Worldclass bagels in Nashua & Manchester, NH

A bagel bakery in named, I believe, Bagel Alley, in Nashua, NH has better bagels than any I've found in NYC. They are sold at many spots in southern NH; I get mine at Bean & Bagel in Manchester. They no longer distribute to Concord. Highly recommended. They freeze well. Enjoy! (I understand the bakery began in Philadelphia & moved north.)

[hcaldwel]

Does anyone know of a place with Montreal Style bagels?? I used to get them in Burlington, VT I love them sooo much and have been searching for a place and seacoast area of NH but am willing to travel to mass and central NH. Anyone??

[silvs]

There are great New York bagels in NH at New York Bagels and Cafe in West Lebanon, NH. They have other great food too. A must try!

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New York Bagels & Cafe
250 Plainfield Rd, West Lebanon, NH 03784

[rizzo0904]

I think the are okay, but nothing spectacular. We do need a good bakery.

[PutneySwope]

As a former New Yorker I am not impressed - Bagel Alley is not worth a detour.

In Manchester try Bagel Cafe - not world class, but edible.

What we really need is a great bialy bakery - I really miss Kossar's on Grand Street.

[jread23]

I like bagel alley. I've been to NY a bunch of times and tried bagels every time I've been there. Never had a good one there, let alone anything I'd consider world class..

[wongadon]

I feel the same about chowder - the best I ever had was the clam chowder at hale and hearty on 49th and 7th, I've tried a bunch of places along the seacoast but any time I get it up here it's not very good at all.

Just kidding! ;-)

[whs]

LOL--and the tomatoes in the clear stock were delicious.

[montanalrc]

I agree that Bagel Alley has awesome bagels (at least when I worked in Nashua about 10 years ago).

If you're near the seacoast, or Durham to be exact, try The Bagelry across from the UNH campus (they used to have one in Portsmouth, but it closed years ago). I get their Broccoli Havarti Melt on an Everything bagel...to die for! Their desserts are pretty good, too. Expect to wait in line!

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The Bagelry
Durham, Durham, NH

[wongadon]

I wouldn't say that the Bagelry is a place to seek out for quality bagels - do expect to wait on line as it's one of the eight places in downtown Durham for the entire UNH campus. Sorry, a bit jaded as Absolute Bagels was my daily ritual while living in NYC...

[HarryTate]

Bagel Alley gets their bagel dough from H&K bagel in NY. All the varieties are incredibly delicious. My personal favorite is onion. You can even freeze them for short periods (one to two weeks) and still have a bagel that's better than all but a fresh original H&K.

[solargarlic]

Wow, I never knew that about Bagel Alley! I agree they are the best bagels to be found around here, but the last time I went, I felt they were a bit too dense. Either way, I'll take them over the other options!

[SuperGrover]

I'm from NY. It's not a real bagel if your jaw don't hurt after eating it.

[solargarlic]

I don't mind chewiness, especially in the "crust", but I remember getting great bagels in L.I. with big air bubbles on the inside. I grew up on Lender's bagels, so a bagel expert, I am not ;).

[Karl S]

big air bubbles are a sign of a bread doughnut, not a bagel. A true bagel is very dense (the only sugar should be malt, and that results in a very tight crumb, and it takes time - lazy bagel makers go for a quicker and bubblier rise), not too big, and should feel like lead in the stomach; it should also start to stale within hours of making. Bread doughnuts are airy, soft, and stay fresh a lot longer. They are also often flavored with sweet things that do not belong in a true bagel.

There are a lot of bread doughnuts passing for bagels in the NY area, and more as the years roll, as doughmaking gets outsourced. Same with pizza. Just because it's from NY don't make it a benchmark any more.

Thanks so much for this tip! As someone who used to live in the Big Apple, I have unfortunately not been able to locate any bakery in northern New England offering a truly good New York-style bagel. I look forward to trying one of these next time I'm in Manchester!