[virtualcynthia]

Taste is very personal. I liked Better Bagel in Amityville Long Island. He is Greek, but he bought the business from a nice Jewish boy from Brooklyn who gave him the recipe.������

Brooklyn Bagel is very good. I also like their coffee and egg creams.
They also know what I mean when I say I want it scooped.

[Snakster66]

Originally Posted by maistocars

they are probably the best around, but not much competition. That said, they are not close to NY bagels - it's the water......

Agreed, it's always about the water. That's why you can't get a decent cheesesteak outside of philly vicinity. The rolls just don't do it. It's all about the bread and the bread is all about the water.

But it sounds like they at least make them correctly, so that's something.

[Cuervo]

Originally Posted by JMintzer

Was it owned by a Puerto Rican from the get go, of did they buy an established business. Significant difference...

As far as I know the shop was establish by a Puerto Rican family.
This is what I found online:

"H&H. Back in 2011, the 40-year-old legend H&H shuttered its doors, leaving carb fanatics lost and forlorn. H&H Midtown Bagels East isn't officially affiliated with the famous Upper West Side shop, but it was connected in the past: The original owners went their separate ways decades back".

They do still sell online and in N.Y. there are many stores that close their doors to customers and sell directly to restaurants avoiding excessive rents and dealing with the public

[Caymus]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

I'm from Connecticut, home of Lender's Bagels. My grandfather and Harry Lender (the founder) used to play golf together. Lender's is no longer family owned, but I grew up eating the fresh ones still warm from the bakery where we'd pick up half a dozen every week. They aren't the same recipe now, and aren't fresh anymore, and aren't delicious like they were. We also used to go to New York frequently and usually picked up a bagel with belly lox in the lower east side. There was also the kosher market, M&T, in New Haven, which sold fresh-made bagels. I'm not sure if they made them themselves or got them from one of the kosher bakeries in the area. My grandfather's family also owned a kosher bakery and made bagels. That's a brief summary of my "expertise" with bagels.

Brooklyn Bagels are good. They're yeasty, crusty, soft inside, crunchy outside. They toast well, and have enough bubbles inside to catch and hold the cream cheese so it doesn't all melt off the sides right away.

I'm only familiar with the small supermarket freezer Lender's. Did they ever make a better version?

[loufromnewjersey]

Originally Posted by Snakster66

I'm out! They call Taylor Pork Roll, "Taylor Ham".

BTW the correct name is Taylor’s Ham

[Stu from NYC]

Originally Posted by Caymus

I'm only familiar with the small supermarket freezer Lender's. Did they ever make a better version?

I would hope so, the ones we had years ago were rather pathetic.

[Snakster66]

Originally Posted by loufromnewjersey

BTW the correct name is Taylor’s Ham

The package, and cool people, disagree.

[Pinball wizard]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

I'm from Connecticut, home of Lender's Bagels. My grandfather and Harry Lender (the founder) used to play golf together. Lender's is no longer family owned, but I grew up eating the fresh ones still warm from the bakery where we'd pick up half a dozen every week. They aren't the same recipe now, and aren't fresh anymore, and aren't delicious like they were. We also used to go to New York frequently and usually picked up a bagel with belly lox in the lower east side. There was also the kosher market, M&T, in New Haven, which sold fresh-made bagels. I'm not sure if they made them themselves or got them from one of the kosher bakeries in the area. My grandfather's family also owned a kosher bakery and made bagels. That's a brief summary of my "expertise" with bagels.

Brooklyn Bagels are good. They're yeasty, crusty, soft inside, crunchy outside. They toast well, and have enough bubbles inside to catch and hold the cream cheese so it doesn't all melt off the sides right away.

I LOVE Belly Lox! The closest place to get freshly sliced belly lox is Jo-Els in St. Pete. I make a trip down there once a quarter to get some. Let me know if you want some too!

[Ecuadog]

I'm surprised that no one mentioned that the place that the OP is referring to is really named The Original Brooklyn Water Bagel Co.

