North Jersey's Best Bagels

[menton1]

A couple of  places farther north and east.

1st and foremost,  my hometown place that has evolved over the years. Goldberg's Hot Bagels in Closter in Heidenberg Plaza.  Over the last 15 years or so,  they have really gotten it down to a science.  However,  the Grand Old Man of Bagels in the Area has to be Butch at Cresskill Hot Bagels.  I am not sure the name of the road,  but it is right down the block from the King's Supermarket,  and anyone, ANYONE who grew up within 10 miles of this place knows it(BTW, the Giorgio's Pizza two doors down serves a fantastic slice of Pie). Cresskill hot bagels has had lines out the doors every weekend of my almost 3 decades,  and,  while i haven't been in nearly a year,  I can't imagine it changing one bit.

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The only problem with Cresskill is that Butch sold the place about 7 years ago, and the recipes have changed greatly. Lots of exotic flavors now, and the bagels are just too big, too soft and too doughy for my taste, each bagel must weight 6-7 ounces!

Closter isn't bad, but the best bagel IMHO in this area now is Kinderkamack Bagels, on KKM Road and Midland Avenue, in River Edge. Nice balance of size and texture, not too big and not too soft. Basic too, no exotic flavors.

[scott123]

Hot Bagels in Fair Lawn is the best!

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That's on 46, right? That's 2nd on my list.

First on my list is Time For a Bagel in Morris Plains. If you get there at 5 o'clock in the morning when the bagels come out of the oven... heaven.... absolute heaven. And don't show up after 11:00. They'll have nothing left.

[meyerboy]

The only problem with Cresskill is that Butch sold the place about 7 years ago, and the recipes have changed greatly. Lots of exotic flavors now, and the bagels are just too big, too soft and too doughy for my taste, each bagel must weight 6-7 ounces!

Closter isn't bad, but the best bagel IMHO in this area now is Kinderkamack Bagels, on KKM Road and Midland Avenue, in River Edge. Nice balance of size and texture, not too big and not too soft. Basic too, no exotic flavors.

butch sold the place??? how disappointing. i can't imagine i haven't been back in 7 years, but it is possible....how sad

[zhelder]

Bagel Spot on Morris Ave. in Union.

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Hot Bagels in Fair Lawn is the best! Its one of those things I miss about North Jersey. I've been living in South Jersey for over 20 years now and when my sister comes down from Fair Lawn I insist she brings bagels from Hot Bagels. I still remember waiting on line there on many Sunday mornings. Once I even was in back of one Nixon's Secret Service guys sent down from Saddle River on a secret mission for bagels.

I've tried in vain to find good bagels down here but it is near impossible even with a fine community like Margate nearby. If someone knows of one please share!

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Right on. Those who have had them know they're the best. I also heard stories about Nixon's agents coming down to Hot Bagels to get him some bagels on a few occasions.

I guess the bagels in Northern NJ are so good because so many people here are of Eastern European/Jewish descent, and they're the masters of this craft.