Bagels & Sins

It felt wrong to write about food yesterday (for those not in the know, yesterday was Yom Kippur, the Jewish day of atonement, and part of the tradition is fasting). However, I'm pretty sure that most people spent a big part of their day thinking about food, specifically bagels, the traditional break fast meal. Or if you're me, you think about food and bagels most days anyway and just thought about them a little more yesterday.

Be still my heart. IG: @acgraham_

Be still my heart. IG: @acgraham_

In honor of the beloved bagel, I thought I would do a roundup of my favorite bagel places in the NY-area.

  1. H&H* Although H&H closed its doors in 2011, it will forever be my favorite bagel store. They didn't toast, they didn't spread. It was no frills. You walk in, order the dry bagels of your choosing (which more often than not had just come out of the oven), pick a drink and tub of cream cheese from the wall of refrigerators and then get as many napkins and plastic knives as you need. If these made it home it was a miracle. Late night coming home, stop at H&H, mid-day stop at H&H, weekend morning what do we have left from H&H. Gone but never forgotten. #RIP
  2. Murray's Bagels - Like H&H, Murray's also doesn't toast, a fact which they proudly display on their shirts. Murray's has two locations, one in Greenwich Village and the other in Chelsea. Despite living closer to their Chelsea location, I find the service much better at their Greenwich Village shop and 99% of the time am there. They have the full roster of spreads, meats, cheeses, lox, you name it. They also make salads. If you go to Murray's and get a salad, I don't want to know you (but also I do because who does that?!).
  3.  H&H Midtown East - This tricky minx is neither my late H&H (though apparently it is owned by a distant cousin) nor in Midtown (it's on the UES). Super confusing, I know. It's not often that I'm on the UES and given how good Murray's is, there's no need to trek, but H&H ME makes a damn good bagel and they toast (and will make any other bagel concoction your heart desires). The staff has always been super nice and I've never had a bagel from them that didn't leave me happy and full.
  4. Goldberg's - Goldberg's Famous Bagels have been my summer bagels for many a year as they are a small family chain on long island. Their bagels can run a bit on the big and chewy side but not offensively so. My biggest gripe with Goldberg's is that their inventory doesn't last long and they don't produce all day. (Spoiled Manhattanite I know.) If you get there too late in the day, it will be slim pickings. If you do manage to snag your top pick, you won't be disappointed.
  5. Hand Rolled Bagels - HRB may not have the catchiest name or even a website, FB Page, or other social presence beyond Yelp reviews, but this little gem in Rye, NY makes some of the best bagels in Westchester County (if you know of others let me know!). Their hours aren't super long and they don't take credit cards but it's worth forking over the dough for their dough.
Without a green bagel, is it still St. Patrick's Day?

Without a green bagel, is it still St. Patrick's Day?

I imagine some of you are gasping that certain locales are not on here, namely Black Seed, Russ & Daughters, Sadelle's, Brooklyn Bagel, and Absolute Bagels. What can I say, these 5 are my favs.

What are your favorite bagels? Is there somewhere that I need to know about?!