Food Adventuring Around NYC
I really should learn my lesson and not be sucked in by the newest gimmick in the food world. It almost always sets me up for disappointment. But Moonrise Bagels, which is the hottest new bagel opening in the city and has garnered the predictable long lines and social media hysteria, is something I had …
I’ve resisted reviewing Shelsky’s Brooklyn Bagels because there is a potential conflict of interest here. I’ve been praising their freshly made bagels for years now since their other location on Court Street is a stop on one of the Brooklyn food tours I lead. I’ve known Peter Shelsky and his business partner Lewis for a …
Tompkins Square Bagels has only been open since 2011 but it has become as big and iconic of a player in the New York bagel scene as Ess-a-Bagel or the now closed Absolute. It took Alphabet City by storm (an area that was in need of a fresh bagel shop) and has since expanded to …
It’s not uncommon to ask yourself: Is this a deli, coffee shop, or bagel joint? In many cases in New York, the answer is all three. Bagels & Schmear certainly is, however the name it proclaims out front indicates that bagels should be the thing taken most seriously here. That’s why I was here. In …
My wife who is gluten free, almost gave up gluten free bagels for good after breaking a tooth on one of them. This was during the early days of COVID and the possibility of seeing a dentist was terrifying. Don’t worry, it all turned out ok with her and her tooth. But she has been …
Bagels are changing (evolving?) in New York City. Perhaps it started with Black Seed’s introduction of Montreal-style bagels to the city. Things have gotten darker, smaller, and crunchier since then. They’ve also somehow turned into a trendy Instagram sensation. The bagel – crazy! No doubt that started with the colorful rainbow bagels, but now, it …
Am I in a bagel shop or an ice cream shop? That is the question that came up recently at Bagel Pub. It smells and feels like bagels and at the end of the day, I’ll be walking out with a breakfast or lunch sandwich and not a cone. But the colorful display of cream …
What was I doing ordering a plain bagel?? That is very out of character for me. Don’t worry – I am not going vanilla in my old age. I chose it because when I asked my usual “Which is the hottest?” question, it was unfortunately the only answer I got. Granted, I’m sure all the …
I imagine I am a real pain in the ass. I never like to play by the rules set down by restaurants. I was very excited to try Pop Up Bagels, which is a Connecticut-based bagel company that has expanded form a backyard “pop-up” where people could buy fresh homemade bagels to having six locations …
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 …
Every week, I document another dish that impressed and satiated me during my food adventures around New York City For people reading this in the future, you will either have very little memory of this topic or you will wonder about this historical ingredient called cream cheese. As I write this, New York is apparently still dealing with …
My search for the best bagels in New York continues…. A while back when tourists asked me where to get a good bagel near their hotel in Times Square, I struggled a bit. They could walk to the east side to Ess-a-Bagel or further down to Chelsea to Murray’s. But back in the day, a good …
My search for the best bagels in New York continues…. The bagel situation in the United States has dipped greatly since they were introduced to New York around the turn of the last century. Like many things, we have figured out a way to make the production cheaper and faster. The art of hand-rolling the …
SADLY, BROWNS BAGELS IS NOW CLOSED. People often ask me for bagel recommendations near Times Square. You’d think there would be more of those old Jewish appetizing shops in this neighborhood, but alas, there are very few legit options. Most tourists settle into an overpriced trap like Roxy’s or Brooklyn Diner and think they’ve had …
My search for the best bagels in New York continues…. Usually when a restaurant or café in New York includes the word “Best” in its name, it’s usually anything but. However there are definitely a few exceptions to that rule. Best Pizza in Williamsburg is actually pretty good. So is Ben’s Best when it comes to …
Come back every Wednesday for another funny, informative video documenting my inept food adventures. In Locals Know, I explore a new city through the tours of Urban Adventures. In New York, we have artsy and diverse neighborhoods like Williamsburg, Astoria, and the Lower East Side. They are incredible places. But I wish we had the …
My search for the best bagels in New York continues…. There’s not usually much hoopla surrounding the opening of a new bagel shop. If I discover a new one, it’s usually by walking by or a friend tells me about a new shop in their neighborhood. It’s a bit different for pizza and ice cream …
My search for the best bagels in New York continues…. “It’s not a bagel!!” That’s what most of NY’s bagel connosieurs cried when Simit + Smith opened up in town. The new company has introduced the city to a round bready breakfast food with a hole in the middle. It sorta looks like a bagel, …
SADLY, LONG ISLAND BAGEL CAFE IS NOW CLOSED. If a bagel shop opened in this city calling itself “California Bagels” or “Philadelphia Bagels,” they couldn’t sensibly expect to stay in business for very long. New York City is the leading American city for bagels so it’s silly to try to hawk lesser bagels here. Nobody …
A once in a lifetime occurence happens this year as Thanksgiving and Chanukkah fall on the same day. To celebrate both holidays at the exact same moment, I bring my friend Jonathan to explore the culinary holiday possibilities at Ess-a-Bagel. Special thanks: midtownlunch.com ultrateg.com ess-a-bagel.com