A Wyomingite teaches Chicago about bagels & deli? (e.leaven)

To be fair, this isn't a Jewish deli. They serve a BLT and a ham sandwich, but classics such as pastrami, corned beef, matzoh ball soup, and house made challah form a large percentage of the menu. And bagels. Not just any bagels, but the best damned Chicago bagels being produced south of Touhy Avenue.

Everything bagel with cream cheese and nova:

It was such a pleasure to find this just a few short blocks from my office. A real life, made in house, boil-and-bake bagel with great texture and flavor, and some stellar nova. This bagel could give New York Bagel & Bialy a true run for its money.


They make all their own breads and pastries, including some big, buttery cinnamon rolls.

Cinnamon rolls and more:

They were giving out free samples at the counter. A gooey, very cinnamonny and fresh roll with all the goods of a Cinnabon without the excess sweetness and artificial taste.


I've also tried the matzoh ball soup, which had relatively bland broth and a softball sized matzoh ball that was dense, sticky, and probably weighed a pound. Wasn't my thing.

The brisket sandwich showed promise.

Brisket Sandwich:

As is pretty apparent, this was overflowing with sauce. Unfortunately, it was cloyingly sweet goo that detracted from what was actually terrific brisket. Tender and flavorful meat that had been sliced impossibly thin, against the grain, creating something quite delectable once I was able to brush off most of that sticky sap. The challah bun is made in house, as are the chips - which are crunchy and delicious, even if I wouldn't mind a heftier dose of salt.

e.leaven is a nice addition to the work neighborhood, and I see myself becoming a frequent breakfast and lunch customer.


e.leaven


e.leaven
54 East Ontario
Chicago, IL
312-202-0899

e.leaven
175 Jackson Street
Jackson, WY
307-733-5600

phone number corrected thanks to kates' post below.

Kenny,

Interesting lead, especially on the bagels. I do think it's weird that in a town our size, good bagels are so hard to come by. You'd think that more places would bake good ones but they are relatively labor-intensive. Maybe the preponderance of chains makes it hard for the smaller guys to compete. In any event, there is basically no bagel culture in our town, which is shame. It's really cool that e.leaven is baking them on premises. I'll definitely have to check them out.

Thanks, for posting this.

=R=

Thanks for the tip! If they're open on MLK Jr. Day (this Monday), I think I might celebrate my day off by strolling down there and bringing home some bagels. Good bagels & brownie points with the MIssus: score!

Khaopaat wrote:Thanks for the tip! If they're open on MLK Jr. Day (this Monday), I think I might celebrate my day off by strolling down there and bringing home some bagels. Good bagels & brownie points with the MIssus: score!

I'm pretty sure they'll be open. Though it's an independently-run operation, e.leaven has an entrance from a hallway within the Four Points by Sheraton hotel, and the owners have formed an arrangement to provide breakfast for hotel guests.

Thanks for the heads-up on this place.

I am eating sesame bagel from e.Leaven as I type this. Just my opinion: it's good, but not as good as NYBB (which are available in generally the same neighborhood at Treasure Island). It is slightly less dense and chewy than I like, and not browned enough on top. It's bigger than a NYBB. It's pretty good, though, and a nice addition to the neighborhood. I hope to try more of e.Leaven's lunch offerings soon.

sarcon wrote:I am eating sesame bagel from e.Leaven as I type this. Just my opinion: it's good, but not as good as NYBB (which are available in generally the same neighborhood at Treasure Island). It is slightly less dense and chewy than I like, and not browned enough on top. It's bigger than a NYBB. It's pretty good, though, and a nice addition to the neighborhood. I hope to try more of e.Leaven's lunch offerings soon.

Excellent, I had a sesame bagel this morning too! I think it's great to have anything that even approaches contender-status for NYBB comparison, as the non NYBB options in this city have been so universally woeful. As with the great bagelries in NY, it’s certain that that will be disagreement about who makes the best. I think e.leaven's are right up there. You're definitely right that they're bigger. As for darkness, I've had 'em both ways from NYBB, whose bagels are not all that consistent in coloring, in my experience.

Any one else been for lunch? Have been looking for a decent Reuben in the area since Eppy's closed...

Stopped by today for lunch. There were more than a few tables occupied, but only one couple ahead of me to order. I ordered a Corned Beef Reuben, to go. The menu said it came with mustard, but didn't mention Russian dressing. I was told it would be on the side. The wait was just shy of 15 minutes.

The sandwich was still piping hot after a 10 minute walk. Unfortunately, the melted cheese had fused to the inner paper wrapper, making it very difficult (impossible in some parts) to remove. A, now less than crisp, pickle was also wrapped up with the very hot sandwich. In the future, I'll only order cold sandwiches to go to avoid picking little pieces of wax paper off every exposed surface.

The sandwich itself was very large, overflowing with relatively lean corned beef. I might have preferred fattier meat, as the beef itself didn't have a ton of flavor, but the sauerkraut and swiss were great. I found the mustard unnecessary. Their Russian dressing was wonderfully tangy and a much better accompaniment.

Chips were included...skin on, rough cut, similar to what you get at the Fox & Obel cafe.

