Bagels: New York Bagel and Bialy

To the best of my recollection, bagels have not been discussed here on LTH and, seeing as they are an indispensable part of the diet of many (and should be of all), I will take this moment to call attention to New York Bagel and Bialy (NYBB). This establishment is surely well known to many of you but perhaps not to all.

Though I will not claim to be an expert bagelist, I did grow up in the metro New York area and lived in Manhattan for a good while. NYBB's products are not the best I have ever had but they are the best I've had since I moved away from the old country many years ago. The bagels are from a textural standpoint quite satisfying, the degree of browning is always fairly high, and they are generous in the application of poppy seeds and sesame seeds but, it seems to me, judicious in the application of salt and garlic, which can be overdone. The bagels are also of good size and most have only a small hole or hardly any, which makes them suitable purveyors of potentially messy sandwich fillings (I am wont to use bagels to form a sandwich with a sort of simple tuna salad: onion, parsley, lemon juice, olio santo).

Beyond bagels NYBB --as their name would imply--also offer very nice bialys of the traditional sort. In addition, they also sell "mini-bialys" which are dressed with a little onion and poppy seeds and resemble in form little rolls. Because of their smaller size, they provide a nice option for portion size. They also sell some long rolls, breads, bagel chips, some dairy items, and of course, one can get a bagel dressed (cream cheese, lox, tomato, etc.) for immediate consumption. As is in my experience traditional, a bagel with cream cheese from them is crammed with an amazing amount of cheese (really a little too much, both from the cardiological standpoint and also from that of the overall balance of flavours and textures in the snack). The basic cream cheese they offer is very good and, apparently with far fewer preservatives than the commercial varieties available-- a container in our fridge starts to go after several days.

On the other food site, the NYBB shop on Touhy (ca. 4700?, across from Psistaria, northside of the first block east of the Edens and Skokie Boulevard) in Lincolnwood came up in the context of a thread on Fanny's Deli. At that time I asked if anyone know their hours but the query received no response. I can now answer this question myself: they are open 24/7.

I hope other superior bagel makers are out there in Chicagoland and will be mentioned herebelow but NYBB is certainly a very good one and far better than any and all of the options available to us here in the center of the city. It's a bit of a trek from downtown but, given the 24/7 hours, one can pick up a dozen any time one finds oneself in the Skokie/Lincolnwood area.

Antonius

Moderator edit in of address
New York Bagel & Bialy
4714 W. Touhy
Lincolnwood, IL
847-677-9388

As for store-bought bagels, I'm a big fan of King David, a bakery located north of the city (Evanston?) that delivers ever so inconsistently to Treasure Island. I can only usually find plain, but they are the best plain bagels I've had in Chicago, if a bit smallish.

does anyone else have any experience with King David?

A small shop entitled "Beans and Bagels" just opened up in Lincoln Square on the corner of Rockwell and Leland, and I believe they use New York Bagels as their supplier.
I agree that they are very good and, apropos of the name, similar to what I've sampled in New York.

Growing up in West Rogers Park, NYBB was our mainstay. The mini-biyalys are the best and I think the bagels are the best you'll find in Chicago. Beans & Bagels at the Montrose L stop does indeed get their bagels from there.

Another good option is Kaufman's Deli and Bakery. I believe they make all their own bagels, rolls, biyaly's , etc. Kaufman's is on Dempster, just east of the Skokie Swift stop. Chaim's Kosher bakery across the street is also good (although I've never gone for the bagels).

There are a ton of Jewish bakeries on Touhy, Howard, and Devon. King David is on Howard and does indeed have good bagels.

North Shore Bakery on Touhy, and Tel Aviv and Gitels on Devon are all good kosher bakeries. I'm not sure if any of these places are making bagels these days. We always went to Gitels or North Shore for rye bread, challah, and cookies.

Beans & Bagels
1812 W. Montrose Ave.
773-769-2000

Kaufman's Bagel & Delicatessen
4905 Dempster St., Skokie
847-677-9880

Chaim's Kosher Bakery
4956 Depmster, Skokie

King David Kosher Bakery
1731 W. Howard Evanston, IL
847 475-0270

North Shore Bakery
2919 W. Touhy Ave.
773-262-0600

Gitel's Kosher Bakery
2745 W. Devon Ave.
773-262-3701

Tel Aviv Kosher Bakery
2944 W. Devon Ave.
773-764-8877

Simon wrote:does anyone else have any experience with King David?

I tried some twisted/braided challah bread from King David that was being carried by the nearby Dominick's on Howard. That was some good stuff, not to be equalled by other store-bought challah brought home later (although I believe there's also excellent challah to be found at the Touhy/Dempster locations mentioned above). Sorry to get off-topic.

