BAGEL REVIEW: Greenberg’s Bagels

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

I think expectations have changed a bit around bagels since I first started this blog. Perhaps the food world has become more obsessed with trendy food photos and high profile food producers than quality made traditional food. Or perhaps I am just an old snobby curmudgeon.

When I first started writing about bagels, there were a few rules. The bagels needed to be made by hand, boiled, baked, and made throughout the day so a fresh out of the oven bagel is always available.

I was beyond surprised when I stopped by the hip Greenberg’s Bagels and inquired which bagel selection had most recently emerged from the oven. Receiving a hot bagel to me is one of the great joys in the NYC food world. To my surprise and shock, I was told that none would be hot because the bagels are not made on premises. Where are they made? The person helping me had no idea.

That right there was a red flag to me.

So I knew the bagel wasn’t going to be hot, but I can handle and appreciate a bagel that was made a few hours earlier. But this one was just ok.

My everything bagel was nicely dusted with the usual spices, but the bread itself was a bit too soft. There was very little pull or chew, which is what separates a bagel from a roll with a hole.

It also didn’t have a ton of flavor. The cream cheese, which was quite fresh and at the right temperature, dominated. And despite the everything flavoring, I didn’t get that true bagel experience.

Sorry, hipsters. A true New York bagel is made fresh on premises and has a crisp exterior and a chewy center. Otherwise, you’re eating something else.

This bagel is fine and since there are no other traditional bagel shops in the vicinity (to my knowledge), they get a pass. But if someone else starts boiling and bagels on premises in this neighborhood, Greenberg’s is toast. Which is something else you shouldn’t do to a New York bagel.

Does Greenberg’s Bagels have the best bagels in NY? I get they may be the best in Bed-Stay, but this Brooklyn neighborhood deserves better than this 6 out of10.