152039 Thu May 19 11:12:11 -0700 2005 21 12 Boston Area 0 816330 Someone mentioned in another thread that bagels in the Boston area are not as good as the ones sold at NY delis. I agree with this. Why do you think that it's not possible to duplicate NY bagels in New England? This is a mystery to me. I live on the north shore and buy bagels at Bagel World in Danvers/Peabody (near the Sylvan Street Grill). These,so far are the best that I have found. Any other suggestions in this area? Thu May 19 11:12:11 -0700 2005 0 AMM 1 816338 If you venture down to Chelsea, Katz bagels in Chelsea across from Reiley's Roast Beef has the best bagels in the world. They compare to the NY bagels. They make the best Pizza Bagel you'll ever find and they are all under $1. The hot dog bagel, onion bagel, garlic bagel are all unmatched but the best is the pizza bagel. check it out Thu May 19 12:01:52 -0700 2005 816330 0 chris 2 816390 Thanks All. I will try Katz one of these days, or the others if I am in those areas. Mostly, I was looking for some place in my part of the north shore. (Peabody/Danvers/Salem)or something on or near route one. Thu May 19 16:36:20 -0700 2005 816338 0 AMM 3 816404 Abrahams, in Newburyport, is a little north of your intended area, but they make wonderful bagels, far better than any others I have had in Boston. Lots of interesting flavors, as well. Don't bother with the brunch stuff or the patio, just get a couple of bagels and eat outside. Thu May 19 21:01:00 -0700 2005 816390 0 tdaaa 2 816432 Where in Chelsea ? Fri May 20 07:18:14 -0700 2005 816338 0 TLPizza 1 816359 Just as anyone in NYC is willing to travel a ways to get their favorite bagel, whether it is at H&H or Brooklyn or whatever, you owe it to yourself to make an effort to go to Kupels, on Harvard Ave, in Brookline. Thu May 19 14:43:10 -0700 2005 816330 0 Rantipole 2 816414 As a longtime neighbor of Kupel's (Harvard Street, not Ave), and an almost equally longtime detractor of their product, I gotta chime in here with my $0.02. Kupel's bagels are just nasty.* They're oversized, puffy, and generally resemble those square things Bruegger's sells. * Oddly enough, this only applies to their bagels that have stuff on the outside (e.g. sesame, poppy, everything). I do kind of like their plain bagels when they're very fresh. Thu May 19 22:45:47 -0700 2005 816359 0 rxrfrx 3 816480 *Embarrassed* I have to confess, I have not been to Kupels in YEARS! Like, over 10! I usually make do with the Finagle that is right around my corner. Perhaps they've gone downhill? Usually a place like that stays stable, but it is certainly feasible that a simple bagel place can go downhill. Sorry for the old advice. Fri May 20 12:53:47 -0700 2005 816414 0 Rantipole 4 816500 There have been a lot of changes, most notably their conversion to Kosher status a few (8?) years ago. Fri May 20 15:58:20 -0700 2005 816480 0 rxrfrx 1 816364 If you want a very flavorful and chewy bagel with LOTS of seeds, try Iggy's in Cambridge (near Fresh Pond). Very reasonable at $.50 each. Link: http://www.iggysbread.com/main.html Thu May 19 15:05:03 -0700 2005 816330 0 doctor_mama 1 816376 I must concur with Chris and say that Katz's are the best bagels in the area. This is the real deal, a totally different beast then the mass produced product at Iggy's and Kupels. Neither of those places make a bad bagel(though I did get moldy cream cheese at Kupels once)but a hot, handmade bagel from Katz's is unequaled north of the Throggs Neck bridge. Thu May 19 16:15:51 -0700 2005 816330 0 Tobin 1 816385 US Bagels on Mass Ave. in Arlington just past arlington center are the best. They actually are H&H Bagels. Thu May 19 16:31:07 -0700 2005 816330 0 J.J. 2 816406 I agree - they are New York bagels because they ARE from New York! Thu May 19 21:48:52 -0700 2005 816385 0 Stiv 3 816434 I dissent: I find H&H bagels underwhelming, and emblematic of the decline