NYC Bagels in loop?

I saw an SUV painted for NYC bagels standing outside 311 S Wacker yesterday that said both North & Sheffield and Wacker & Jackson on the side. Is NYC bagels opening a branch in the loop? I didn't see a spot inside 311 S Wacker, anyone heard anything?

(As a note, I agree with most on the board that they aren't the best bagels in Chicagoland, but relative to the donut that Panera calls a bagel, this would be a big improvement)

You can get NY Bagel & Bialy bagels at the cafeteria in the Board of Trade building.

to be clear, NYC Bagel (bad) is not NY Bagel & Bialy (good). I suspect that the van you saw was just a delivery vehicle. NYC Bagel (bad) does a lot of corporate catering business.

NYC Bagels:
1001 W North Ave
Chicago, IL 60642
(312) 274-1278

NY Bagel & Bialy (GNR Winner):
4714 W. Touhy
Lincolnwood, IL
(847) 677-9388

Three things:

One, I don't think it's fair to call NYC Bagels on North Avenue "bad" by any means. Panera, Dunking Donuts, Potbelly, etc.....those are all bad or borderline awful. But NYC Bagel does a decent enough bagel made from scratch.

Second, does the Board of Trade actually have NY Bagel & Bialy bagels in their cafeteria? That's right next my building!

Last, at what time did you see the truck on 311 S. Wacker?

thomasec wrote:Second, does the Board of Trade actually have NY Bagel & Bialy bagels in their cafeteria? That's right next my building!

If they're not NYB&B, they're a pretty close approximation. They're very good bagels.

Do you have to work there to get into the cafeteria? You're not talking about the "Halsted Deli" or whatever on the first floor, right?

thomasec wrote:Do you have to work there to get into the cafeteria? You're not talking about the "Halsted Deli" or whatever on the first floor, right?

The basement cafeteria is open to the public. Huge salad bar and decent fried fish.

Ronna

thomasec wrote:Do you have to work there to get into the cafeteria? You're not talking about the "Halsted Deli" or whatever on the first floor, right?

make sure you're thinking of the right building. halsted deli is in one financial plaza. ceres cafe is in cbot.

The SUV I saw was definitely NYC Bagel as it said North & Sheffield. The weird thing was that it listed two locations: North Ave and Jackson & Wacker

It was in the loading zone on the Wacker side of 311 S Wacker on Monday around 9am or so.

Obviously, it's no NYB&B from Touhy, but it's a huge improvement on Panera and Corner Bakery as someone suggested above.

I looked around the inside of 311 and can't find anywhere that they might be opening. Maybe I should call over and ask if they are opening a 2nd location...

Now that my work has repositioned me daily within walking distance of NYC Bagels, I tried them for lunch last week, and was favorably impressed. A key fact to be noted is that this place is all about bagel sandwiches, so their bagels are super-sized a bit to make better sandwiches than standard-size bagels might (although they aren't the doughy blimps served by PaneraBucksBelly, et al.). I ordered a pastrami on an onion bagel with sliced onion and spicy horseradish mustard with some skepticism (mine, not the bagel's), but darned if it didn't draw me in, bite by bite, until honestly I wished it had been 50% bigger by the time I was done. Yes, it's no NYB&B bagel (nor is either of those a match for the bagels I grew up with on the north side of Indianapolis, but that's another story), and yes, the meat is Boar's Head, but somehow this just hit the sandwich sweet spot for me. Also, they had black and white cookies that, while twice what they ought to cost, were very good. (Note: I bought two, one to take home to Mrs. JiLS of Syracuse, NY, who agreed they were good, but remarked they had the "glazed" icing of a NYC B&W cookie, rather than the soft gooey icing of the "Half Moon" cookie native to Central New York. I like both varieties, and so does she. But just in case some Upstaters are in the room, do take note of this.)

NYC Bagel makes the best lox and trimmings sandwich I've had in Chicago. I've never been to NY Bagel and Bialy, and obviously this city ain't known for its bagels, but I had to speak up in favor of NYC Bagel.

jsagoff wrote:... I had to speak up in favor of NYC Bagel.

I so much want to like NYC Bagels. They're big, crisp on the outside, but there's just something missing in the flavor. I keep thinking it's the absence of salt. They just have a blandness I can't figure out.

For those of us who live less than 10 minutes away from NYC Bagel, as opposed to the 30 minute ride to Touhy, these are a fine alternative to making the schlep north. I think referencing these as being 'bad' bagels is a bit hyperbolic. Save the term for Panera and the others noted that aren't close to what any bagel is defined as.

mss60614 wrote:For those of us who live less than 10 minutes away from NYC Bagel, as opposed to the 30 minute ride to Touhy, these are a fine alternative to making the schlep north. I think referencing these as being 'bad' bagels is a bit hyperbolic. Save the term for Panera and the others noted that aren't close to what any bagel is defined as.

to each his/her own, but I'll stick to the description. NYC Bagels are too bready and not chewy enough. They're in Panera's league. I'll take the square Cosi bagels over NYC Bagels.

From today's Dish:

"NYC Bagel Deli (1001 W. North Ave.; 312-274-1278) plans to open a 65-seat location in the Loop (300 S. Wacker Dr.) at the end of May. . . ."

Does anyone know who supplies the bagels at the deli in the East Bank Club, they are certainly the best available in the immediate River North neighbourhood that I've found so far, but I always forget to ask the source when I'm there.

Athena wrote:Does anyone know who supplies the bagels at the deli in the East Bank Club, they are certainly the best available in the immediate River North neighbourhood that I've found so far, but I always forget to ask the source when I'm there.

Pretty sure they're New York Bagel & Bialy, but maybe Kaufman's.

smellen wrote:From today's Dish:

"NYC Bagel Deli (1001 W. North Ave.; 312-274-1278) plans to open a 65-seat location in the Loop (300 S. Wacker Dr.) at the end of May. . . ."

This is now open.

Kennyz wrote:

mss60614 wrote:For those of us who live less than 10 minutes away from NYC Bagel, as opposed to the 30 minute ride to Touhy, these are a fine alternative to making the schlep north. I think referencing these as being 'bad' bagels is a bit hyperbolic. Save the term for Panera and the others noted that aren't close to what any bagel is defined as.

to each his/her own, but I'll stick to the description. NYC Bagels are too bready and not chewy enough. They're in Panera's league. I'll take the square Cosi bagels over NYC Bagels.

I concur with Kennny. These things are mediocre at best. Way too sweet.

As an aside, I saw a sign on the window of Caesar's Deli yesterday that said, "NY style, kettle boiled bagels." My wife and I grabbed one today just to taste. Now, this isn't a big place and they do very little retail business but I have to say, I liked the bagel - nice consistency, good chew. It's a nice alternative to the 20 minute drive up the Edens to New York Bagel and Bialy (my "go to").

They don't have a huge selection but I'm sure they're open to suggestions. This is not a "deli" per se, nor is it a bagel shop/bakery/etc. They do some wholesale business - pierogi, potato pancake, etc and sell some retail. Great owners with a consistently good product. I'll take some pics next time I go and post accordingly.

Caesar's Polish Deli
901 N Damen Ave
Chicago, IL 60622
(773) 486-6190
limited hours - call ahead

I stopped by the Eleven City Diner today and they said their bagels are from NY Bialy and Bagel. I immediately ordered the lox platter and had the best lunch I've had in the loop (south loop I guess) in a while.