[PugMom]

i love them, it's a solid place to get a REAL NY style bagel. crispy on the outside tasty & soft inside. the crew is pretty friendly too, working hard under pressure.

[PugMom]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

Lenders USED to be a bagel bakery bagel. Before they became nationally available and were just a local New Haven bagel bakery. This is going back 50 years, not 30. 30 years ago they had Lenders restaurants and they were okay, but nothing like the Lenders bagels that I grew up with. At that point, you could get a half-dozen frozen Lenders in the supermarket. 50 years ago you couldn't.

it's true, i remember

[JMintzer]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

If you want a solid "new spin on an old traditional" get the Williamsburg, without the tomato, on a *toasted* garlic bagel.

That's a bagel, lox, cream cheese, raw onion. You can pay a little extra and have them add some capers to make it perfect.

Suggestion though: bring a friend who orders -just- a bagel with nothing on it. Ask for a knife, and buy another bagel on the side. Scrape off half the cream cheese and peel off half the lox, and make a second sandwich. They really do stuff them generously.

How is that a "new spin"? That has been a common staple for decades... Take it from someone who worked in 2 of the most famous delis in DC, and has been to "Corned Beef Row" in Baltimore countless times...

[JMintzer]

Originally Posted by Snakster66

Agreed, it's always about the water. That's why you can't get a decent cheesesteak outside of philly vicinity. The rolls just don't do it. It's all about the bread and the bread is all about the water.

But it sounds like they at least make them correctly, so that's something.

It's not the water... That's a myth. It's that they boil the bagel before baking. It's what gives them that "crust"...

The length of time they are boiled also makes a difference...

"Short boil: 30–60 seconds per side yields a crusty yet chewy bagel
Long boil: Inhibits rising, resulting in a denser interior and thicker crust

NPR
Chew On This: The Science Of Great NYC Bagels (It's Not The Water) : The Salt : NPR
May 21, 2015

citypass.com
New York Style Bagel: What Makes it Unique and Top Dining Spots
Sep 22, 2022 — Traditional New York style bagels are submerged in boiling water for a couple of minutes before they're baked. Sometimes called "water bagels," boiling the dough sets the outside to give them a crispy exterior and chewy texture.

en.wikipedia.org
New York–style bagel - Wikipedia
A New York–style bagel is always boiled in water that has had barley malt added, which gives a bagel its signature taste, texture, and leathery skin.

allrecipes.com
We Finally Figured Out the Secret To New York Pizza and Bagels
Oct 22, 2023 — The Key to a Real New York Bagel New York bagels get boiled prior to baking, defining their special texture in a solution of water and barley malt. A long boil and thicker crust inhibit rising, resulting in a dense interior while a short boil yields a crusty yet chewy bagel bite.

ecoamical.com
The Art of Bagel-Making: Boiled, Baked, and Better for the Planet
Aug 8, 2023 — Boiling bagels give it's distinct chewy and dense texture. It helps it create a thin, slightly crispy texture when you boil it for 30-60 seconds on each side it also contributes to the bagel's shiny appearance. Boiling also prevents over expansion to keep its unique shape."

[Taltarzac725]

Originally Posted by patfla06

After many months we went back to Brooklyn Bagel today.
We were pleasantly surprised.
They reconfigured the seating and they have a very nice staff.
What was the most noticeable was how CLEAN the store was.

If you haven’t been in a while you should give them a try.

Where is the Brooklyn Bagel?

[JMintzer]

Originally Posted by Cuervo

As far as I know the shop was establish by a Puerto Rican family.
This is what I found online:

"H&H. Back in 2011, the 40-year-old legend H&H shuttered its doors, leaving carb fanatics lost and forlorn. H&H Midtown Bagels East isn't officially affiliated with the famous Upper West Side shop, but it was connected in the past: The original owners went their separate ways decades back".

They do still sell online and in N.Y. there are many stores that close their doors to customers and sell directly to restaurants avoiding excessive rents and dealing with the public

They opened in 1972...

Hardly and iconic bagel shop with a storied past...