Slice & Schmear

Why the Best Bagels in the US Aren't All in New York Anymore | Bon Appétit

"Using a sourdough starter named Helen Mirren and a 48-hour fermentation, the owner hand-bakes small batches starting in the early morning to produce crisp, bubbly, chewy, plush bagels. The menu features eccentric schmears — for example, a shredded carrot spread with roasted walnuts and raisins soaked in cinnamon-spiked goat’s milk — and revolving bagel sandwiches that range from a chocolate chip bagel layered with chorizo, scrambled egg, and Cooper Sharp cheddar to a sweet Banana Foster Wallace combining honey marshmallow fluff, cinnamon sugar, and banana tahini jam. Because everything is made by hand, quantities are limited and lines form early, reflecting a local appetite for treating bagels as more than convenience food." - ByElazar Sontag