From $10 tickets in Bushwick to $200 day passes at Citi Field, New York City BagelFest welcomed guests to the big leagues.
The fourth edition of Sam Silverman’s brainchild kicked off Saturday, Nov. 15, at the home of the Mets in Flushing. Mets colors and cumbersome cardboard trays were everywhere you looked as people frolicked from stand to stand, sampling what over 50 vendors had traveled from around the world to share with New York.
“This is my Super Bowl,” said veteran Bagelfester Ryan Saderberg. “I just have a thing for buffets in general. Something about unlimited foods speaks to me. It’s two worlds colliding. I rave to all my friends that they need to come here.”
Saderberg was one of the many satisfied attendees who proved that people will pay a premium for access to premium bagels. Bagel hobbyists moved throughout the space like schools of fish through the ocean. There were samples galore and competitions for superlatives like best schmear.
“I have people asking me what a schmear is,” said the proprietor of Copenhagen’s Bagel Belly, Emily Bridges. As an American living in Denmark, Bridges started Bagel Belly in 2020 because of the lack of good bagels in the city. She is a dietician by trade and spent the better part of her professional life in kitchens.
“I’m from North Carolina. There’s a lot of good bagel shops in North Carolina, so this was my attempt to bring good bagels to Denmark for all the Danes and American expats,” she said. “This event is awesome. Not only to get my name out there but also to meet all these other people who are doing the same thing that I am.”
She gave an honorable mention to her husband, who is Danish and assists her in the operation of the shop.
Speaking of the shop, it shares a space with a pizzeria and only operates before the pizzeria opens.
“The bagel scene in Copenhagen is non-existent. I am the scene. I guess the weight of the bagel world is on my shoulder in the Nordic area,” Bridges said. “I had to do sourdough, or they would have kicked me out of the country.”
As the melting pot of bagel shops, Dutchman’s, located in Maine, combines New York-style bagels with hints of Montreal-style technique.
“I like to tell people it’s a New York-style bagel baked in a woodfire oven. Different from Montreal style,” said Jeremy Kratzer. “Our bagels are chewy but not toothsome. The initial heat sets the crust and allows it to rise. For us, it was important to get enough rise and bounce.”
Krazter and his wife Marina also wanted to bring good bagels to an area that was crying out for them. For the masses, yes, but it started as a mission just for themselves. To make matters even more ironic, the Kratzers also began operating their establishment out of a pizzeria.
Pizza and bagels are a New York City match made in heaven. Just ask Bagizza, who were one of the local vendors that make pizza from the same dough as used for their bagels.
Whether you’re pushing New York-style bagels in Hawaii, like Tali’s Bagels, or just love eating them, the globalization of one of the finest culinary contributions Ashkenazi Jewish people have made is undeniable. Body By Bagels were seeking out the best of the best.
“We noticed a lack of good New York-style bagels around Boston. The popular conception of Boston is that we don’t have good options, but we want to disprove that,” said Alex Sawczynez, who is one half of the Instagram bagel account. “The perks are delicious. It’s been really interesting to see international highlights of bagels.”
Sawczynez and Kim White have been blogging about bagels for two years with no end in sight. Their aim has been finding the best bagels in the northeast and highlighting as many small local businesses as possible in the process.
Baltik’s Bagel out of Richmond, Virginia, was best in show for their fiery red tomato-colored bagel that tasted like a lovely caprese. There were dozens of wonderful bagels on display and if you can afford the price of admission, make plans to attend next year.
