I'm not from New York nor have I ever lived there. I hadn't even visited for ten years until this spring. That visit confirmed my preference for the H&H product. My aunt, who lives there, has always sworn by H&H bagels and having eaten bagels there, here, and everywhere, I too think they are the best. Why? We think it's the water. It is about both texture and flavor. Other than that, words fail me. Maybe I'd do better if I was eating one now. Where's that website again?

I must clarify my endorsement of Kaufman's before anyone gets the wrong idea. I prefer Kaufman's over Chaim's. I actually stop there anytime I'm even remotely in the neighborhood. I love the place.

BUT!!!! This is a thread about bagels. Not once have I ever bought a bagel there. I just don't buy bagels normally. I could list 20 things there that I just love. I usually spend way too much money every time I'm there, but never on bagels.

OK, just had to clarify my post. Now back to our regularly scheduled argument.

CoolerbytheLake wrote:They strive hard to approximate the New York style--sometimes going a little over the top to do so, as this fact from their website attests:
"To insure the proper taste a water purification filtration system has been installed to match the water properties of New York City."

Yes, but are they adding copepods?

JoelF wrote:no blueberry, no chocolate chip, no apple cinnamon.

Of course not. Those aren't bagels -- they're nasty round cakes.

My mother, who is originally from New York, calls the bagels here "rolls with holes."

Suzy

LAZ wrote:

CoolerbytheLake wrote:They strive hard to approximate the New York style--sometimes going a little over the top to do so, as this fact from their website attests:
"To insure the proper taste a water purification filtration system has been installed to match the water properties of New York City."

Yes, but are they adding copepods?

They get their copepods under a trade-out agreement with Dirk's up the street. Million count packages on sale this week.

eatchicago wrote:Really, the only places I buy bagels are from Kaufman and NY Bagel & Bialy.

Michael,

Both bagel and bialy wise my preference is New York Bagel and Bialy on Touhy, hands down. Not the NY Bagel and Bialy, as thaiobsessed noted, on Dempster. I'm not fond of Kaufman's bagels, with the exception of the corn rye, which is dense, chewy and very flavorful. Kaufmans rye and corn rye breads, seeded or unseeded, are very good and the pumpernickel with caramelized onions on top is excellent.

NY Bagels on North Ave is ok, meaning a hell of a lot better than any of the chain bagels, but I still prefer NY Bagel and Bialy on Touhy. There are a few bagel places I still need to try, most notably LAZ's pick of Chicago Bagel & Bialy, in Wheeling.

As an aside, every time I visit my 95-year-old grandmother I bring 4-dozen bagels from NY Bagel and Bialy on Touhy, 3-dz plain, 1-dz raisin. Once, and only once, did I bring bagels from NY Bagel and Bialy on North Ave, she knew the difference in a millisecond and almost made me feel guilty enough to drive to and fro again for New York Bagel and Bialy on Touhy's bagels.

Enjoy,
Gary

New York Bagels and Bialys
4714 W Touhy Ave
Lincolnwood, IL 60712
847- 677-9388

Kaufman's Bagel & Delicatessen
4905 Dempster St
Skokie, IL 60077
847-677-9880

New York Bagels
1001 W North Ave.
Chicago, IL
Across the street from Whole Foods

New York Bagel and Bialy
3556 Dempster St
Skokie, IL 60076

G Wiv wrote:

eatchicago wrote:Really, the only places I buy bagels are from Kaufman and NY Bagel & Bialy.

Michael,

Both bagel and bialy wise my preference is New York Bagel and Bialy on Touhy, hands down. Not the NY Bagel and Bialy, as thaiobsessed noted, on Dempster. I'm not fond of Kaufman's bagels, with the exception of the corn rye, which is dense, chewy and very flavorful. Kaufmans rye and corn rye breads, seeded or unseeded, are very good and the pumpernickel with caramelized onions on top is excellent.

Gary,
Last weekend we had Sunday brunch guests and I took my own suggestion (earlier in this thread) of re-tasting Kaufman's bagels against NYBB's. Kaufman's was definitley a doughier, puffier variety but not entirely distasteful to me. Still NYBB is the gold-standard go-to.

A couple months ago, on your recommendation, I bought a few corn rye bagels from Kaufman, and I too enjoyed them very much. Lightly toasted with a thin layer of butter and strawberry preserves was the perfect topping for me.

Best,
Michael

eatchicago wrote: Lightly toasted with a thin layer of butter and strawberry preserves was the perfect topping for me.

Best,
Michael

Blasphemy

stevez wrote:

eatchicago wrote: Lightly toasted with a thin layer of butter and strawberry preserves was the perfect topping for me.

Best,
Michael

Blasphemy

I was waiting for that response.

I don't like to top bagels with much, and I certainly don't like making whole sandwiches out of them (too dense), so for me it's either farmer cheese and a little fish or some good preserves. Straight-up rye or a normal onion or salt bagel would have called for cheese. Something about the corn flavor of this bagel called for some sweetness.

G Wiv wrote:Both bagel and bialy wise my preference is New York Bagel and Bialy on Touhy, hands down. Not the NY Bagel and Bialy, as thaiobsessed noted, on Dempster.

