Taste of New York Bagels & Deli
Bagel shop · Lakeview ·
NYC bagels flown in, diverse cream cheese, sandwiches, smoothies
NYC bagels flown in, diverse cream cheese, sandwiches, smoothies
"This Lakeview spot from a New York City transplant achieves the city’s famous chewy-yet-crispy style by boiling and par baking the bagels in the Big Apple (where higher levels of magnesium and calcium in the city’s water supply supposedly create the desired effect) and flying them into the Chicago location, where they are baked fresh daily. Conversely, its cream cheese offerings mostly eschew tradition with options including jalapeno, fig, and vanilla walnut. Order online through the store’s website." - Naomi Waxman
"The variety of bagels, schmears, and things like black and white cookies at Taste of New York Bagels & Deli is reminiscent of what you’d find at an NYC deli. So the “New York Bagels & Deli” part of the name isn’t wrong. As for the taste, ToNY gets their bagel dough shipped from New York and bakes them in-house every morning. This results in perfectly fine, but not great, bagels. They’re bready and chewy enough, but (depending on the batch) tough to the point where you could slather on some peanut butter and seeds and use it as a bird feeder. There isn’t much seating in this Lakeview bagel shop, so if you do find yourself here, get your order to go." - Veda Kilaru
"Chicagoans flocked to bagels flown from New York when Taste of New York Bagels and Deli opened its first day on July 2; the shop closed temporarily and planned a grand opening party on Friday, July 12, after which it intends to be open seven days a week." - Daniel Gerzina
"A new East Coast–style bagel and deli from New York transplant Sam Asous, whose family has sold bagels for more than three decades, emphasizes authentic New York texture by boiling and par-baking bagels in New York City—then flying them to Chicago to be baked fresh daily. The menu features about 20 cream cheese flavors (standard options like plain and lox as well as nontraditional choices such as guacamole and green tea), all mixed in-house, plus smoothies, fresh fruit juices, protein shakes, and a salad bar. Breakfast and lunch sandwiches include signature items like the New Yorker (lox, cream cheese, onion, tomato) and the Williamsburg (everything bagel, turkey bacon, scrambled eggs, Swiss), and customers can customize sandwiches or swap bagel types without an up-charge. In a 1,600-square-foot space designed to evoke a classic New York deli—with black-and-white tile, exposed brick, and framed photos of landmarks—the operator added 12 seats to an originally planned grab-and-go layout, will install three TVs above the counter to display offerings, and is using Caviar for delivery for now with plans to possibly offer free in-house delivery later. The owner stresses community focus and customer-first service, and current posted hours (starting June 12) are: Monday–Thursday 6 a.m.–11 a.m.; Friday 6 a.m.–2 a.m.; Saturday 7 a.m.–2 a.m.; Sunday 7 a.m.–10 p.m." - Naomi Waxman
"A family-owned New York bagel spot and deli is slated to open later in June at 3268 N. Clark Street in Lakeview; owner Sam Asous said there’s no official opening date yet but he will announce a grand opening in the coming weeks. Asous plans to have bagels boiled and par-baked in New York City and flown into the Chicago location—kept at very low temperatures in transit to preserve quality—and then baked fresh daily, producing the crispy outsides and soft, chewy centers characteristic of New York–style bagels. A native New Yorker who moved to Chicago three years ago to complete his medical studies, Asous traces his family’s bagel roots back to a business first opened in 1980 on the Upper West Side and now runs two bagel shops in Brooklyn; the Lakeview shop will offer rainbow bagels for Pride and will give discounts to Cubs fans after Wrigley Field wins, though Asous is not yet ready to reveal further menu or space details." - Naomi Waxman