Cherylynn N.
Yelp
"Most Palo Altans couldn't tell a good bagel from a doughnut."
*Spits my tea across the room*
On snap!
The shade...
Hey, it didn't come from me!
I read this comment on a post re: Boichik Bagel's opening in PA (NYT says, it's the "best bagel in the country") and naturally, people brought up Izzy's Brooklyn Bagels, a longtime staple in PA.
So, after trying the newly opened Boichik Bagel in PA, I had to try Izzy's for comparison.
I can't vouch for NY authenticity because I'm from SF but I liked Izzy's bagels more than Boichik (hella overhyped).
To share, we ordered a Lox Sesame Bagel, toasted w/ red onion, open-faced ($13.50): https://tinyurl.com/a9wn4zc9.
The sesame bagel was nicely toasted with a crispy, slightly crackly crust. Good density with a satisfying chew. Plenty of sesame seeds that didn't fall off like Boichik, adding a delicious roasty nuttiness.
So why 3 stars?
Izzy's lox is meh; dry and not the best quality. Paid extra ~$3 for open-faced, and there wasn't enough to cover the surface of one of the halves. Boichik has much better quality lox: silky smooth and buttery.
And, Izzy's cream cheese was mediocre. Maybe they accidentally gave us the low fat one but it was lacking in rich creaminess and they don't give a generous "NY" portion of cream cheese, at least not on our bagel. Boichik's pink label [whipped] cream cheese is deliciously rich and creamy, and they don't skimp.
Finally, the service at Izzy's...
I usually can overlook service issues with COVID and I don't expect sunshine, rainbows, and confetti but negative vibes is another thing. I guess it wasn't acceptable for customers to say, "Hi, how are you?" and "Thank you, have a good day!" to the female cashier.
Overall, buy bagels at Izzy's then to go Boichik to buy lox and pink label cream cheese. Then, go home to BYO lox bagel.
Boom.
Enjoy!
Other notes:
* All staff wore masks.
* Open for takeout, delivery, indoor dining, and dog-friendly outdoor dining (California street is closed to traffic/cars).
* Contactless ordering (online or kiosk) or in-person ordering. Too bad both kiosks were down so I had to order from the cashier.
* I appreciate the intercom so I can hear my number while waiting outside.
* With no line on a weekday morning around 9:30 AM, our lox bagel was ready in less than 5 minutes.
* Free parking in back lot (entrance is on Sherman Ave.)