New York Bagels and Bialys
4714 W Touhy Ave
Lincolnwood, IL 60712
847- 677-9388

New York Bagel and Bialy
3556 Dempster St
Skokie, IL 60076

Is there really a significant difference between the bagels of these two stores owned by the same company? What would account for that?

They also have a location at 8794 W. Dempster, Niles (which, unlike the other two isn't open 24/7). However, I've only eaten the bagels from the Touhy store.

Also, does anyone know anything about Original Bagel and Bialy in Buffalo Grove? (http://www.originalbagelandbialy.com)

I agree with stevez about sweet toppings on bagels. By meir, on fresh bagels, it's a shmear of cream cheese, maybe a little onion and tomato, lox if I've got it.... Day-old bagels benefit from toasting and butter.

I wrote:It's clear that we need to do a bagel taste-off, with examples from the places named in this thread.

I've proposed some specifics in the Events Calendar.

The Banana household likes Kaufman's bagels. I have never thought they were overly soft. They are probably about 4 oz each and quite chewy and compact. Kaufman's nova lox is excellent, and a decent price at $17.99. They have recently started to offer Scottish smoked salmon for $1/pound more - haven't tried it, so can't say whether it's better or not.

New York Bagel & Bialy has an outpost on Dempster St. in Skokie, but we are closer to Kaufman's, so I haven't been there.

I tried Chaim's nova lox once - it was less than Kaufman's at about $13.99/pound, but it was very greasy, strong flavored and salty. Not my cup of tea; it reminded me of why I didn't like lox when I was a kid; this was old-school lox.

Bagel Country in Skokie has large, soft bagels, which they use for pretty decent sandwiches, but they're not what I call traditional bagels. They are kosher dairy.

If memory serves, NYC Bagels on North Ave has hand-cut lox and the best bagels south of Touhy.

I would also note that (back in the day) the late-lamented Webvan carried frozen H&H bagels. I don't know if any of the fancy grocery stores (i.e., Fox and Obel, Whole Foods) around here follow suit, but the bagels were quite respectable. I'm sure any NYer used to fresh H&H would be shocked and dismayed !

Last night for Yom Kippur, my sister brought in from Upper Crust Bagels, formerly Door County Fish and Deli in Northbrook
UC's Deerfield site has been mentioned here before, and DCF&D too.

2831 W. Dundee Rd
Located at the intersection of Pfingsten and Dundee Rd.
Northbrook, IL 60062
Phone: 847.559.9229

Hours of Operation:
Tuesday-Friday: 6:00 am to 6:00 pm
Saturday: 6:00 am to 4 pm
Sunday: 7:00 am to 2 pm
http://www.ucbagels.com

The bagels? Unimpressive. On the hard side, not especially bagel-y.
The fish? Wonderful.
Whitefish salad was sweet, spreadable goo.
Sable was tasty, but somewhat oily (as to be expected)
But the smoked salmon: Awesome. Wide slices of well-marbled wagyu-looking fish, with a nice salt level that seems to have escaped a lot of smoked salmon purveyors lately. Taste, texture, smell, appearance... there's no way to listen to it, or it would be an all-sense pleasure.

After reading thru all the postings, I'm suprised to see that nobody mentioned Hagen's Fish Market for smoked chubs. I recently bought a dozen for breaking the fast and, as usual, they were moist and very flavorful with a nice degree of smokiness. I have been going there for years and have never been disappointed. They have a nice variety of fresh fish and seafood as well as a nice selction of fried food which is freshly cooked by order. It's a great family operated place that, as far as I'm concerned, beats all the delis hands down.

Hagen's Fish Market
5638 W. Montrose
Chicago

JoelF wrote:Last night for Yom Kippur, my sister brought in from Upper Crust Bagels, formerly Door County Fish and Deli in Northbrook
UC's Deerfield site has been mentioned here before, and DCF&D too.

2831 W. Dundee Rd
Located at the intersection of Pfingsten and Dundee Rd.
Northbrook, IL 60062
Phone: 847.559.9229

Hours of Operation:
Tuesday-Friday: 6:00 am to 6:00 pm
Saturday: 6:00 am to 4 pm
Sunday: 7:00 am to 2 pm
http://www.ucbagels.com

The bagels? Unimpressive. On the hard side, not especially bagel-y.
The fish? Wonderful.
Whitefish salad was sweet, spreadable goo.
Sable was tasty, but somewhat oily (as to be expected)
But the smoked salmon: Awesome. Wide slices of well-marbled wagyu-looking fish, with a nice salt level that seems to have escaped a lot of smoked salmon purveyors lately. Taste, texture, smell, appearance... there's no way to listen to it, or it would be an all-sense pleasure.

We had lunch at Upper Crust before yesterday's curling championship at the Chicago Curling Club in Northbrook. Couldn't agree with your thoughts more. The bagels were pretty mediocre (my hopes were certainly raised by their claims that they are baked fresh throughout the day). The nova, on the other hand, was awesome. Some of the best I've had in Chicago. I'm almost never in Northbrook, but the next time I am, I'm going to check out some more of their smoked fish.