I have been predicting a Bagel Revolution to take place in the West and with recent articles in the New York Times and Food & Wine, it’s clear it’s finally here for us to ravage.
Living in the Bay Area, I’ve always kept an ear open and a nostril flared for any whiffs of a good bagel over the years. No longer must I visit the tri-states of NY, NJ and even CT to find the irresistible East Coast bagels and get my fix. Currently, we have enough variety on both sides of either the Bay or Golden Gate bridges to stuff my refrigerator for days, weeks in fact. I’ve even driven up to Napa for a dozen.
A few years ago, as Wise Sons, Marla Bakery and Beauty Bagels were pioneering this frontier, the OG (original gangster)for me, was the experience of Authentic Bagel Company. Authentically made by these brothers that stemmed from New England and advertised their love of Phish (the band) amongst over amazing things that made their authenticity so special. They smoked their own fish, they rolled bagel dogs, they served great coffee. They were so authentic to the Oakland neighborhood and spirit with their generosity, too. The true test for me is the onion bagel. And they were masterful with their onion dipping on all sides of the construction of this original Oakland bagel. The dried onions felt like heavy pitter-patters of hail as you would bite into an all dressed onion bagel with my favorite, scallion cream cheese and their house smoked lox. I didn’t share this place with too many people, except for the small number of followers I’ve managed to gain through social curiosity apps. I also could count on them handling the to-go action with quart size plastic bags and the use of their generous slicer to easily place them in my freezer for extending the savoring. Man, I miss those boys.
I think they would be pleased with how the Bay Area and beyond have embraced the idea of authenticity when it comes to their productions.
I have to start off with a staple. She is more than her bagels but just happens to have some of the best in the midst of her beautiful creations at the lovely, timeless, 20th Century Café. Michelle P is a legendary pastry chef that is an anchor to the San Francisco culinary hall of fame. Her enthusiasm, her presentation, and her presence pair like the lovely aperitifs she displays in the most elegant glassware and plates where her amazing Nahilla seed or everything bagel would be dressed with just the right dollops of cream cheese, house pickled onions, herbs, and smoked fish. When we could sit inside, it was like stepping back to 1930’s Eastern Europe and listening to some cracking music of a record player and feeling like you wanted to freeze time. I have frozen so much of my time there in my mind. I can’t wait to go back inside.
Fast forward to March of last year, when we were frightened and quietly staying home wondering when we could experience that which we have been taking for granted our whole lives. For the first time, in all of our collective lifetimes, socializing was not encouraged. Well, there became a few ways to adjust and have activity and for me, I grabbed on to them, with full force.
Only a mere couple months into building a bagel community on College Avenue in Oakland, was Boichik Bagels. I had already declared them a hit but needed my fix now more than ever, with the stay-at-home mandate. People really not only agreed with me, but the buildup was astonishing, as well the lines of properly distanced people patiently waiting for their dozens and schmears and bobkas and their pastrami smoked salmon and whitefish salads that people claim they haven’t had as good since they were little children. This was a departure, an escape from the noise on the radio and in our living rooms and at the newsstands. They made it wonderful to buy in bulk and decide how to create our own weekly menus.
The revolution has been televised for bagels and if you’re in the know, you get that dough. Case in point, Schlok’s. If you’re a fan, you eagerly await the 9th hour on Wednesdays to pre-order your Saturday or Sunday batch. They are known to sell out in minutes. I know this from all sorts of experiences in the Tock ordering system and backing out of a bagel order or two, cause I couldn’t find a working credit card. Oh, but when you get a batch of bagels and their toasted garlic whipped cream cheese and of course, their lox and trout roe, whoa, just whoa! The texture, the density and the chew really stand out for me. They freeze well and reheat to perfection throughout the tub of cream cheese that dwindles till the next preorder.
Another pop up that I’m very excited about is Poppy’s. I sorta stumbled on it through tablehopper as we share our recommendations often. In this case, I had to finally put a reminder on my calendar, to preorder on a Monday a to-go dozen to be picked up in Oakland on the weekend. The pre-dozen are their selection of various flavors like one of my favorites, the salt bagel. But really any flavor they offer up, I am down to eat. They are also structured perfectly and soft and crunchy, the way a bagel should be. I haven’t had their full on sandwiches they pop up with at farmers markets and taprooms throughout the Bay Area, but their scallion cream cheese was heavenly. A funny side note about Poppy’s is that they pop up on Saturdays at a cafe around the corner from where I live in Noe Valley. I realized this, after my last preorder and have woken up early, on Saturdays since, to take full advantage, as a result.
I have to also talk about some unique bagel finishes I’ve discovered, along this pandemic bagel path. Back in May of last year, Adam Goldberg of Lazy Bear, started a home bake-off of his extraordinary GB bagels. I’ve never had anything quite like it. Their softness character was noteworthy and easily devoured, like puffy clouds. Add in unique schmears like Charred Date and Roasted Tomato that had me from the get-go. It was momentary and special until Lazy Bear kicked back up their gears last fall.
And speaking more about unique texture, was my recent venture up to try a dozen Paulie’s Bagels in Napa, where he wholesales and does local deliveries. They bake-in such ingredients as dark chocolate chip or onion. When you cut them open, it was like a smile of flavor tucked away and there for every bite.
So while the readers of the latest buzz, around SF’s Tartine born Midnite bagel, cause them to sell out orders until the end of May and the sort of healthy, competitive bagel productions that are out of both Pizzahacker locations in SF and Marin, (BagelMacher and ChickenDog), I have been delighted with all of these options and imagine even more a coming. Because food is like music and the playlist should go on and on.
