Okay, so with Brooklyn Bagel out of commission for retail sales, I am sad. I’m by Glendale and they were awesome. Best since I n Joy.
But, they have to rebuild. I know. So, we tried Western Bagel. Okay. Doable when toasted but just, to me, okay.
Then I was at my local Ralph’s and they had some bagels in the marked down bread rack that looked different so, what the hey, I bought them.
Next day, I warm them up in the toaster oven, serve the to the husband and “These are great! Way better than Western!” Me - “They are?”
I take a bite and - they are! (Or WERE, as this was a bit ago.) Crisp crust, nice chew, not too dense, not too light.
Finally I had to look them up and - kosher. Made in New York. (La Romme.)
Now, Brooklyn Bagels is proof that you can have a good bagel without New York water. But having had great breads and pizzas in NYC, and other parts of New York, and Toronto and Montreal? Well, a little free east coast water in a baked good isn’t a bad thing : )
So if you are at a Ralph’s and they have the La Romme bagels? Give them a try!
Brooklyn Bagel was decent at best. Scratched the itch but nothing more. I’ve honestly given up on finding a decent bagel in LA, which is okay. I’m cool with the fact that LA has better tacos and dumplings while NYC has better bagels and Jewish deli.
That being said, the next time I’m in a Ralph’s, I’ll give La Romme bagels a try. Thanks for the tip.
At one point I was able to get info from Brooklyn Bagel about what delis they sold to so I could buy them over the counter. This was before the change in ownership but I’d give that a try. Just Google them and call. If it helps, I’m pretty sure Art’s, in Studio City, was one of them.
One of the ex-bakers at Gjusta is started his own bagel company, Maury’sBagels now selling at Smorgasberg LA, with brick and mortar to follow soon. These are supposed to be incredible. http://www.maurysbagels.com
From The LA Times
"Maury’s Bagels — It is inexplicably difficult to find a good bagel in this town, something that Jason Kaplan’s Maury’s Bagels — Maury is the Gjusta alum’s middle name — is working to change. The bagels are chewy and deeply flavorful; the smoked fish is from Gjusta, Travis Lett’s Venice restaurant. And while we wait for Kaplan to find the storefront he’s currently looking for, now there’s a weekly stall where you can get a bagel (plain, sesame or everything) with the classic lox, onion and tomato, or one with avocado, whitefish or smear.
Not anywhere close to Glendale, but partner and I had some bagels from N.Y. Bagel and Deli on Wilshire in SaMo and thought that they were pretty good (but I am NOT a bagel connoisseur).
We’re just going to have to investigate. Let’s fine the NY board and have them post their top 5 and we post our top 5. Look at pics, then upload the smells, there’s got to be a website for that.
