BAGEL REVIEW: Long Island Bagel Cafe

My search for the best bagels in New York continues….

If a bagel shop opened in this city calling itself “California Bagels” or “Philadelphia Bagels,” they couldn’t sensibly expect to stay in business for very long. New York City is the leading American city for bagels so it’s silly to try to hawk lesser bagels here. Nobody would go for it.

But Long Island Bagel Cafe is a bit of a different story. Long Island is truly an extension of the city and this particular company has been hand-rolling them out on Nassau and Suffolk counties since 1986. A few months ago they brought their first NYC location to the Financial District to show us how they do it out on the Island.

A voyeuristic window showcases the cooks topping and baking the bagesl. The hand-rolling and water boiling were not on display, but I’m sure they’re doing it the proper way somewhere back there.

I asked for a warm bagel and the cashier pointed me towards the everything bagel. She also pointed me further down the counter to pick up my order and pay. It seemed like an extra step just to get what I wanted. But on a quiet Sunday morning, it didn’t take too long.

This is the rare bagel shop where the weekend mornings are probably less busy than the weekdays. Nestled on Fulton Street in the heart of the Financial District, I imagine they don’t get an abundance of residents here.

The bagel was not as warm as I hoped, but the bread had a nice chewy quality that was undeniably fresh.

A block of cream cheese just began to melt into the bread, but it suffered from a heavy hand. Instead of a traditional schmear, this was more of a plop. And the placement of everything seasonings could have used a nod from the overabundance of cream cheese.

But despite the presentation errors, they still put out a good classic bagel. They’re fresh with a light chewy interior.

And in this neighborhood of New York, that’s a much needed feat. Even if the bagels are based from outside the city – but not that far.

Does Long Island Bagel Cafe have the best bagel in NY? I wouldn’t go that far, but it’s a solid option for an underserved neighborhood. A 7 out of 10.