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A Salute to the Bagel

I'm happy to have pushed off into the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge. I'm really enjoying finding places that work for the different letters and taking pictures. Most of the places I feature won't be what would be considered fancy or upscale. I especially like the unique corners that are local and down-to-earth. There's nothing like a beautiful restaurant with fine china for a special dinner, but that can be my monthly entertainment budget and then some. Most days I find my treats closer to home, much more economical and among the simple pleasures that are the daily joys of life. Today we are saluting one of these pleasures, the bagel.

I thought of a number of ideas for "B," beginning with bakery and progressing to bread. But there is no food that seems to be more of a New York food than the bagel. The bagel was developed in Poland in the sixteenth century and was brought to North America during the massive immigration of the nineteenth century. The business of bagel making took off in New York City and bagel carts and bagel stores are found in all corners of the city.


This is one of my local bagel stores and their bagels are excellent. While many people prefer cream cheese on their bagels, also known as "a shmear," I am a fan of just a little butter, and my bagel of choice is right out of the oven with sesame seeds.


The big smiles on the pizza, fries and their friends made me smile, too. 

Happily for those that don't live in New York City the bagel can be found just about anywhere in the world, even much to my surprise in a hotel cafe in Malaysia, and it can be found frozen in supermarkets everywhere. But my heart is still with the just out of the oven New York bagel. 

I was up and out on errands this morning and yes, my snack of choice was a warm whole wheat bagel with just a little butter and a big cup of coffee. What's your favorite treat? 

As ever, thanks for stopping by.  Take good care and come back and visit often!

19 comments

Terra said...

I like those cute signs of the food, and yes, we like fresh bagels too, from a local bagelry

I'm mostly known as 'MA' said...

To my knowledge we don't have any fresh bagels here but the grocery store carries many choices for us to choose from. Already bagged and ready for purchase. I toast them and like both butter and cream cheese...both are very good. Bagels is a great word for the letter B.

Denise said...

When you live in a community that has a large Jewish population, you can always find a bagel shop, or tow, or three. I have made my own in the past, New York style, and maybe I will do that soon. I just need two free days.

Denise said...

Saw this quote from the newspaper right after I commented:
David Magidson, artistic director of West Bloomfield’s Jewish Ensemble Theatre recently compared local theatre to the delight of Jewish Rye bread: You don’t have to be Jewish to enjoy it. http://www.theoaklandpress.com/general-news/20140402/west-bloomfields-jewish-ensemble-theatre-focuses-on-faith-outreach-diversity

Same goes for bagels.

Ann said...

We have a few local Mom and Pops that are really good and then the chain-Panera Bread. I love rasberry cream cheese on poppyseed.
Ann

#1Nana said...

Thanks for stopping by my blog for a visit. We don't have fresh New York City bagels here in rural eastern Oregon, but we have a Costco 30 miles north and I love their cinnamon raisin toasted with cream cheese.

Jann from Benchmark 60

Melinda said...

Yummy, I love a good bagel.
Toasted with butter. Oh yea!

M : )

Grammy Staffy said...

John prefers English muffins but I really like bagels. They are about my favorite. I like them with cream cheese but often have them with only butter like you. I was too sick to eat much of anything the 3 weeks I was in the hospital but I did have 1/2 a bagel each morning. Maybe one day I can join you and enjoy one of your just out of the oven New York bagels. Hugs, Lura

TARYTERRE said...

I LOVED this piece. My favorite breakfast is a bagel, veggie cream cheese and lox.

Marie Rayner said...

Oh, I do love a good Bagel Carol! When I lived in Ontario, my ex Sister in law used to buy in the best bagels on Sunday mornings from a Jewish bakery in their neighborhood. They were soooooo wonderful! Never had better. You are tempting my taste buds here and making me long for one now! xxoo

Life and Breath and Everything Else said...

A warm bagel and a big cup of coffee - that sounds like the perfect breakfast to me. It seems I have crumpets more often than bagels, but I enjoy them just as much. I hope you're having a great day :)

Theresa said...

Bagel and cream cheese is one of my favorites with my coffee! Enjoy your day dear friend, BIG HUGS!

Glenda Funk said...

Onion bagel w/ cream cheese and lox! That's my favorite. The bagel needs to be toasted.

Love the pics. #BloggingAtoZ Challenge

Anonymous said...

I love bagels with butter too. What a cute bagel shop you have shared with us.

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

We LOVE New York bagels and have a brand new bagel shop here in our community. Nothing like fresh out of the oven. I like a blueberry, hubby sesame. But when we were there the other day, we got a garlic bagel, too...packed separately! haha! Enjoy your day! Sweet hugs!

Susie said...

Buttercup, I like P.B. on my bagel. I like all bagels too. I am a bread freak along with cookies. Hope you have a wonderful day. xoxo,Susie

Anonymous said...

Bagels are a favorite in my house. Fan fave: blueberry bagels toasted with blueberry shmear. Heaven.

Annesphamily said...

My hubby loves the green chili bagels with jalapeno cream cheese! I do the everything bagel with jalapeno cream cheese and Nick loves the chocolate chip with the plain cream cheese! There is a bagel store across the street from my hubby's office that serves them fresh and hot and I love to watch them drop into the boiling water! I use to work with a guy who was a part time preacher and he use to take me to the health store across the street from our office and showed me how to toast a plain bagel, add plain cream cheese and crumble bacon on top! It was delicious and fun! You are making me hungry! Lovely post.

Lynda said...

Popcorn is my favorite! When I worked in Florida - - - a loooonnnnnggg time ago, it was the first time I had to serve bagels - - and cream cheese - - and lox. Served that combo but did not care to eat it. It is a very popular bread though.