R&A Sourdough -- my new favorite bagel

Wanted to give a shout out to R&A Sourdough, a place making outstanding bagels and bagel sandwiches on Lawrence Avenue in Ravenswood. Everything, or just about, is made in-house. My standard order is an egg salad sandwich on an everything bagel, or an untoasted everything bagel with chive. (When I was a kid, it was a real treat to get NYBB bagels fresh in the morning when they didn't need to be toasted.) There's a larger sandwich menu with deli staples and specials. They also have delivery to the suburbs via Tock.

R&A Sourdough
https://randasourdough.com
1938 West Lawrence Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60640

Monday Closed
Tue - Fri 7am - 2pm
Saturday 8am - 1pm
Sunday 8am - 1pm

Those are some really premium prices.

Yes. About triple the price of New York Bagels and Bialies.

Well, they are four times as big.

Eh, $2-3/each seems to be the standard price for hipster bagels these days, like $5-6 is the going rate for hipster tacos. Isn't Reno charging $3? I'm not thrilled about this development, but I've paid $25 for a bagel and lox at Sadelle's (more than once, and I'll do it again) so I'm sure I'll end up trying this place....

I have had R&A bagels and they are good. A place that has better bagels and for a far cheaper price is The Daly Bagel in Oak Park.

http://www.thedalybagel.com

lougord99 wrote:Yes. About triple the price of New York Bagels and Bialies.

Closer to double NYB&B now, since they've unfortunately gone from $1 to $1.20/per in what seemed like 4-5 months.

Darren72 wrote:Well, they are four times as big.

That's not necessarily a strong selling point. Can't comment on these specifically but at some point the proportions (crust-to-interior) go wonky when you scale up/down. These may well be perfect but bigger ain't always better.

spinynorman99 wrote:

Darren72 wrote:Well, they are four times as big.

That's not necessarily a strong selling point. Can't comment on these specifically but at some point the proportions (crust-to-interior) go wonky when you scale up/down. These may well be perfect but bigger ain't always better.

Agreed. I actually hate that kind of bagel. Once sliced, they don’t last and there’s no way to eat the huge ones unless you’re a large, ultra-hungry person. It also upsets the balance of crusty crust to soft interior. No thanks!

Darren72 wrote:Well, they are four times as big.

Before there’s too much debate over the merits a one pound bagel, I suppose at this point I should say this was not serious. The bagels at R&A are bagel sized.

Those who are looking for really good bagels should try R&A, even if it cost you three dollars. More, if you require cream cheese.

I am also a big fan of R&A. Are they cheap? No.

Are they delicious, consistently high quality, and run by a friendly couple that is constantly finding new inspiration and trying to meet their customers' interests and needs? Yes.

I find the crust to crumb ratio, the generosity of toppings, the overall chew, and flavor to be exactly my taste (NY B&B was my prior go-to).

The variety and quality of schmears, all made in-house, is also a selling point for me.

Their in-house lox is, I think, among the best in the city as well.

If you're only interested in grumbling about cost then R&A is not for you. If anything that's not a perfectly traditional NY bagel is an abomination then R&A is not for you.

But if you're looking to eat a really great bagel with good chew, nice tang, great flavor, and quality topping - try out R&A.

mailsf wrote:I am also a big fan of R&A. Are they cheap? No.

Are they delicious, consistently high quality, and run by a friendly couple that is constantly finding new inspiration and trying to meet their customers' interests and needs? Yes.

I find the crust to crumb ratio, the generosity of toppings, the overall chew, and flavor to be exactly my taste (NY B&B was my prior go-to).

The variety and quality of schmears, all made in-house, is also a selling point for me.

Their in-house lox is, I think, among the best in the city as well.

If you're only interested in grumbling about cost then R&A is not for you. If anything that's not a perfectly traditional NY bagel is an abomination then R&A is not for you.

But if you're looking to eat a really great bagel with good chew, nice tang, great flavor, and quality topping - try out R&A.

Agreed. I like having a good bagel within walking distance. Daly Bagel is great…for those who live nearby.

How do they compare to some of the better ones in town like Gotham?

marothisu wrote:How do they compare to some of the better ones in town like Gotham?

I'll admit I've never had Gotham. But the other bagels around town that I like and think are quality, for a reference point of my tastes, are NYB&B and Daly.

My quibbles with most local bagels are that they're too uniformly soft or too stingy on seeds/toppings so that a plain and a sesame are nearly indistinguishable, or they're too sweet overall. R&A doesn't have these issues. They're toothsome, there's a clear delineation between crust and interior, they're generous with the "everything," and they're more tangy (due to the sourdough).

But now I'm going to have to grab a variety of local faves and do some side-by-side testing!

mailsf wrote:

marothisu wrote:there's a clear delineation between crust and interior, they're generous with the "everything," and they're more tangy (due to the sourdough).

I always thought that the tang in good bagels was from malt. Am I wrong about that ?

lougord99 wrote:

mailsf wrote:

marothisu wrote:there's a clear delineation between crust and interior, they're generous with the "everything," and they're more tangy (due to the sourdough).

I always thought that the tang in good bagels was from malt. Am I wrong about that ?

Malt is sweet. It's usually sourdough or some facsimile thereof that produces tangyness.

=R=

Steve Dolinski, the Food Guy visited R & A Sourdough tonight. The bagels looked really good.

NFriday wrote:Steve Dolinski, the Food Guy visited R & A Sourdough tonight. The bagels looked really good.

https://www.nbcchicago.com/top-videos-h ... e/3234021/

i cant tell from their website if there's seating or take out only? i look forward to trying them, but it's highly unlikely that they can be better than Reno's bagels which are the best in the world, as far as i'm concerned. and i'll never understand bagel sandwiches (eaten closed). that makes no sense to me- a real jawbreaker. i'll eat a topping on a bagel but only open faced. i see people all the time trying to stuff an enormous bagel sandwich in their mouth. it looks painful!

Carry out only.
There are a small number of seats outside.

And there seems to be a fairly long queue every weekend, so id recommend ordering online instead of just showing up.

While the prices are higher there, I preferred the lox and bagel sandwich at steingolds. But it's nice to have two good options nearby