Food and Things

Which New York neighborhood can lay claim to  the best bagels?

There are East Siders who say Ess-a-Bagel on Third Ave and 52nd St (also on 21st Street at Third) produces the best bagels in the city.  West Siders insist that Absolute Bagels on Broadway at 107th St has no equal.  Some swear by H & H, the bagel maker with a store next to Zabar’s on Broadway at 80th.

By all rights, the Upper West Side, with its substantial Jewish population, should be the home to the very best bagels.  But it’s the East Side, which skews goyish, that can claim boasting rights.  Here’s the line-up.

1.  Ess-a-Bagel.  Why schlep to the East Side when there are perfectly fine bagels on the other side of the park?  The reason is Ess-a-Bagel.  These gigantic chewy orbs are tender, but not doughy, with almost a perfect crunch.  A pumpernickel slathered with cream cheese is a meal to sigh over.  Plus, you can’t beat the atmosphere.  If you go before Rosh Hashanah, you’ll spy a couple of yentas kibbutzing at a table off to the side.  There, they sell honey cake and just a little bit of gossip as they schmooze the day away with a steady stream of regulars.

2.  Absolute Bagels.  Lauded by some as the best bagels in the city, Absolute Bagels are smaller, breadier and sweeter than the ones at Ess-a-bagel.  Absolute’s bagel makers are Thai, but they must have Jewish souls to produce this quality product, which has a nice chew, but at the end of the day, places second to Ess-a-Bagel.

3.  H & H.  This is the default bagel.  If  you don’t feel like trekking up to Absolute on the edge of Morningside Heights, H & H turns out a completely serviceable bagel.   Way too doughy and not chewy enough, these bagels would be stars in any other part of the country.  But in New York, there’s stiff competition, and H & H just doesn’t quite measure up.

Related posts:

1. H & H Bagels Closed Briefly on Friday
2. Recently Shuttered Upper West Side Bruno Ravioli To Migrate to Upper East Side
3. Fairway to Open Up on the Upper East Side

November 9th, 2008 | Tags: 10010, 10022, 10024, 10025, Bagels, New York, upper east side, upper west side | Category: Bagels, Manhattan, Morningside Heights, upper east side, upper west side |  Print This Post | Subscribe to comments | Leave a comment | Trackback URL