I Need A Good Bagel

I used to love the bagels at Bagel Hole on 7th, but I haven't gotten a good bagel in there in over two years. They're dense and the crust is way too soft. The crust used to be hard, and the bagels chewy. But no more. La Bagel Delight make even worse bagels. Where else can I go for a good bagel? Or is a good bagel a thing of the past?

A lot of people seem to like Terrace Bagels (myself included, though I'm not especially picky with bagels, so the proximity is one of the big reasons).

Might be a wee bit of a trek for you depending on where you're coming from, but it's probably worth it if there's literally little other options. Line(s) tend to get reallly long, especially late weekend mornings.

Yelp: http://www.yelp.com/biz/terrace-bagels-inc-brooklyn

I don't know how their bagels compare to anyone else, I just know La Bagel Delight is a silly ass name.

........can be found in your local grocers freezer.

possibly_maybe wrote: A lot of people seem to like Terrace Bagels (myself included, though I'm not especially picky with bagels, so the proximity is one of the big reasons).

Might be a wee bit of a trek for you depending on where you're coming from, but it's probably worth it if there's literally little other options. Line(s) tend to get reallly long, especially late weekend mornings.

Yelp: http://www.yelp.com/biz/terrace-bagels-inc-brooklyn

Terrace Bagel is amazing. I'm so glad I live close by.

Terrace Bagels is a good alternative to Bagel Hole. At Terrace, I prefer the "mini-bagels" to the regular ones, because they have the proper ratio of crusty outside to chewy inside that Bagel Hole has traditionally been known for.

La Bagel Delight has a really silly name, and really good bagels.

BKChickie wrote: La Bagel Delight has a really silly name, and really good bagels.

Hit and miss in my opinion. Mostly miss, but will do in a pinch. Best bagels nearby are Bergen Bagels (for you North Slopers).

Jamzer wrote: [quote=BKChickie]La Bagel Delight has a really silly name, and really good bagels.

Hit and miss in my opinion. Mostly miss, but will do in a pinch. Best bagels nearby are Bergen Bagels (for you North Slopers).
Noooooooo!


The OP was asking for real bagels, crusty and chewy in the original Bagel Hole mode, not those poofy abominations masquerading as bagels!

Em26 wrote:



........can be found in your local grocers freezer.

It's sad that those are sold in NYC.

I should be shot for asking, but does anyone know how Dunkin' Donuts' bagels are? Do they have firm crusts and soft insides?

The last good bagel I had was in Manhattan at Hot Bagels on East 23rd Street. It had just been made and was wonderful.

Hot Bagels rules!

Dunkin Donuts bagels are too sweet for my taste. Oh and what is the name of that bagel place on the corner of 5th ave and I want to say 5th street? Terrible awful bagels.

I go to the La Bagel Delight on 7th Ave across from John Jay HS. Most of the time they are fine by me. There is another one farther down the block but their staff is truly obnoxious.

Terrace Bagels gets my vote, it has Flagels!

Flagel - flat mini-bagel. YUM!

Dunkin Donuts bagels suck. My kids eat all sorts of crap, and those are going too far even for them.

Carnivore wrote: [quote=Jamzer][quote=BKChickie]La Bagel Delight has a really silly name, and really good bagels.

Hit and miss in my opinion. Mostly miss, but will do in a pinch. Best bagels nearby are Bergen Bagels (for you North Slopers).
Noooooooo!


The OP was asking for real bagels, crusty and chewy in the original Bagel Hole mode, not those poofy abominations masquerading as bagels!

Huh?

I am not so sure a lover of "mini bagels" should be giving out bagel advise ;-) Those things are best for being frozen and given to teething toddlers.

Jamzer wrote: Huh?

I am not so sure a lover of "mini bagels" should be giving out bagel advise ;-) Those things are best for being frozen and given to teething toddlers.

I don't routinely eat mini-bagels. However, there has been serious bagel size inflation in the last 20 years (paralleling the inflation in the size of the martini). I mostly blame Ess-A-Bagel for this (bagel size inflation, not martini size inflation). Bagel Hole bagels are true to the original bagel size. I like the mini bagels at Terrace because they're closer to true bagel size than their regular ones. If you've been to the great bagel places in Montreal and London (and in saying this, I am in no way conceding bagel superiority to these cities), the bagels seem tiny compared to many New York bagels because they haven't suffered this size inflation.

Carnivore wrote: I don't routinely eat mini-bagels. However, there has been serious bagel size inflation in the last 20 years (paralleling the inflation in the size of the martini). I mostly blame Ess-A-Bagel for this (bagel size inflation, not martini size inflation). Bagel Hole bagels are true to the original bagel size. I like the mini bagels at Terrace because they're closer to true bagel size than their regular ones. If you've been to the great bagel places in Montreal and London (and in saying this, I am in no way conceding bagel superiority to these cities), the bagels seem tiny compared to many New York bagels because they haven't suffered this size inflation.

Right on. There's some bagel snobbery after my own heart.

shekb wrote: Right on. There's some bagel snobbery after my own heart.

