I Tried the 16 Best Bagels in NYC
Tradition triumphs over trends
You cannot understand a place without understanding its culinary staples. If you’re ever somewhere new, don’t just go to the first place recommended by social media. Or the highest rated restaurant on Yelp or Google.
Dig deeper.
Find what that city does well. The culinary icons that embody the city’s history, culture, and people.
New York City —my adopted hometown—has many iconic foods. But I would argue that the bagel is at or near the top of the list.
The New York City bagel is more than just hand-rolled dough that’s been kettle boiled. It captures the city’s culture and rich immigrant history.
Over the past year, I tried all of the best bagels in New York City. The “best” was according to a list by the New York Times. Although I learned that this list was flawed and incomplete in parts.
Throughout my journey I was on a mission. Not only for gastronomic enjoyment, but to understand my city better. And to understand why bagels became so iconic.
I hope you enjoy the video. If it inspires you to try new bagel shops or to dig deeper into the culinary staples of your own home — or any place you visit — then my mission was accomplished.
I’ll be digging more into the culture and history of New York City bagels on Medium this week. But in the meantime, if you want to read more about my bagel journey, check out this piece, which supplements the video above.
Thanks for being here. Later this week, we’ll shift gears into a more in-depth political piece focused on Putin’s economic war machine and why it’s designed never to stop. It will draw parallels to the Soviet Union’s failures in Afghanistan during the 20th century. Become a paid subscriber today so you don’t miss it!