The battle of which city has the best bagels continues, escalated a bit by a story in today's New York Times.
Bagel aficionados everywhere have traditionally pointed to New York bagels as the absolute best, although Montreal often takes a close second. Of course, not all New York bagels are on an equal taste footing. Bagels from corner delis,bodegas and coffee carts usually don't make the grade. They're often just white bread rolled into a circle with a hole in it. H&H Bagels were long touted as the gold standard, although I like Ess-a-Bagel.
And childhood memories of fresh bagels out of the oven from a big bagel factory under the El on Jerome Avenue in The Bronx are hard to top.
The Times story tries to debunk the long-held idea that it's the New York water that makes the New York bagel impossible to duplicate elsewhere. The article claims it's not the water -- it's the baker. They say a couple of Angelenos have figured it out and have bagels that not only rival, but actually top the famed New York bagel.
I'll be out in L.A. next month and, time-permitting, I'll try to get a taste for myself.
The owners of Courage Bagels in L.A., touted as one of the best. Photo: The New York Times.