to enhance the Jewishness of the day, we would stop at TONY where I would order a plain warm bagel with strawberry cream cheese. The best part is, they have something for everyone. Whether you want an egg sandwich, everything bagel, or cinnamon cream cheese, they have it all. Everything is good, too, which is a plus.
New York Bagel and Bialy Corporation - Chicago (Lincolnwood)
The most recent time I went to Bagel and Bialy was after I took the ACT in February. I walked in, starving, and was disappointed, yet excited, when I found myself at the end of a line almost out the door. Behind the baskets filled with all different types of bagels, I could see a peak of the large bagel “machines” hiding behind them. From that moment, I knew it was going to be good. These bagels are incredible, and they will always throw in a couple extra bagels for you.
R&A Sourdough - Chicago (Ravenswood)
These bagels we order once in a while, and when we do, we order a dozen. I know many people like the traditional bagel that is soft, white, and plain. But, when I found out that people mixed bagels and sourdough together, I was shocked, and not disappointed. R&A Sourdough makes delicious bagels that you could eat without cream cheese. That’s the ultimate test, and they passed. If you are looking for something a bit more advanced or unique, these are the bagels you should try.
Russ & Daughters - New York City
The iconic and classic bagel and lox cannot be done better than at Russ & Daughters. Somehow, their lox doesn't get stuck in your teeth or fall off the bagel when you go in for your first bite. Besides their lox, their bagels are great too. They master the basics of a good bagel, but what really sets them apart is their fish.
Liberty Bagels - New York City
I had to throw this one in because it’s iconic, not because they are amazing bagels. But, a colorful bagel is a brilliant thing that just makes you happy. In my opinion, that’s what food should do: make you excited, satisfied, and happy.
Call Your Mother Deli - Washington D.C (Georgetown)
You know that when “Georgetown” is in the title that I love it. Call Your Mother is literally what made me fall in love with the neighborhood in the first place, so I owe it all to the amazing people who make the best bagel sandwich I’ve ever had. First off, this place is insanely welcoming: every weekend you will find locals, tourists, and college students sitting outside on the sidewalk with their dogs sitting on the sidewalk, an iced latte in one hand, and a bagel sandwich in the other. It’s the perfect scene, and the perfect bagel. My favorite sandwich is the Sun City, which has sausage, egg, cheddar, and spicy honey. It’s my first love in D.C. You must find a CYM once in your lifetime.
Layla Bagels - Los Angeles (Santa Monica)
If you follow my Instagram, @jujithefoodiechi, you know how much I have raved about this. Truly, I crave this one of a kind and artistic bagel everyday. These are not your traditional New York bagel with cream cheese. These are pieces of art, crafted to please your aesthetic and your bagel craving at the same time. How is that possible? When I was recently in Los Angeles, I had the opportunity to drive thirty minutes to Santa Monica for these bagels. They are sourdough bagels, and many of them come open-faced. This means that you can order one bagel, but with two different toppings. So, I ordered what sounded best to me off of there incredible menu: half a Laika bagel with salmon, cream cheese, cucumbers, and pickled onions, and half a pre-jam, topped with cream cheese, honey, and seasonal fruit which happened to be the best oranges I had ever tasted. Besides the aesthetic and art of the bagels, they tasted amazing because I am obsessed with sourdough bagels. They were fluffy with a crisp shell, and the bagels, while definitely over the top, had fresh toppings picked from the local farmers market that morning. While they taste great, they are messy, so I recommend eating some parts with a fork and knife, and as bad as it sounds, it really does not ruin the experience.
Something I love about bagels is that you can find a good one anywhere. While New York has claimed the bagel as its baby, there are so many places across the country and even elsewhere that are beginning to take this power as well, and I like some healthy competition and some unhealthy bagels. It makes for a good pair.
If you take away anything from this list, it should be that good bagels are becoming less harder to find. And that’s an amazing thing because everyone should have access to one of the world's most basic yet tastiest creations. I even did some research and found that Food & Wine's best bagels list has some super surprising locations on it like Bidderford, Maine and Fargo, North Dakota. Who knows? Maybe Arizona will have the next best bagel.
