Bagels

[Rachel Perlow]

I searched first. There's been no threads about Bagels in New Jersey. My two questions:

1) Where are "the best"?

2) While not necessarily "the best," where are the best bagel restaurants? That is, those with tables you can sit at and eat inside the establishment. Is it waitress or cafeteria style? Steamed or Boiled? Kosher or not (can you get a pork sausage & egg bagel sandwich)? Traditional and/or modern flavors?

Please do not list diners, Dunkin Donuts, or other places that are not specifically Bagel themed restaurants unless they make their own bagels on premises.

[Rachel Perlow]

My favorite bagel restaurant is Bagel Chateau in Millburn (Essex County). They have plenty of tables and all the traditional flavors of bagels (and a few modern ones by now, I'm sure). Cafeteria style service. They also supply bagels to most of the surrounding food service places, like the high school cafeteria, etc. I'm pretty sure they boil their bagels.

We are now living in Bergen County and have noticed that there is a serious lack of bagel restaurants around here. Where can we go to get bagels and sit down to eat them?

[Sandra Levine]

Alan suggests that you look in Teaneck, which has a large orhtodox Jewish population.

[201]

I'm not big on bagels myself, but I seem to recall that Hot Bagels gets a lot of business (think lines outside the door in the morning). The problem is, I can't remember WHICH Hot Bagels that is! I'm thinking that it's possibly the one on Maple Ave in Glen Rock/Fairlawn?

Fairlawn also has a large Jewish population, but I'm not sure how Orthodox they are. I do know that Fairlawn's got at least a few bagel stores in town, but I'm not convinced that "Jewish clientelle = good bagels"!

edit: Come to think of it, I'm not entirely convinced that "lines outside the door = good bagels" either! I really don't know very much about bagels, I'm afraid.

[ngatti]

Rachel

Cresskill Hot Bagels has a counter with a few stools. Best for off hours as mornings get *really* crowded. Closer to your neck of the woods. I'm kind of a purist when it comes to bagels (plain,salt), but their Sun-dried Tomato bagel was pretty tasty.

Union Ave

Cresskill

As to quality? Well everything seems to be big pillowy and doughy lately. IMO there is a remarkable sameness to Bagels in the NY metro area.

Nick

[Rachel Perlow]

We tried Celebrity Bagels in Tenafly today. I don't know how I've missed it over the last year and a half. Anyway, they have booth style tables and cafeteria style service. Their menu says their bagels are "kettle cooked" - I assume this means they are boiled. The veggie cream cheese was good, as was the egg & sausage, but stay away from the Pizza Bagel. Not only did they microwave it but the cheeze was the Pizza Hut variety, blech. They do have an interesting assortment of hot and cold sandwiches available, including a reuben on a rye bagel, named for various celebrities. By default of convenience, I'm sure we'll be going here often.

Celebrity Bagels & Restaurant

30 W Railroad Ave, Tenafly, NJ 07670

Phone: (201) 894-5555 (they deliver locally)

As for Teaneck, I called Sammy's New York Bagels at 1439 Queen Anne Road and they have seating, but it is a kosher restaurant, which for us is not a plus as Jason usually likes to have some sort of pork product with his egg.

[Double 0]

Rachel, I'm curious, what kind of bagels do you like? Generally the best type you can get are handmade, kettle cooked on burlap wrapped boards. The toppings should be placed on the top when placing in the oven(5 shelves that rotate around the oven)and then are in contact with the shelf when you flip them so that they get toasted while cooking. This results in a bagel that is crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. Bagel making is becoming a dieing art. Most places use bagel machines to make their bagels(this heats up the dough to much) or worst yet they buy the prebaked bagels. Having said all this, Ronnies in Hillsdale is a great place to go for breakfast, not the very best bagels, but excellent appy and you can get pork

[TheMan,TheMyth]

Bagels International on Main Street in Bradley Beach.

Excellent bagels but I sometimes find it hard battling the incompetent staff and the throngs of customers streaming through the door.

The Man, The Myth

TapItorScrapIt.com

[Helena Robinson]

We get our bagels from Bagel B.O.P. in Hillsborough:

450 Amwell Road

908 359 7929

The fact that it's about 5 minutes from our house doesn't hurt.

B.O.P. stands for "Baked on Premises" - and the bagels are "mixed, rolled and baked on premises daily," according to the flyer. And they taste great!

The place has a few tables, but no waitress service. It's not a kosher place - they offer all sorts of cream cheeses (some of which I've had, and enjoyed) and Boar's Head deli meats. There are all sorts of specialty sandiwches and breakfast specials.

Hours are 6 a.m. thru 7 p.m. Monday thru Friday, till 3 p.m. on Saturdays and 7 a.m. til 2 p.m. on Sundays. Mornings are especially busy, as one can imagine with such a place.

Great place!

[Rachel Perlow]

Rachel, I'm curious, what kind of bagels do you like?