At $11 after tax, there are cheaper lunches to be had, but given its location it is priced pretty fairly. And, given the demise of Eppy's, it appears to be the new standard bearer of Mag Mile/River North deli.

I went for lunch last Friday. Their cups of soup aren't inexpensive at $4, but are large and filling and served with their very good bread.

I also had a Spinach and Feta "croissant". While not a croissant by any stretch, more of a stromboli, this was delicious and huge and a bargain at $2.75.

It's a nice option in the neighborhood. The room is bright yet relaxing. I will be back.

Visited e. leaven (the Ontario St. location) yesterday for a quick bite to fuel a morning of errands. The big surprise (for me) was that it's located right next door to our neighborhood Trader Joe's - either it's been a while since I've used TJ's street entrance, or my powers of observation are in decline. Two bagels with cream cheese and two coffees (one large, one small) came out to just under $11, which wasn't too bad at all.

The Illy coffee was a pleasant way to start the day, and the garlic herb cream cheese on my wife's bagel was delicious...it smelled & tasted very strongly of garlic, but in a good, almost fresh way. I chose the chive cream cheese, which also tasted good, but wasn't quite as pungently memorable.

For the main event, I ordered a rye bagel, but sadly they were out, so I chose asiago as my consolation prize. My wife ordered an everything bagel. I thought the bagels were fine, but nothing spectacular. However, I think this is a case of "it's not you, it's me": I think my Midwest upbringing and relative lack of NYC bagel exposure has rendered me a bagel philistine. I felt just as unwowed by Ess-a-bagel (though I thought Ess-a-bagel's bagels had a bit more chew than e. leaven's...I do dig the chew).

We forgot to ask for our bagels toasted (is that heresy, traditionally? I honestly don't know), so they came out cool & bready...maybe having them toasted & warm next time will result in a more amazing bagel experience?

Whether I'm missing the point, or have an undeveloped bagel palette, I liked the casual atmosphere, good coffee, low prices, and convenient (for me) location, so I'll be back. Who knows, maybe I'll even come to appreciate the bagels properly

Khaopaat wrote: I felt just as unwowed by Ess-a-bagel (though I thought Ess-a-bagel's bagels had a bit more chew than e. leaven's...I do dig the chew).

I love Ess-a-Bagel - my favorite bagel choice in Manhattan . . . I wish I could find a pumpernickel bagel in Chicago as good as Ess-a-Bagel's in NY. A visit to family always means I'm flying home with a baker's dozen.

Khaopaat wrote:The big surprise (for me) was that it's located right next door to our neighborhood Trader Joe's - either it's been a while since I've used TJ's street entrance, or my powers of observation are in decline.

That's my TJ's, too. As soon as Kennyz posted, I could picture the place--I often park my bike right in front of it when the racks on that block are full--but I had thought this entire time that it was "opening soon" and that opening had just been stalled. I didn't make the connection between the breakfast/lunch food they serve and the fact that I usually have to do my TJ's shopping late at night. That is, I'm never over there when e.leaven is open. I'm hoping to catch them on a weekend soon.

Thanks for the heads-up, KennyZ. The phone number's actually 312-202-0899, though.

Khaopaat wrote:We forgot to ask for our bagels toasted (is that heresy, traditionally? I honestly don't know), so they came out cool & bready...maybe having them toasted & warm next time will result in a more amazing bagel experience?

God no. I don't really know what "bready" means when it's used to describe bread, but "cool" is definitely not something you want from a bagel. That said, a good, fresh bagel should NEVER be toasted. There are certain long running shops in NY where asking for a toasted bagel will get your ass kicked. Don't do it. This is a major problem with bagels throughout the USA - toasting seems the default. In fact, you often have to threaten the clerk with bodily harm to convince him/ her not to serve you a bagel that has been toasted. I still like e.leaven's bagels a lot, but today was almost the last straw. For the third time now, they gave me a toasted bagel despite my stern warning when placing my order that such a thing would not be tolerated.

Kennyz wrote:That said, a good, fresh bagel should NEVER be toasted. There are certain long running shops in NY where asking for a toasted bagel will get your ass kicked.

That depends on whether you're getting your bagels from a deli that primarily sells bagels and other items to bring home and prepare there, or one that primarily sells such items for almost-immediate consumption. At a bagel shop/deli like Kaufman's, sure, they don't expect to be asked to toast anything, and for all I know, they don't even have a toaster (although they often have bagels still warm out of the oven). But when I was working in Brooklyn, there was a nearby deli on Montague Street where you could get them in the morning on the way to work, and it was expected that you would want them toasted, either a "buttabagel" or with a schmeer.

nsxtasy wrote:

Kennyz wrote:That said, a good, fresh bagel should NEVER be toasted. There are certain long running shops in NY where asking for a toasted bagel will get your ass kicked.

i think if a person wants their good, fresh bagel toasted in a deli/restaurant, it should be done with no smirks, complaints or ass kicking. who makes these rules anyway? i remember at the late, lamented Urbus Orbis coffee shop, in wicker park, hearing the staff talking about a regular customer who always politely asked for their bagel to be toasted really dark, almost burnt. the staff would always toast it light and make the poor customer ask for it be toasted again,darker.
i'd have gone elsewhere if that happened to me more than once. justjoan

justjoan wrote:who makes these rules anyway?