The Snob

Hi,

In Highland Park, we have one bagel bakery:

Once Upon a Bagel
1888 1st Street
Highland Park, IL 60035
847-433-1411

Regards,

NYBB is certainly the best bagel I have found in the midwest; every time I get a good bagel at a little sandwich shop/deli and ask where they got it, it was inevitably NYBB.

I was recently home (Westchester, NY) and looking forward to a NY bagel, but honestly, the stuff my parents were getting was no better than NYBB. I"m sure there is some superior stuff in Manhattan and the boroughs, but there is definitely no guarantee that just by being in NYC or environs you're going to get a decent bagel.

I did try a place this spring in the 40s on 2nd Ave or 3rd I think that was talked up a bit, and didn't think it was superior to NYBB. (Can't recall the name now.)

Does "Brooklyn Bagel Boys" still exist here? I thought they used to do a decent job, but it's been a while and I can no longer even remember where they were.

Love NYBB but I'm also lucky to have Upper Crust in Deerfield (a few blocks from my house), which is very, very good.

=R=

One of the first things my brother told me before moving to Chicago, was

my brother wrote:There is no such thing as a salt bagel in Chicago.

In other words, if I am prepared to move to Chicago, I must also be prepared to leave salt water and salt bagels behind. Luckily I've found some, of the bagel kind anyway.

Antonius wrote:The bagels are from a textural standpoint quite satisfying, the degree of browning is always fairly high, and they are generous in the application of poppy seeds and sesame seeds but, it seems to me, judicious in the application of salt and garlic, which can be overdone.

Bagels used to be a regular part of my diet, but one that I have learned to live without as I decide where to spend my caloric intake. But I have strayed, and crave the tastes of home once in a while. As a city dweller, the closest place I have found that I like is New York Bagel at North Ave & Sheffield, in the strip mall on the SW corner of the intersection. They carry the endangered species Salt Bagel, and I try to get them to serve me the ones that are nicely browned, but many times they do not carry them, or the ones they do have are whiter than my untanned underside. Admittedly, they are not as substantial as the coveted H&H where I used to wait in line at 80th & B'way for consistently good, fresh, and expensive carbs to go.

But Salt Bagels are only part of the equation for me. Also necessary are scallion cream cheese (which is quite easier to find) and LOX. Not Nova, but LOX. Salty, juicy, and loud, Lox has a pinker hue and is far less popular than Nova, which people describe as more soft and sublime in comparison. Anyone know where I can find Lox?

Rich4 wrote:But Salt Bagels are only part of the equation for me. Also necessary are scallion cream cheese (which is quite easier to find) and LOX. Not Nova, but LOX. Salty, juicy, and loud, Lox has a pinker hue and is far less popular than Nova, which people describe as more soft and sublime in comparison. Anyone know where I can find Lox?

I assume you're referring to what I know as "Belly Lox". Any decent deli will carry it, Kaufman's on Dempster for sure.

Speaking of bagels, I've been meaning to ask this for a week or so (since we traveled twice to Old Orchard for the Brandeiss Book Fair/twice supped on wonderful shwarma). Anyone know anything about Bagel Fresh. It's a bagel shop in a strip mall on Skokie Highway a bit north of Dempster.

I have no idea, really, if it is good or bad, but its location, in the cheezy strip mall, reminds both me and Ms. VI totally of such bagel joints in S. Florida, and since both me and the Ms. are firm believers in the superiority of S. Florida bagel shops, we have are hopes up from this one (based on our developing theory of bagel shops in cheezy strip malls). Aventura bagel shops in the Chicago area could be the best chow news since LA donuts found in Wheeling.

rg

Might someone be so good as to post an address (and maybe even phone #) for NYBB? It's awfully helpful to those of us that wish to visit some place to include this info in a post that sings the praises of an establishment.

Kman wrote:Might someone be so good as to post an address (and maybe even phone #) for NYBB? It's awfully helpful to those of us that wish to visit some place to include this info in a post that sings the praises of an establishment.

Well, in my post there's a pretty narrow description of where it is... not an exact street number but as near as one can get... and, as mentioned above, they're open 24/7, so it's unlikely they'll be closed when you want to go, at least at the Touhy location...

Eccolo:

Antonius wrote:Touhy (ca. 4700?, across from Psistaria, northside of the first block east of the Edens and Skokie Boulevard) in Lincolnwood

From the city: Edens to Touhy East exit and left off the ramp onto Skokie Boulevard up to the light; turn right onto Touhy, then turn immediately left.