I like pretty much what you described, but with some recent tooth problems, I appreciate the softer ones more than I used too. Still, I'd rather eat a good bagel while being careful than one that is too roll-like.

However, this thread isn't supposed to be about specific recommendations to me, but more of a general discussion about Bagels in NJ.

[menton1]

Yes, I agree, with the ubiquitous bagel stores of today, "bigger is better" seems to be the rule. Pillowy and billowy. But I have found 2 exceptions: Hot Bagels of Fairlawn in the Radburn section on Fair Lawn Avenue is going for quality, not size. Their bagels are smaller and have a more traditional texture and a great flavor. Another smaller bagel is Goldberg's, in a shopping center in Closter, but the staff is so brusque I go there rather infrequently. But these 2 places buck the trend and have smaller, tastier bagels!!

[TheMan,TheMyth]

FaNagle the Bagel in Long Branch had the biggest bagels and the largest globs of cream cheese I have ever seen.

Does anyone know if this place is still around??

The Man, The Myth

TapItorScrapIt.com

[menton1]

Rachel, in Bergen County I don't think there is a town WITHOUT one or more bagel shops. Which towns haven't you seen a bagel shop in?

[Rachel Perlow]

FaNagle the Bagel in Long Branch had the biggest bagels and the largest globs of cream cheese I have ever seen.

Ugh, I hate it when they use too much cream cheese. I always ask them to go easy on it because they put so much on it gets too messy. I am not speaking specifically about the store TMTM mentions, but bagel shops in general put on too much filling. Actually, that is a trend for all types of sandwiches at most delis too.

[Rachel Perlow]

Rachel, in Bergen County I don't think there is a town WITHOUT one or more bagel shops.  Which towns haven't you seen a bagel shop in?

Yes, there's lots of bagel shops, but very few bagel restaurants. A place where you can sit and eat your bagel(s) immediately after purchase. Most places around here are strictly take-out bagel shops. At most, they offer a small counter with or without a few stools to sit on.

Where I grew up the bagel store also had the tables. That is what I find lacking in Bergen County. I am speaking specifically of Bagel Chateau, originally in Millburn, but I see from a yp.yahoo search, that they now also have places in Summit, Springfield and Maplewood. Usually, places with "Nosh" in the name also have tables, but those weren't and aren't near where I live.

Of course, bagel stores frequently may have the best bagels, but you have to bring them home to eat them.

[Jason Perlow]

Jersey Boy bagels is also a place where you can sit down and eat, and as far as chain bagels go, they are pretty good, with good accutriments and breakfast sandwiches.

No locations in bergen county as far as I know though. Theres one on RT10 in East Hanover and one in Morristown.

[menton1]

Unfortunately, the better bagel places do not have seating-- this is probably due to increased rent for "dead space", and the extra licensing requirements for sit-down areas. Enjoy your bagels at home, or in the park (In the warmer weather). Remember, you could sit down and have a bagel at Dunkin Donuts, but that is NOT a bagel! Their bagels are NOT boiled!!

[jtphjl]

The Kosher Nosh - Prospect Ave - Glen Rock - one breath from the Fair Lawn border (Saddle River Road turns into Prospect in Glen Rock - opposite Harolds Farm) has take out and seating - bagels, breads, spreads, full meals, half sandwhiches, and pickle bar - this is a small strip Mall with Bottle King at one end and the Nosh at the other! Great deli!

[Liza]

What used to be called "Bagels 'N More" on Hudson Avenue in Englewood, right off Dean. Hand rolled, boiled, and baked. They use real raisins (not raisin paste) in their cinnamon raisin bagels and real eggs in their egg bagels. The pumpernickels are nice and dark and not sweet. The place is still there, churning out terrific bagels, but I think they've changed their name.

[CooksQuest]

Hoboken Bagels on Washington St. (in -- of course -- Hoboken) is excellent.

(It's the one right next to the ice cream store. It's got a screen door, a line to the curb sometimes, and a small table outside in front).

I always ask for the well-done ones. They are very close to the ones I used to get on Union Turnpike in Queens, New York (a very traditional New York Jewish bagel store which burned to the ground several years ago).

Go onion!!!

[coif]

There is a bagel shop in Secaucus in the plaza shopping center, middle of town next to the Acme supermarket. It is right off Rt3 service road going east. It also has a large eat in section. Best bagels I have ever eaten, they also have another shop in Hackensack

[201]

... they also have another shop in Hackensack

Do you have a name/location for the store in Hackensack? All this talk about bagels has hypnotized me into wanting one!

[Rachel Perlow]

Yeah! No fair mentioning a "bagel shop" in two large towns and not giving a name, let alone a location!

[dodge621]

You must be talking about Bagel Buffet.

yes, this place is good. I used to go there when I lived in Secaucus. Busy place, table seating.

[nervousnelli]

Eli's in Matawan gets my vote. Good bagels, coffee and all the fixin's - tables and chairs - AND they keep it clean. I know it's a chain (oh, the horror) but they are mighty tasty.