Sari Marissa G.
Yelp
There's a new BAGEL PLACE in town and I feel it's worthy of a try...or two, or three, or perhaps just go visit on the regular.
I heard about these new water/honey bagels in town which are said to be comparable to NYC bagels and being a self-confessed bagel snob and former NYC resident, I just HAD to try them out and see for myself.... I'm going to go ahead and say, while I'm not sure they're exactly NY bagels (which who says they're trying to be anyway), they're definitely not like other bagels you would find in Philly and for that reason alone, you must head over here! Oh, and the promise of La Colombe, hot or iced doesn't hurt either.
These bad boys are large, but on the thinner side like a Montreal bagel, just not quite as crispy. I prefer to have mine toasted for more of a crunch rather than a chew, but that's a personal preference. You'll have to try and find out if you feel you need this one toasted, but don't give up if you opt to go non-toasted on your first go. My lightly toasted everything was rather delicious and covered nicely with toppings. My daughter said her fresh, not toasted sesame was a bit chewy but still "a 4.5 stars".
The options here are incredible! Not just the variety of bagels such as pretzel, basil pesto, rosemary and cracked pepper, but the spreads too! Some standouts are lemon poppyseed, sour pickle, honey walnut, bleu cheese and rosemary. Oh, and salads like deviled egg salad, whitefish and shrimp too.
Vegans, they didn't forget about you! They have hummus and Tofutti, and a roasted portobello option also. But remember veg-heads, depending on how deep your beliefs are, these bagels may not be for you as they use honey in ALL of their bagels!
They offer a decent variety of both lunch and breakfast bagel sammies and that's exactly what I tried... Smoked beets! Say what? Beets and the proper accompaniments (Swiss, garlic dill sauerkraut, russian dressing, cornichon)
to make a vegetarian Rueben! How creative! Since I'm a dairy-free gal, I opted for the sammy sans dressing and cheese and I must say, while it was flavorful and definitely very interesting and appreciated, I kept imagining how much better it would have been the way they intended with all of the toppings. Torn with this one. I'm headed for the hummus next visit.
We felt right at home with all of the classic Jewish deli treats like matzoh balls, bialys, rugalach, mondel bread, babka and of course a can of Dr. Browns. Now those options made me feel like I was in LES, Manhattan. The kiddos shared a slice of babka, the chocolate not raisin, but of course. It seemed soft, not dry and was filled with chocolate.
A few reasons besides the food that made me really fall for this spot is that they care....
-They support local artists! And not just any artist but ones who even donated their earnings to worthy causes. The art for sale on the walls will change every two months and anyone looking to showcase, they encourage you to contact them.
-They have bins for not only trash and recycling but for composting also!
-Ramp access for strollers, wheelchairs or walkers.
-The music! I walked in to "Into The Mystic" by Van Morrison and almost cried on the spot. From then on it was Cream, CCR, and a bunch of singable 70's tunes I loved!
The clean, open space is rather large especially for a bagel joint. I can't imagine even for a weekend brunch rush it wouldn't be terribly hard to find a seat, even with a family. It also seems like a nice place to duck out and get some work done as well. The seating is carefully designed using every inch of the space and adding wrap around benches. My only suggestion would perhaps be a few outdoor tables?!
Prices are fair. Service was friendly.
2 hours no cost street parking was a cinch.
Bike parking was available also.
We will absolutely be back and know this place isn't going anywhere anytime soon. Welcome!