A

Kman wrote:Might someone be so good as to post an address (and maybe even phone #) for NYBB? It's awfully helpful to those of us that wish to visit some place to include this info in a post that sings the praises of an establishment.

New York Bagel and Bialy
4714 W Touhy Ave
Lincolnwood, IL 60646
847- 677-9388

24/7

[quote="eatchicago
New York Bagel and Bialy
4714 W Touhy Ave
Lincolnwood, IL 60646
847- 677-9388

24/7[/quote]

Thank you. That's the kind of thing I can plug into mapquest and chart out a route.

New York Bagel and Bialy is located in a cool little Chow strip mall, in addition to NY Bagel and Bialy, which I adore, is Fannie's Deli, a Korean takeout and a bakery. The Korean take out is pretty good, the bakery I can live without.

Right across the street is Psistaria, a good, though not exceptional, Greek restaurant. In the same general area is my favorite Suburban-American-Chinese restaurant, Kow Kow, Cicero and Pratt.

Lincoln Ave South of Touhy has any number of Korean restaurants and my favorite Japanese, Katsu, is but a stones throw away on Peterson.

Enjoy,
Gary
--

New York Bagels and Bialys
4714 W Touhy Ave
Lincolnwood, IL 60712
847- 677-9388

Open 24/7 excellent bialys, good to very good bagel. Lox nova/belly and cream cheese. No corned beef or other deli items.
--

Fannies Deli
4718 W Touhy Ave
Lincolnwood IL 60646
847-676-4000

Not bad deli, lox nova/belly, corned beef, pastrami, sable etc.. Sandwiches and some prepared foods.
==

Happy Kitchen
4706 W Touhy
Lincolnwood, IL

Take out Korean with two tables for waiting or the occasional eat-in. Korean standards, freshly prepared and very inexpensive. Good spot to pick up a quick lunch. In the same strip mall as New York bagels and bialys and Fannie's Deli.
==

Sweet Table by Feliz
Sweet Table is in the same strip mall as Happy Kitchen, Fannie's and NY Bagel and Bialys. I am not all that keen on Sweet Table, it seems to have aspirations to upscale, but, to me, the products look better than they taste.
==

Kow Kow
6755 N Cicero
Lincolnwood, IL

Ridicule me if you wish, but I like this place for American/Cantonese standards. Crunchy egg rolls, won ton's in the soup are filled with meat and the broth even has a quartered hard boiled egg, which was a nice touch. Pan fried noodles available, chili oil and fresh shrimp subgum, perfect for that once in a while nostalgic craving.
==

G Wiv wrote:Ridicule me if you wish, but I like this place for American/Cantonese standards. Crunchy egg rolls, won ton's in the soup are filled with meat and the broth even has a quartered hard boiled egg, which was a nice touch. Pan fried noodles available, chili oil and fresh shrimp subgum, perfect for that once in a while nostalgic craving.
==

No ridicule coming from my direction. Kow Kow is indeed the king of Americanized-Chinese food. Some of the dishes have that thick, goopy feel, but the egg rolls are big, crunchy, flavorful, and full of fun. I still have childhood memories of their won ton soup with a big spoonful of chili oil added in.

Isn't this a second location? This is the only location I have been to - it was a great bagel - I had mine with lox, loaded high - no skimping there.

New York Bagels & Bialy Corporation
8794 W Dempster St
Niles, IL 60714-5185

spa_girl wrote:Isn't this a second location? This is the only location I have been to - it was a great bagel - I had mine with lox, loaded high - no skimping there.

The two locations do share ownership. It is my understanding that the Touhy location is first and primary location. The Niles location (based on my last visit) is not open 24 hours.

Vital Information wrote:Speaking of bagels, I've been meaning to ask this for a week or so (since we traveled twice to Old Orchard for the Brandeiss Book Fair/twice supped on wonderful shwarma). Anyone know anything about Bagel Fresh. It's a bagel shop in a strip mall on Skokie Highway a bit north of Dempster.
rg

Rob, I think you're talking about "Bagel Country", which is a CRC kosher dairy restaurant with it's own bagel bakery inside. (They have a big neon sign in their window that says "Fresh".) Their bagels are good, but as a kosher restaurant, pricey -- but they do have a wider variety than NYBB or Kaufman's including a great pumpernickel bagel that's worth a trip. Otherwise, they serve an OK selection of wraps, sandwiches and salads that's nothing super special -- but the orthodox community has made the place their coffee-shop hangout.

