America's Bagels
Bagels are best in New York. Straight up. But it’s our independence day, and so we’ve got to give a shout out to the rest of our beautiful country. So, what’s the bagel situation in the rest of the nation?
The United States of Bagels
There are a plethora of shops that sell bagels, but only a few are true bagel shops. The best make hand-rolled, traditionally baked products, like Bernstein's Bagels of Portland, Oregon, LA’s Bagel Broker, the Bagel Oasis in Queens (in operation since the 1960’s!), Austin’s Wholly Bagel, or BB's Bagels all the way down in Alpharetta, Georgia. See the map below for the best bagel in every state!
Source: the Nosher
Red, White, and Bagel
Although we love tradition, it’s important to acknowledge the movers and shakers in the bagel world, too. Well, as long as they’re using high-quality ingredients and are committed to their craft. Bagelsaurus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is a good example of this—although it is more labor intensive, they go the extra mile to incorporate sourdough starter into their dough for a natural tang. Rebelle Bagels gives their product an extra punch by boiling in a barley malt solution and topping their creations with fun ingredients like kimchi cream cheese and tomato jam. The unique bagels at Courage Bagels are also making waves, with shapes and colors that are full of character.
Ruby’s Bagels in Milwaukee (Source: On Milwaukee)
Honorable mention
Although Montreal-style bagels are, well, un-american, we’d be remiss not to mention a few places they’re sold south of Canada’s borders. These thin beauties—boiled in honey water and wood-fired—can be found at Eltana in Seattle, Myer's Bagels in Burlington, Vermont, and right here in Chicago at Reno in Logan Square.