GET YOUR COLD BAGELS (Montague Street Bagels)

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

I understand that bagels are not going to always be hot out of the oven. Especially when I come later in the day. But a cold bagel is never something I’ll get excited about. It sounds about as appetizing as hot sushi. I’m pleased to say that the bagels at Montague Street Bagels were not exactly cold, but that’s how one of the workers described them to me. Seriously.

I almost came to Montague Street Bagels a few weeks back when I was in Brooklyn Heights. Their name pops up once in a while and a friend of mine who resides in Brooklyn urged me to check them out. When I arrived that day, I just got a bad feeling. It was late in the day and the bagel shop was rather empty. I noticed they were open 24 Hours, so I assume the bagels are baked throughout the day and night. However, nothing looked terribly fresh or inviting. Also, the name Montague Street Bagels was nowhere to be found, but instead the sign outside generically advertised “Hot Bagels & Deli.” I wasn’t even sure I was in the right place.

Well, I did some more research on Montague Street Bagels and it seems they’ve recently changed owners and, of course, many regulars feel the place has gone downhill. I also spoke to a friend who used to go there in high school and back then it was also known as simply “Hot Bagels.” So maybe that’s the way it’s always been.

The first thing I noticed was there was quite a crowd outside – a good sign. The second thing I saw was not a good sign – literally. It was a big fat “C” grade from the DOH on their window. I know the DOH often gives tough and unfair inspections, but this place is really only making bagels. How did they score so poorly?

I braved the grade (and the crowd) and looked at the large bin of bagels. The smell of fresh yeast was in the air, which made me hopeful. I wasn’t quite sure where to order. Nobody was paying attention to me (typical of poor bagel service in this city), but after walking back and forth between the cashier and the bagel counter, I followed somebody else’s lead.

The first thing I ask any bagel shop is if anything is hot. I had arrived shortly after 10am, which is about as early as it gets for me, so I was expecting something to be hot. And that’s when I got that most ludicrous of answers. “No, everything’s cold.” I almost walked out right then and there.

But I stayed the course, ordered my Plain (and Whole Wheat Everything), and worked my way down to the cashier. I watched her ignore me and count change for a few minutes, before I made a plea to pay. I got a silent attitude, but finally handed over my $2.50.

The “cold” bagels were indeed not hot, but I was relieved to find they were far from cold. But they were still fresh. The Plain one had a very slight crunch, but a nice soft chewiness. It was a bit sweet and overall quite pleasing.

With the Whole Wheat Everything, I was happy to discover that they seasoned both sides of the bagel (a practice that rarely happens in this city). It was as dry as whole wheat ever is and the salt overwhelmed the rest of the flavors and added to the dryness. It was a bit reminiscent of a dark pretzel, but again didn’t have much outer crunch.

Whoever runs Montague Street Bagels now needs to train the staff a little better. I can handle a rude cashier from time to time (if I couldn’t, I wouldn’t be able to go out in this city), but a low DOH grade in conjunction with the promise of “cold bagels”, tends to turn me off. Fortunately for this place, the bagels are better than they think.

Does Montague Street Bagels have the best bagels in NY? Even without being hot, these get a 7 out of 10 because they were fresh and exhibited the proper textures and flavors of a decent NY bagel.