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| Author |
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| 25 new of 168 responses total. |
aaron
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response 16 of 168:
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Sep 24 18:33 UTC 1994 |
re #8: Bagel Factory bagels always remind me of wonderbread in their
consistency. Light and airy -- a "bagel for the masses" -- not
the real thing.
Zingerman's doesn't make its own bagels -- it buys them out of
Detroit.
re #12: Let's rewrite that history a little bit. Barry, owner of The
Bagel Place of Ohio, d/b/a Barry Bagel's Place (or The Bagel
Place), was a manager at The Bagel Factory when he was attending
college (sort of) at EMU. It was Barry who found a use for the
deep friers, when The Bagel Factory discovered that nobody wanted
to eat french fries, by making himself a creative dessert from
raisin bagel dough. One day the owner overheard Barry telling
another employee how easy it would be to open a new bagel store,
and fired him. Barry, who had no money, found a partner and opened
a store in Toledo. He gradually expanded to have a number of
stores in Toledo, over almost twenty years, then opened up a store
in Ann Arbor. His dough recipe has always been distinct from
that of the Bagel Factory. He used to make "fragels" at some of
his Toledo stores, but didn't care for the after-effects of deep
frying (it is messy) and the fact that they were really only good
when served hot (which meant the friers had to be on constantly),
so he stopped. The name "Fragel" is a registered trademark of The
Bagel Factory.
Barry Bagel's changed its cooking techniques a couple of years
ago. As a result its bagels are somewhat larger and softer, and
have a longer shelf-life, but the searing effect that brings out
the flavor of an onion bagel is lost. Toasting helps a lot.
On the other hand, the garlic bagels are quite flavorful due to
the use of kosher garlic particles as a topping as opposed to
garlic powder or garlic salt.
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headdoc
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response 17 of 168:
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Sep 24 19:08 UTC 1994 |
Listen, I don't claim to know everything about anything. . .but BAGELS, I know!
The very best bagels in this woman's world can be gotten from H&H Bagels in
New York. (Like no other bagel in the world.) You may order by calling:
1-800NY Bagel or fax 212 799-6765. Minimu order is 2 dozen bagels (and believe
it or not, they come warm.) Each dozen costs $7.20. If anyone wants to order
a batch I'll split an order with them. They have:Plain, onion, sesame, poppy,
salt, garlic, whole wheat, cin-raisin, sourdough, oat bran and bialys. You can
charge to Amex, Visa or Mastercard, and I promise, these bagels will render all
others obsolete. (the author is in no way related to, or receives any kicj
backs from H&H.)
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moti
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response 18 of 168:
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Sep 24 21:01 UTC 1994 |
Born in Brooklyn I can tell you that it is the only place to get a real bagel.
But where you get it isn't as important as how you get it and how you eat it.
The most important thing is to get them HOT (frozen is a joke.) After a half
a day it's just not a bagel anymore. Next, don't rush eating it. Sit down a
newspaper (the New York Sunday Times is recommended) and just forget about
everything. Enjoy
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scg
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response 19 of 168:
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Sep 24 21:08 UTC 1994 |
If others prefer Barry's, that's fine with me. I really don't care for
Barry's bagles and much prefer the Bagel Factory.
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carson
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response 20 of 168:
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Sep 24 21:48 UTC 1994 |
I just eat.
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popcorn
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response 21 of 168:
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Sep 24 23:00 UTC 1994 |
Audrey said what I was going to say. I learned at my mother's knee
that the best bagels in the universe come from H&H's. Mom lives a block
away from H&H. She visited Ann Arbor a few weeks ago and brought us
some H&H bagels. They're in the freezer. I'm content to eat bagels
that have been frozen and thawed, as long as they're not *over*thawed in
the microwave, which turns them into rocks.
To be honest, while NYC really does have the best pizza in the
universe, I'd say Bagel Factory bagels from right here in Ann Arbor
are just as good.
I made bagels, twice, with my breadmaker, a pot of water, and an oven.
They came out pretty good, but I haven't made any in two years.
I had some strange bagels in California. They were good, but they
tasted kind of like little round wonder bread loaves. Someone told me
this store didn't boil their bagels, but rather they baked them
straight up. They had some special technique they used to get more
sesame/poppy/whatever seeds to stick to the bagel. It worked, but
something was lost in the translation.
Lenders frozen bagels should be used as hockey pucks, not eaten.
The weirdest bagel experience I've ever had was when I visited my cousin
Frank in Australia. When I arrived, his roommate asked me if I'd like
a bagel. I said sure. The roommate laughed his head off. I asked what
I'd said that was so funny. Frank explained that they don't have bagels
in Australia but they'd heard of them in the movies. Some shopping malls
were starting to carry them. What was so funny was that I'd reacted to
this mythical food as if it were something ordinary people eat everyday.
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tnt
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response 22 of 168:
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Sep 25 02:41 UTC 1994 |
Sounds like they were picking on you for being a Jew!
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mjs
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response 23 of 168:
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Sep 25 05:43 UTC 1994 |
Where I live we have Bruegger's Bagel bakeries. Walk in anytime of day
and the dozen or so bins with the different bagel flavors have "HOT" signs
to show which ones are literally still hot from the oven. I hate to
seem to be approving of a franchise that seems hellbent on world bagel
domination (three new stores here in the past year ala Espresso Royale
or Barnes & Noble), but it's hard to resist.
In AA I had problems with Barry bagels, which always seemed stale by the time I
got them. I often fell back on Meijer's frozen ACME bagels, which were pretty
good for frozen, and hard to beat at about a dime apiece.