The same food fascists who say no ketchup on a your hotdog, no sauce on your BBQ ribs, etc., etc. Puffery.

That said, I personally wouldn't toast a fresh (really fresh) bagel because the chewy texture and sweet taste of a right-out-of-the-oven bagel is so wonderful and so transitory. People want to toast a fresh bagel, have at it, but I usually toast only a bagel that's been around more than a day (and when you get a dozen from New York Bagel and Bialy or wherever, chances are you're not going to eat all of them in one day...though I've come close on occasion).

nsxtasy wrote:

Kennyz wrote:That said, a good, fresh bagel should NEVER be toasted. There are certain long running shops in NY where asking for a toasted bagel will get your ass kicked.

That depends on whether you're getting your bagels from a deli that primarily sells bagels and other items to bring home and prepare there, or one that primarily sells such items for almost-immediate consumption. At a bagel shop/deli like Kaufman's, sure, they don't expect to be asked to toast anything, and for all I know, they don't even have a toaster (although they often have bagels still warm out of the oven).

That has nothing to do with it. In fact, if you're going to consume the bagel on premises that is all the more reason that it would be a travesty to toast it. On premises, any respectable place should have fresh, chewy bagels that are just right as is. Toasting improves only stale bagels that are well past their prime. No one should ever have any of those around. Toasters are for English muffins.

Uh huh. Sounds like the "rules" described by Hammond above.

I've yet to find a bagel in Chicago that didn't benefit from a good toasting. Then again, I consider this to be a pretty crappy town for bagels. I haven't tried anything from Kaufman's or e.leaven so maybe I'm just missing the good stuff.

Anyway, I don't consider it a "rule" but I do consider it unnecessary to toast a really good, fresh bagel. It's like putting A1 on a nice dry aged steak, or dunking a pristine piece of otoro in soy sauce.

I had their turkey club sandwich to go, which was quite good. I remember that they insisted I help myself to a drink and sit at one of the tables while they prepared my order. I would eat there more often if I worked in the area.
As for bagels, I do like a couple minutes in the oven to crisp up the crust, but do not like them split and toasted. If you rub some water on the outside first, it is like getting a fresh baked bagel.

I love toasted bagels because they provide additional complexity of flavor, not only in the bagel itself but also in the toppings, especially sesame seeds. A bagel with cold-smoked salmon is infinitely more enjoyable to me on a toasted bagel because of the way the toasted sesame seeds marry up with the smoky notes in the salmon. I think the only advantage of a non-toasted bagel is textural and 4-5 hours after it's baked, it's gone anyway. So, when I eat a bagel at a bakery, I almost never get it toasted but when I eat bagels at home, I almost invariably toast them.

=R=

Kennyz wrote:Toasting improves only stale bagels that are well past their prime. No one should ever have any of those around. Toasters are for English muffins.

Ravings.

ronnie_suburban wrote:... I think the only advantage of a non-toasted bagel is textural and 4-5 hours after it's baked, it's gone anyway. ...

Mostly true. Also mostly true that the only advantage of wearing a seat belt is to prevent death. I always wear a seat belt. I never toast a bagel.

I also never knowingly eat a bagel that was baked more than 4-5 hours ago.

David Hammond wrote:Ravings.

This from the man who penned "I Hate Soup" and "Salad is Stupid"?

- Ketchup on a hot dog. No
- Sauce on BBQ. No
- Cheese on fries. No
- Hot sauce on ice cream. Yes
- Toast a bagel. Yes (Chicago is not NY with easy 24/7 access to fresh quality bagels)

G Wiv wrote:

David Hammond wrote:Ravings.

This from the man who penned "I Hate Soup" and "Salad is Stupid"?

- Ketchup on a hot dog. No
- Sauce on BBQ. No
- Cheese on fries. No
- Hot sauce on ice cream. Yes
- Toast a bagel. Yes (Chicago is not NY with easy 24/7 access to fresh quality bagels)

Oh yes, I know a rave when I read (or write) one.

Then again, I consider this to be a pretty crappy town for bagels. I haven't tried anything from Kaufman's or e.leaven so maybe I'm just missing the good stuff.

you really need to try kaufman's bagels before you conclude this is a crappy bagel town. i assume you don't like NY bagel&bialy either? luckily for me, i find both of these places to have great bagels. though i'm thinking of mail ordering some bagels from fairmont bakery in montreal to see what all the fuss is about. maybe i'll have a montreal bagel kvetch-fest. justjoan

I like the bagels from Kaufman's. < shrug >

I used to bring back bags of bagels on trips to New York, but I no longer do. I'm not saying that Kaufman's are as good as New York's best, but they're pretty darn good, decent enough that I don't bring back bagels any more. (Now, I bring cheesecake back instead.)

Like Ronnie, I like a toasted bagel. I like it toasted so that butter will melt into it, even though I'm going to put cream cheese and smoked salmon on it too.