Bergen Bagels has always been excellent and has quite the nice cream cheese selection, although I find myself going to Area Bagels a lot more now. Closer to me, bagels are just as good, nice guys, and I can get out of there a lot quicker. If you're a hold-out because of the whole name thing, time to get over it. Go in there and you'll see that the owner is one hell of a nice guy.

I will always avoid that overrated abomination on 7th Avenue, which is the complete opposite of the word "delight." What a chaotic mess that place is.

When I was in Miami last weekend, I had a Green Chile bagel at Einstein's. That place is so frigging wrong, but I miss its audacity. I should head down to Metrotech every once in a while.

Carnivore wrote: If you've been to the great bagel places in Montreal and London....

I think that sound you just heard was my Grandfather, a Brooklyn born, bred and buried bagel snob of all snobs turning over in his grave. I'm just glad he is not alive to hear those words. Then again, he only left Brooklyn to fight in WWII - so he would not know that these days, Montreal bagels probably kick Brooklyn's ass. So sad.

Jamzer wrote: [quote=Carnivore]If you've been to the great bagel places in Montreal and London....

I think that sound you just heard was my Grandfather, a Brooklyn born, bred and buried bagel snob of all snobs turning over in his grave. I'm just glad he is not alive to hear those words. Then again, he only left Brooklyn to fight in WWII - so he would not know that these days, Montreal bagels probably kick Brooklyn's ass. So sad.

You left out my comment:

and in saying this, I am in no way conceding bagel superiority to these cities.

Both my parents and all 4 of my grandparents were born in Brooklyn and my grandfather also fought in WWII. FWIW, my grandfather would be turning over in his grave to think that Bergen Bagels could ever be cited as an example of a great Brooklyn bagel.

Don't be so sensitive Carnivore. I'm just having some fun.

I stopped into Terrace Bagel this am for a sesame bagel. Slightly better than Bagel Hole, but still not the crusty and chewy bagel I had hoped. Most of the outside was undercooked, and it was too fat. I'll go back a few more times. Not a bad walk for me in warm weather, but if the bagels are like the one I had today, I will still be looking for the good bagel.

My favorite bagel article from NY Times (featuring Terrace Bagels) asking the age old question "Was Life Better When Bagels Were Smaller?"


http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A07E1D7103EF932A05751C1A9659C8B63&sec=&spon=&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

It covers bagel size inflation. I will eat a full-size bagel, but I'm just as satisfied (and less bloated) eating a mini-bagel.

Great article. Here is the best description I've seen of the ideal bagel:

"the result should be a rich caramel color; it should not be pale and blond. A bagel should weigh four ounces or less and should make a slight cracking sound when you bite into it instead of a whoosh."

Not what I had a Terrace. Mine was pale and blond, and did not make a slight crackling sound.

The search continues.

EasilyFound wrote: Great article. Here is the best description I've seen of the ideal bagel:

"the result should be a rich caramel color; it should not be pale and blond. A bagel should weigh four ounces or less and should make a slight cracking sound when you bite into it instead of a whoosh."

Not what I had a Terrace. Mine was pale and blond, and did not make a slight crackling sound.

The search continues.

Try the mini bagel at Terrace. It comes closer to the ideal than their regular one. Or satisfy your carb craving with an awesome bialy from Coney Island Bagels and Bialys. Just stick to the bialys there though.

This may be sacreligious but I love the multi-grain bagel at La Bagel Delight...I also love the crazy atmosphere of that place and how hard everyone works.

Bageltique on 5th has good bagels, and good toppings. It's my local place, but I think they're quality. I'm not a bagel snob, but I sure know a bad one. These are good ones.

La Bagel Delight will do in a pinch, but Bageltique needs to be shut down. That place is dirty, the begels are gross and the service is rude.

Anybody eat at the new place on 5th Avenue - Brooklyn Bagel and Bread I think it is called? I would be interested in having a new place to try.

Jamzer wrote: La Bagel Delight will do in a pinch, but Bageltique needs to be shut down. That place is dirty, the begels are gross and the service is rude.

Wow, what are you looking for in a bagel place? They're fast, the bagels are fresh, and the service is no more rude than I've seen anywhere else in Park Slope, including pretty much every other bagel place. It's not the best of all time, perhaps, but I've certainly enjoyed many a bagel there. And they have free newspapers to read on the weekends.

Brooklyn Baby Daddy wrote: [quote=Jamzer]La Bagel Delight will do in a pinch, but Bageltique needs to be shut down. That place is dirty, the begels are gross and the service is rude.

Wow, what are you looking for in a bagel place? They're fast, the bagels are fresh, and the service is no more rude than I've seen anywhere else in Park Slope, including pretty much every other bagel place. It's not the best of all time, perhaps, but I've certainly enjoyed many a bagel there. And they have free newspapers to read on the weekends.
Just a decent bagel. Clean and polite service is a plus, but not required.

Even if they're not as good as they used to be, I still think Bagel Hole is the best around.