And back on subject for everyone else -- remember, there's also a New York Bagel & Bialy in Skokie, at 3556 Dempster. This is where we regularly get our bagels; I've always found NYBB much superior to Kaufman's, where the bagels have a cake-like texture. (It's true that our in-laws in Winston Towers, and their alter cocker friends, seem to prefer Kaufman's but I think that's because the NYBB traditional product is too hard for them to chew.)

Bagel Country
9306 Skokie Boulevard
Skokie, IL 60076
847-673-3030
www.bagelcountry.com


>>Brent

There are three New York Bagel and Bialy locations -- Lincolnwood, Skokie and Niles -- all under the same ownership. (The place on North Avenue is N.Y.C. Bagels, a different company.) At least the Lincolnwood and Skokie sites are 24 hours, though you might have to go in and call out to get a baker to come out of the back and wait on you, and in the wee hours, it may help to speak Spanish.

I have to say that the thing I like best about these places is their hours. I find the bagels puffier and doughier than I prefer, and I think the lack of a discernable hole to be a mark of lack of quality. (I might add that I don't much care for NYC's vaunted H&H Bagels, either.)

I like Kaufman's, mentioned above, better than NYBB, but my favorites come from Chicago Bagel & Bialy, which produces nicely chewy bagels with the smooth crust and good shape I like best. They do have good salt bagels, a favorite of mine, and also what they call "French onion" bagels, which are onion bagels with the onion baked into the dough instead of just sprinkled on the outside.

They also have a full deli case with good, real lox, sable, etc.

According to the Website, the owner is the son of a founder of NYBB.

Chicago Bagel & Bialy Deli
260 S. Milwaukee Ave., Wheeling
(847) 459-9009

brotine wrote:

Vital Information wrote:Speaking of bagels, I've been meaning to ask this for a week or so (since we traveled twice to Old Orchard for the Brandeiss Book Fair/twice supped on wonderful shwarma). Anyone know anything about Bagel Fresh. It's a bagel shop in a strip mall on Skokie Highway a bit north of Dempster.
rg

Rob, I think you're talking about "Bagel Country", which is a CRC kosher dairy restaurant with it's own bagel bakery inside. (They have a big neon sign in their window that says "Fresh".) Their bagels are good, but as a kosher restaurant, pricey -- but they do have a wider variety than NYBB or Kaufman's including a great pumpernickel bagel that's worth a trip. Otherwise, they serve an OK selection of wraps, sandwiches and salads that's nothing super special -- but the orthodox community has made the place their coffee-shop hangout.


Bagel Country
9306 Skokie Boulevard
Skokie, IL 60076
847-673-3030
www.bagelcountry.com


>>Brent

Brent, thanks for correcting the 411 on Bagel Country. I am still very anxious to try. Do they have hand sliced lox or nova?

Speaking of hand-sliced lox (the real, salty thing) I've had percolating in my head for ages, a post on the Onion Roll in Oak Park. Maybe sometime soon, but for now, my sentiment remains: a bagel is always a bagel, but when you can top it with exquisite, cannot eat it EXCEPT with a schmear, hand-sliced portion of lox, well that is something to talk about. To me, the thing about hand-sliced lox is not (just) the thinnest, it is the ragged edges. Somehow, I find those ragged edges give the fish a more robust and "real" taste in the mouth. BTW, Onion Roll serves NY B&B stuff too.

Onion Roll
6939 North Ave
Oak Park, IL
(708) 383-2548

LAZ wrote:There are three New York Bagel and Bialy locations -- Lincolnwood, Skokie and Niles -- all under the same ownership. (The place on North Avenue is N.Y.C. Bagels, a different company.) At least the Lincolnwood and Skokie sites are 24 hours, though you might have to go in and call out to get a baker to come out of the back and wait on you, and in the wee hours, it may help to speak Spanish.

I have to say that the thing I like best about these places is their hours. I find the bagels puffier and doughier than I prefer, and I think the lack of a discernable hole to be a mark of lack of quality. (I might add that I don't much care for NYC's vaunted H&H Bagels, either.)

I like Kaufman's, mentioned above, better than NYBB, but my favorites come from Chicago Bagel & Bialy, which produces nicely chewy bagels with the smooth crust and good shape I like best. They do have good salt bagels, a favorite of mine, and also what they call "French onion" bagels, which are onion bagels with the onion baked into the dough instead of just sprinkled on the outside.

They also have a full deli case with good, real lox, sable, etc.

According to the Website, the owner is the son of a founder of NYBB.

Chicago Bagel & Bialy Deli
260 S. Milwaukee Ave., Wheeling
(847) 459-9009

Very interesting, Leah. I appreciate your consistency of opinion by liking Kaufman's and not liking H&H. You are clearly showing a preference towards a lighter, airy type of bagel--can we perhaps call it a Chicago bagel? Me, I find Kaufman's bagels just round, with a hole, bread. I prefer the denser, Eastern style bagel. I will forever fight with the New Yawkers about pizza, but bagels, there I'm with 'em.