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srw
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response 24 of 168:
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Sep 25 05:58 UTC 1994 |
I remember when Barry changed the recipe. They are now too soft to satisfy
as bagels, in my opinion. Re: Zingermans, I know they used to buy them
out of Detroit, but I thought they started baking their own when they
opened their bakery and began baking their own bread. They haven't
improved, though, so I may be mistaken.
I'll stick with BF bagels in Ann Arbor, but there were many places in NY
that made better bagels when I used to live there. I completely agree
with moti that the bagel is best when still warm, and eaten slowly.
I have also found that the Sunday Times brings out the flavor.
Here is some more from Leo Rosten on Bagels:
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A Yiddish expression: "Er ligt in drerd und bakt bagel." is readily
translated as "He lies in the ground and bakes bagels." But what does
that mean? "He's not doing so well, poor chap."
-
A man from Mars landed on Second Avenue and looked into a store window,
fascinated. Finally, he entered the shop and asked the owner: "What are
those little wheels in the window?"
"Wheels? What Wheels?"
The Martian pointed.
"But those aren't wheels," smiled the baleboss [owner] "They're called
/bagels/. We eat them . . . Here, Try one."
The Martian bit into a bagel and smacked his lips. "Man! This would
go great with cream cheese and lox."
-
On St. Patrick's day, 1968, Macy's ran an advertisement in the New York
papers such as I had never thought I'd see:
BAGELS
BEGORRAH!
(green ones, yet)
The ad ended: "Cream cheese and lox . . . eighth floor."
Of such is the history of human culture compounded. Begorrah.
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popcorn
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response 25 of 168:
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Sep 25 08:05 UTC 1994 |
Hey Steve? How come you keep putting /slashes/ around the word bagel?
Re 22: I doubt it. For being an American is more like it.
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sarrica
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response 26 of 168:
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Sep 25 10:50 UTC 1994 |
Two bagel shops are a block away... I think I'm taking a walk this
morning!
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chelsea
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response 27 of 168:
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Sep 25 11:24 UTC 1994 |
There is a sign near the cash register at Zing's announcing an upcoming
bagel symposium and tasting. It's sounds like their bakery will be using
the preferences from this event in deciding which bagel they'll be baking.
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popcorn
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response 28 of 168:
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Sep 25 12:49 UTC 1994 |
The current issue of the King Arthur Flour Baker's Catalog has a page
devoted to bagels, including a book called _The Bagel Bible_, two
types of bagel slicer, an Italian bagel skimmer, a bagel dough cutter,
and malt powder (which is supposed to be the key ingredient in NY bagels).
If you want a catalog, call 1-800-827-6836. Disclaimer: I've never
ordered from them. People on the Bread Maker Digest mailing list seem
very happy with this company.
This is linked from Agora item 10 to Kitchen item 87.
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srw
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response 29 of 168:
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Sep 25 16:52 UTC 1994 |
The slashes are my feeble attempt to represent the italics that were in
the original that I was quoting. Sorry I didn't make that clear.
Now that I think about it, they were only italicized, because they appeared
in the alphabetic entry for "bagel".
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facelift
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response 30 of 168:
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Sep 27 01:05 UTC 1994 |
You people are so boring. Like we needed all that about bagels.
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zook
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response 31 of 168:
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Sep 27 01:55 UTC 1994 |
Although I am from the Midwest, I know a thing or two about bagels. One
thing not mentioned to our weight-watching comrade is that the damage to
one's waistline is directly proportional to the toppings applied. I.e.
a toasted bagel with melted butter (MUCH better than toast) IS fattening.
Most cream cheese is fattening. Etc. Most self-respecting bagels in
themselves are low-fat and healthy. The best bagels are fresh, warm,
and without preservatives. I am new in town, so I cannot help you here,
but you can get a pretty decent bagel at Marx bagel factory in Cincinnati
(if you are ever down that way.
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steve
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response 32 of 168:
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Sep 27 02:44 UTC 1994 |
Whats wrong with talking about bagels? Or brick laying,
for that matter? There are few boring subjects...
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omni1
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response 33 of 168:
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Sep 27 02:49 UTC 1994 |
I got my introduction to bagels in HS. Been hooked on em ever since.
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brighn
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response 34 of 168:
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Sep 27 02:51 UTC 1994 |
Can we talk about bagel laying, then?
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kentn
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response 35 of 168:
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Sep 27 03:20 UTC 1994 |
Is boredom a boring subject?
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rcurl
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response 36 of 168:
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Sep 27 04:55 UTC 1994 |
What's boring about bagels is the holes.
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carson
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response 37 of 168:
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Sep 27 05:07 UTC 1994 |
I don't think the holes are bored.
One of my favorite things to eat from the Bagel Factory is their Veggie
Pesto bagel, which consists of tomato, onion, pesto, and smoked
mozzarella on a sesame bagel. It smells and tastes delicious!
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srw
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response 38 of 168:
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Sep 27 05:36 UTC 1994 |
You're right Carson, they aren't bored. Boring holes in bagels is unnecessary,
because they are made with a hole in them already. Actually they are formed by
rolling the dough into a cylinder, and then winding the cylinder around your
finger to form a bagel-shape (torus).
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carson
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response 39 of 168:
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Sep 27 06:07 UTC 1994 |
yet another reason why I fail to understand the Bagel Factory's "help needed
for punching holes in bagels" sign...
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davel
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response 40 of 168:
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Sep 27 10:14 UTC 1994 |
My own clear favorite is Barry Bagel's honey-wheat. They used to be even
better, and went through a period when they often didn't seem to be
thoroughly done - almost sufficient to turn me away permanently, & if it
weren't so much out of the way (& so rare) for me to go by there I'd have
demanded a refund a few times. (Thanks very much for the history lesson,
BTW, Aaron. Strongly agreed that toasting now greatly helps on the onion
ones, and on a number of others too even when they're fresh. <frown>)
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