GOTTA PICK A BAGEL OR TWO (Pick-A-Bagel)

My first review of another iconic New York dish is always the most difficult. I have yet to figure out exactly what to look for, the adjectives to use, the photos to take, and the grading curve. And so it was with bagels.

Yet I decided to jump right in one afternoon and I headed to one of the many Pick-a-Bagels in the city. Should I even include this mini-empire on my search? And would coming into a bagel shop at 3:00 on a Saturday afternoon be unfair? Are bagels usually made throughout the day? Or are they best in the mornings? I guess these would be things I’d learn as I get further into the journey and the carbs stack up.

I decided to order just a plain bagel (probably the one to judge all other bagels by) with a shmear (that’s a word you’ll be hearing a lot) of cream cheese, untoasted and not cut in half. I thought the aesthetics from the complete bagel would be best for my photos. It was more difficult than I had anticipated. The guy behind the counter first put butter on it (I definitely never mentioned butter), then tried to cut it in half. I had to tell him twice not to. I’d understand if I was still working with dumplings and dealing with a language barrier. Instead I’m just dealing with apathetic New York customer service. Maybe I was being a little picky, but the name of this place encourages you to, doesn’t it?

The bagel was nice and shiny and rather large. I certainly don’t plan on eating the whole (hole?) thing. I should be able to get a good sense with a mouthful of bites and I will spare my stomach the expansion.

Looking it over I discovered that there were some black ash lines on the bottom. I’m not sure where those come from – maybe some dirt from the metal basket that holds the rolls rubbed off or maybe these bagels had been slightly burnt when baked.  I ignored the black streaks and took a bite anyway. There was a slight tough crispness and then the bread pulled away to a softer chewy interior.

As far as flavor goes, it’s sort of difficult to describe a bagel – especially a plain variety. But this will be my challenge for the next few months, so I should probably start now. This particular one was malty with just a a hint of sourness. The cream cheese was fresh and not modestly portioned.

This Pick-a-Bagel is one of several locations around the city and it’s a good practice run for me on my bagel search. It’s a couple of notches up from the corner bodega (although this place also offers salads, smoothes, etc.) but doesn’t have the character or history of some of the classic bagel shops. It feels more touristy and cheap (especially with that black streak on the bottom) but the bagels will show wandering tourists why this city’s bagels can’t be beat.

Does Pick-a-Bagel have the best bagels in NY? I can tell it’s not the best bagel I will try, but despite the burnt bottom, it tasted fresh and had a soft doughy quality that I can safely rate a 6 out of 10.