As to Kaufmans, I do like their other stuff including their corned beef and the fact that you can have chopped beef liver AND chopped chicken liver. It is a good store oveall.

Vital Information wrote:
Very interesting, Leah. I appreciate your consistency of opinion by liking Kaufman's and not liking H&H. You are clearly showing a preference towards a lighter, airy type of bagel--can we perhaps call it a Chicago bagel? Me, I find Kaufman's bagels just round, with a hole, bread. I prefer the denser, Eastern style bagel. I will forever fight with the New Yawkers about pizza, but bagels, there I'm with 'em.

VI:

But I thought you were starting to have some doubts of your pizza stance?.... That's for elsewhere...

A corollary to what you observe above is that NYBB stands, from a textural stand-point, more on the New York side of things. And certainly texture, incuding consistently achieved high level of browning, takes precedence over consistency of shape. Indeed, the nice variation of the shape of NYBB bagels reflects not at all negatively on the essential quality of the product, unless, of course, one prefers the "round bread with a hole" sort.

A

Vital Information wrote:Very interesting, Leah. I appreciate your consistency of opinion by liking Kaufman's and not liking H&H. You are clearly showing a preference towards a lighter, airy type of bagel--can we perhaps call it a Chicago bagel? Me, I find Kaufman's bagels just round, with a hole, bread. I prefer the denser, Eastern style bagel.

No, what I like is smooth crust and chewy texture. Airiness is not something to be desired in bagels. Perhaps what you call denseness is what I call doughiness. I don't find much difference in the consistency of NYBB's bagels and their bialys, which is not as it should be.

I don't think Kaufman's bagels are airy, though they are smoother than NYBB. I would certainly not class them as bread with a hole in them, a designation that belongs to places like Great American Bagel. (I have to say I haven't had a Kaufman's bagel in a while. Could they have changed?)

However, I agree that there's some difference between Eastern-style and Midwestern-style bagels and my bagel preferences were formed in Detroit. However, I've had bagels I liked in both New York and Florida, so the difference isn't that vast.

G Wiv wrote:New York Bagel and Bialy is located in a cool little Chow strip mall, in addition to NY Bagel and Bialy, which I adore, is Fannie's Deli, a Korean takeout and a bakery. The Korean take out is pretty good, the bakery I can live without...
--

Fannies Deli
4718 W Touhy Ave
Lincolnwood IL 60646
847-676-4000

Fannie's is no more. I just stopped by NYB&B this morning and saw that the space had been vacated and is now being readied for a new business, "Sandwich Works" or something to that effect.

All that's left of Fannie's is the 'Shalom' sticker on the door.

Antonius

My father (whose memory is suspect in such things... this requires investigation) says he went to Fannie's a couple of months ago, and that they were open, but had moved a few doors west, and were no longer next to NYB&B. Perhaps it's still around?

Dmnkly wrote:My father (whose memory is suspect in such things... this requires investigation) says he went to Fannie's a couple of months ago, and that they were open, but had moved a few doors west, and were no longer next to NYB&B. Perhaps it's still around?

Your father is incorrect. Fannie's went completely out of business at least 6 months ago. Perhaps your father was confused because NYB&B is a few doolrs west of the former Fannie's space. They sell, in addition to bagles, some deli items as well.

Dmnkly wrote:My father (whose memory is suspect in such things... this requires investigation) says he went to Fannie's a couple of months ago, and that they were open, but had moved a few doors west, and were no longer next to NYB&B. Perhaps it's still around?

Uh oh... yes, that's possible, at least in sofar as I cannot say I carefully surveyed the little mall in its entirety. It could indeed be there in another spot, though if it's further west, I should have noticed it, since I parked on the west side of the mall and had to walk around to the front... Still, I'm not sure...

Appy-polly-logies... all I know for sure is: they ain't where they was. Thanks, Dom...

Incidentally, my bagel this morning, beschmeered (or is that 'beschmoren'?) with some of the house-cream-cheese, was very good.

Antonius

Dmnkly wrote:My father (whose memory is suspect in such things... this requires investigation) says he went to Fannie's a couple of months ago, and that they were open, but had moved a few doors west, and were no longer next to NYB&B. Perhaps it's still around?

Dmnkly,

Best have your father check again, I've been in that strip mall twice in the last week, once to NYB&B, second time the computer shop, which is the far west biz in the strip mall. No more Fannie's.

Enjoy,
Gary