BAGELS

[hobie]

I'm having a big brunch in a few weeks and need to get lots of bagels. I'll be going up to Boston the day before so would like to get the BEST BAGELS available around. What suggestions? Thanks

[ShelT54]

Needham's Cafe Bagek & Bagel's Best and Rosenfelds.

[Karl S]

Rosenfelds. Kupels is more hit and miss in my experience. Katz's has a more traditional smaller size bagel, but your choice of flavors may be hampered by the fact that they seem to run out of the most popular flavors quickly. Iggy's are not NY-style bagels (they are more like an unsweetened Montreal style bagel). Of the larger local chains, Brueggers is the best *so long as* you stick to traditional bagel flavors (their pumpernickel is particularly fine). Bagel World (locations in Reading and the North Shore) is very good in flavor, though they tend to be on the large size; they do have salt bagels (a disappearing traditional flavor).

I will reiterate a counterintuitive point made by another poster: a properly made traditional bagel stales quickly (it's in the nature of the bagel dough), while bad bagels do not. So your needs conflict.

Where do you live?

[hobie]

on the Cape...unfortunately no good bagels here

[shaebones]

Yes there is!! There is a really good bagel shop in Falmouth. I think its called Cape Cod Bagels. Also a sandwich shop.

[buffet king]

For Cape Cod bagels I go to Bagels & Beyond in West Yarmouth. They are located at 311 Main Street (Route 28) 508-790-8500. You can view their website at www.bagelsandbeyond.com/. I had my aunt bring me 2 dozen bagels from Bagels & Beyond when she came to visit me a few months ago. They are cheap compared to other bagel places on the Cape. You can buy a bakers dozen (13) bagels.

[jpsox]

I recently moved to the Cape on a part-time basis and have found excellent bagels at two locations; Jo Mama's in Orleans and Savory in Truro. Also, the original poster mentioned going "up" to Boston for bagels, indicating they are located on or near the South Shore. If so, save yourself the trip to the city and check out the overlooked Gunther Toothies in Pembroke. In my opinion, these are best bagels in the Boston area.

[buffet king]

I have bought bagels from Jo Mama's on 6A in Orleans. The bagels at Jo Mama's are good but they are more expensive than Bagels & Beyond.

[eLizard]

Katz's in Chelsea.....

[bfk]

I prefer Kupels. I have had them very recently, and they're great. Also good fresh cream cheese. I think the major problem with your plan, though, is getting the bagels the day before they will be eaten. Day old bagels, no matter where they're from, will really not be very good.

[danyboy]

I am partial to Bagel Rising, they have a good variety of whole grain bagels. They also have Tofu spreads (which i'm not into) for people that are looking for a cream cheese alternative.

[teezeetoo]

no to Kupels whose bagels have deteriorated to oversize bready pillow. Breughers bagels are better than these. Rosenfelds, Bagel Rising, even the Ziggy's bagels at Whole Food, are better.

[winedude]

My vote goes to Cafe Fresh Bagels, in Needham, Dedham, or Walpole. I think they're better than the ones from Rosenfeld's, or any I've had from NY.

[veggielover]

I prefer Iggy's and Kupel's bagels to Rosenfeld's, but they all are pretty good.

[bartleby]

Rosenfeld's in Newton Center makes excellent bagels, the best I have had in Boston and better than most I have recently had in New York. Call ahead if you are going to place a big order; it can be a zoo on weekends.

[hobie]

good idea...thanks

[hiddenboston]

I agree. Rosenfeld's probably has the best bagels I've had in the Boston area. Others I like to varying degrees are Back Bay Bagel Co. in Brockton, Kupel's in Brookline, Bagel Rising in Allston, Iggy's in Cambridge, and Katz's in Chelsea.

[Parsnipity]

Second Kupel's. I especially like their whole wheat varieties.

[BarmyFotheringayPhipps]

The bagels are pretty good at Kupel's, but don't be seduced by anything else in the bakery cases: their pastries are absolutely awful.

[Parsnipity]

Yeah, I would agree. They all have the same residue-on-roof-mouth thing going that I also experience with Lyndell's. I'm wondering if that's a telltale sign of shortening or some other butter-substitute?

[FinnFPM]

One more vote for Kupels. No one has mentioned their huge variety of bagel flavors and toppings. They have pretty much everything you could need, especially if you get their earlier in the day. Man... just thinking about the concept of a Kupels-stocked bagel party makes me excited. Now I want to throw one.