of NY bagels -- flabby, lacking in flavor, et cet. Not quite the soft, airy crap, but deeply disappointing. A lot of NY bagels are massed produced by wholesale dough manufacturers these days, and it's sad. Very sad. NY is no longer the bagel standard bearer it once was (it seems the torch has passed to Montreal). Brueggers old-fashioned bagels (especially the pumpernickel) -- not the obscene square things -- are actually several cuts above. They are dense -- they use malt rather than sugar -- smaller (though they could be a bit smaller for my taste) and have an excellent crust. I still prefer Rosenfeld's locally, but Brueggers old-fashioned types are heads above a lot of the bagels I find in NY these days. Fri May 20 08:18:46 -0700 2005 816406 0 Karl S. 1 816408 Some people on the board once mentioned that Bread and Butter Bakery in JP had good bagels, so I went and tried them. The one I had was okay, it was pretty firm, with a hard crust, not cakey like an H&H bagel. I think the one I had was a bit stale though, so it wasn't quite a fair test. Still, I wasn't super impressed... As to why New York bagels are "better" or "hard to duplicate", I always thought it had to do with the water they are boiled in.....New York City tap water is definitely different than Boston's...I'd even venture to say it's better, although I live in Jamaica Plain now and like the water here a lot more than the water in Medford, where I lived before. Maybe chemicals/minerals in the water have something to do with it too....I really have no idea though, I'd be interested to hear if people know about this (although the discussion might have to move to General Topics or Not About Food). Dave M.P. Thu May 19 22:08:14 -0700 2005 816330 0 Dave M.P. 2 816410 I started a thread on General Topics....here's the link Dave M.P. Link: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/300292#1668036 Thu May 19 22:14:55 -0700 2005 816408 0 Dave M.P. 1 816482 I would also recommend Katz's bagels in Chelsea. They are a different and better bagel than anywhere else around. Even my kids notice the difference between Katz and Iggys, etc., and prefer Katz. There are rumours that they will close or move (there is a for sale sign on the building), so don't postpone your visit. They are worth the drive from the North Shore. They also have good cream cheese and lox, and there breads aren't so bad either. Fri May 20 13:00:58 -0700 2005 816330 0 billg 1 816486 I know most will disagree - but by far the best bagel around here is Finagle. I find them always consistent and fresh. Brueggers is the worst bagel place in history. I used to go to Katz in Chelsea and Zeppy's in Randolph but both seem always stale to me. Fri May 20 13:40:11 -0700 2005 816330 0 richk 2 816498 You're right: I can't stand Finagle -- big, airy, soft and stays fresh forever (the traditional mark of a good bagel is how dense, crusty and quickly staling it is); consequently, I much prefer Bruegger's (NOT the crappy square monstrosities) much more traditional bagels. I do miss the salt version, though; I don't understand why Bruegger's discontinued that very traditional flavor. Fri May 20 15:33:44 -0700 2005 816486 0 Karl S. 3 816565 Lots of people at my work lament the loss of the salt bagel too. Not my favorite but good once in a while. Sat May 21 20:45:36 -0700 2005 816498 0 Joanie 2 818311 Hmmm...I just bought a dozen at Katz yesterday. Far from stale, they were still warm. Katz and Bagel World are my favorites in the Boston area. There is no "best." Best is the one you like the best! Sun Jun 19 17:25:31 -0700 2005 816486 0 Bruce Smith 1 816539 I know this bagel string has been going for awhile, but one additional, decent bagel can be found in Winchester. I can't think of the name (Bagel House or some such), but they make very good bagels. They are on Main St., right outside of the Center. Sat May 21 08:52:08 -0700 2005 816330 0 Pam