Top Bagels

 By Asher Cohen

The city we call home is famous for many things: pizza, art culture, and the ability to buy a Rolex for $50 bucks in Chinatown, but if there was one thing that NYC does better than any other city on the planet; one thing that New Yorkers can justifiably say makes our city the greatest in the world; and that is, the bagel. The amazing quality of the New York bagel has been attributed to many oddities. Some say its unique taste comes from the exotic flavors around the world that immigrants brought with them to Ellis island. Travelers say you can taste the rich history of the city in every bite, and still others claim that the dirtiness of the streets gives it its tanginess. But whatever the cause, there can be no denying that we do bagels right.

As such, I feel it is my privilege, nay, my responsibility to provide you with a list of the top seven bagel places  I have tried in NYC. Now before I give you the list, let me say two disclaimers: one, while I consider myself a bagel savant, I cannot say that I have tried every single bagel shop our city has to offer. This top 10 list is merely out of the ones that I have partaken in. secondly, I realize that most of The Wolf Press’s readers live in Brooklyn, and as such, I have attempted to make almost all of the shops on these list ones that locate in our burrow. However, I'm sure that if I were to include restaurants from all burrows, this would be a very different list. Now that that's been said, let's get on to the list…

7. Greenberg's Bagels https://www.greenbergsbagels.com/

With their mixture of heavily salted bagels and tangy fish spreads, Greenbergs is truly a Bed Stuy treasure. If you enjoy seafood on your bagel then I suggest ordering the Smoked Trout Special. While this is a more expensive bagel place, the quality of ingredients makes it well worth it. Be aware that you must order via their website and cannot order at the store itself. 

6. The Bagel Hole 400 7th ave

While The Bagel Hole certainly does not have much in the way of atmosphere, this Park Slope staple divinely delivers the goods. This bagel excels as a street food, as it is easy to eat on the move. It is only a few blocks away from the 7th Ave F&G stop so accessibility is also a plus. Their location also provides the option of enjoying your bagel as well as enjoying the beauty of Prospect Park, which is walking distance away.

5. La Bagel Delight https://www.labageldelight.com/

For being a chain restaurant, La Bagel Delight does not sacrifice individuality. Their fresh lox are top notch and if weird cream cheese flavours are your jam, LBD has a huge array of spreads as well as bagels. They are inexpensive, present in three different Brooklyn neighborhoods and have a great logo, what more could you want!

4. Murrays Bagels 242 8th ave

Even though Murray’s is located in Manhattan rather than our home borough, journeying there will put you right in the heart of Chelsea, a neighborhood famous for its comedy clubs and food. My evaluation of Murrays is simple, if you like bagels, you should go here. While their long lines may be slightly outrageous, their quality food makes it well worth the wait. 

3. Bagel Pub https://bagelpub.com/

The Bagel Pub serves fresh and tangy bagels perfect for a more formal bagel lunch. Their wide array of fish and vegetarian bagel sandwiches are perfectly paired with their delicious juices and smoothies. If you find yourself walking down 9th street of Franklin ave, stopping in here is a must.

2. Frankel’s DELICATESSEN AND APPETIZING https://www.frankelsdelicatessen.com/

Frankel’s combines quality ingredients with a salty, sturdy bagel to create an out of this world sandwich experience. Frankel’s combines two great food traditions of delicatessen and appetizing style restaurants to great success. While I am a pescatarian I have heard that their deli meats are just as flavorful as their smoked fish. If you like lox on your bagel, I highly recommend ordering the Frankles #1 as it combines the smokey taste of the salmon with a more subtle dill flavour for a fantastic sandwich.

1. The Russ and daughters appetizing store https://www.russanddaughters.com

Ah our number one pick, Russ And Daughters holds a special place in my heart as I have now enjoyed a bagel there more times than I can count. Russ And Daughters is a historic staple of the NYC food scene, at over 100 years old, the Russ family still passes down this ancient establishment generation to generation. The fish here is to die for (literally do not come on Yom Kippur or you might be trampled to death) the fresh bagels are, I dare say, the best in the world, and the egg creams could quite possibly cure even the strangest case of depression. If you are in the market for a more formal dinner, I highly recommend visiting the orchard street cafe. Visit Russ And Daughters, and I promise you won't be disappointed.

Thank you so much to all the bagels that participated in this pageant, If you feel that there are any bagels shops that deserve to be on this list, you can email them to me at acohen2021@ms447.org and I will try my best to evaluate them. 

Until next time- 

Asher Cohen