A Good Bagel In NYC Is Like Having A Good Friend, And The Bagels At Brooklyn Bagel and Coffee Co. Are My Best Friends

Though I wonder is it a good thing to want to eat your friends? Well in this case yes it is.

For some reason, in this darn town, good Bagels are becoming hard to find. Don't get me wrong you can find Bagels in every food shop from Inwood to Coney Island, but just because you buy a Bagel in New York doesn't mean it's any good.

I actually have some experience. Back in my younger days, high school in fact, I worked a part time job at a Bagel shop in Mt. Kisco (Westchester Co, NY) where I'd make the Bagels each day before I went to school. This is where my love for Bagels grew and my appreciation for making a great Bagel was born. Flour, Yeast, Salt, Water and some kind of malted smelling stuff. I still remember watching all that mix in the gigantic mixer until it became dough, pulling it out and cutting it into pieces. A little Flour for the cutting board then I'd take the rolling pin and flatten it out, not too flat as the owner liked his Bagels plump (me too.)

There are many ways to make Bagels. There are many places to buy Bagels. There aren't many places to get good Bagels...did I say that already?

Dunkin Donuts? You gotta be kidding me. Einstein Bros.? Not a Bagel. The Street Carts in the morning? Good gosh no.

The place for me is Brooklyn Bagel & Coffee Company, and the one I go to is on 8th Avenue between 24th and 25th (286 th 8th Ave.) They have 3 other locations, all in Astoria:

35-05 Broadway
36-14 30th Ave
35-9 Ditmars Blvd

A good Bagel has a hard exterior, just like most New Yorkers. And just like most NY'ers, when you pull back that tough shell you'll find a soft interior, or in this case a delicious filling. It really boggles my mind when people ask to have the middle of the Bagel scooped out because they are trying to watch their weight. Skinny little ladies in their ultra tight jeans miming the act of scooping because the guy behind the counter might not know what she means. Ok that might be a stereotype, but it sounded good.

I guess I'm a purest. I often like to eat a Bagel with nothing on it, fresh from the store, still warm from the oven. When I used to bake Bagels it was so hard not to stuff myself constantly. Bagels right out of the oven are sooooo soft and delicate, you can peel them apart without any trouble and cram them down your throat and not even know you ate one.

What's great about Brooklyn Bagel & Coffee Company is that their Bagels remind me of the old days, and isn't that what it's all about? Good memories, great times.

Not that I eat it often but their selection of Cream Cheese is outstanding and their Coffee is top shelf. They also make delicious Breakfast Sandwiches, a variety of Pastries, Salads and Sandwiches for Lunch as well.

So get your butt on over there to try one of the best Bagels in the city and stop eating the crappy ones you usually buy!