BAGEL AROMAS (David’s Bagels)

My search for the best bagels in New York continues….

I had first heard about David’s Bagels from Jason Fierman, who lives in the area and claims these are second best in the neighborhood after Ess-a-Bagel. The second time I came across it was after my visit to Ess-a-Bagel (just a few blocks up) and the smell of freshly baked bagels almost seduced me in. I had to resist that day since I already had had two bagels, but I promised to return as soon as possible.

Well, the day finally arrived. It was when I was trying to re-trace my steps that I discovered a shuttered storefront for David’s Bagels about two blocks up. Evidently the Asian-owned bagel shop moved locations, perhaps to be an extra few blocks away from the more famous Ess-a-Bagel.

The store was inviting, but slightly dark. The service was quite friendly as I asked them which bagels were hot. They gave me a few choices, so I settled on my two standbys: Plain and Everything. I put the cream cheese on the Everything bagel since it was hotter and I figured I should keep the plain as untouched as possible for comparison purposes. Nearby sat a lady with her two adorable children. I haven’t seen these many families at my food adventures since the ice cream search.

I was shocked at how hot the Everything bagel was. I came here at my usual bagel hour, which is between 3-4. It’s much later than most people eat bagels and oftentimes nothing is immediately out of the oven. Not the case here. The bagel was so hot that the cream cheese melted incredibly fast, turning into a sort of gloopy mess. And that is a good thing.

My only complaint was that the everything flavors were a little too aggressive. There was so much salt, garlic, and seeds that it was really difficult to taste much else. But the texture of the bagel was perfect with a natural hot crisp bite giving way to a soft, glutinous interior.

The Plain bagel was monstrous, much bigger than the Everything. It was perfectly shaped, although a little too big for my tastes. A piece of garlic must have gotten caught in the inverted hole of the bagel. It looked like it had a little “lint” in its belly button. It made me laugh. The bagels must be stored or baked very close together and it was that carelessness that actually gave the bagel some flavor. The texture was a bit squishy and airy, although the bites were chewy and dense. It was a good bagel, but not as mind blowing as the first.

David’s makes some mighty good bagels. I had a feeling this might be the case from smell alone, but I was not prepared for the wonderful fresh heat offered from a little bit of everything.

Does David’s Bagels have the best bagels in NY? They’re slightly inconsistent, but I got one bagel that was heavenly with warm flavors and textures, earning it an 8 out of 10.