Is Seattle becoming a city with a bona fide bagel scene? These newest bagel shops lend street cred

Seattle is in the midst of a bagel boom, with big names like Rubinstein Bagels either ramping up production or opening additional stores.

Even the New York Times bagel evangelist and food columnist Kenji López-Alt recently stated that the Emerald City has a real bagel scene, telling the Seattle Times earlier this summer that the best places are here, like Rachel’s Bagels & Burritos, Rubinstein Bagels and Loxsmith Bagels, “are just as good as the best bagels in New York.”

That statement would have made Seattle laugh three years ago. Do you remember when people complained that our bagels are actually disguised buns? Not a crispy crust. No tough interior or pushback.

Well, the influx of reputable bagel shops on the Seattle city limits has given our returning commuters and brunch people plenty to chew on.

Looking for a bagel that is reminiscent of the ones in the Big Apple? The dense version at Rachel’s Bagels & Burritos in Ballard is reminiscent of those malty New York-style bagels. Or maybe you prefer the unmistakable sourdough taste of Rubinstein’s.

If you think bagels can only taste great when caramelized with lye, then there are Loxsmith Bagels.

In the salmon debate (that’s Seattle, after all), those at Ed Levine lager who believe cold-smoked nova is the only acceptable spread can meet Westman’s Bagel and Coffee on East Madison Street.

Those who prefer hot smoked salmon can enjoy Old Salts Take in Fremont.

Below is a bagel bulletin of all the bagel stores expanding in Seattle. (Unfortunately, a favorite with many Seattle residents, Mt.Bagel is not opening a store like the rumor has it, so you need to be quick to the raffle every Monday at 12 noon to get a delivery order on their website.)

Rubinstein bagels near the Amazon campus is arguably the busiest bagel shop on weekends, and with the gradual return of office workers, owner Andrew Rubinstein said business has picked up, “20% on weekdays from what we saw earlier this year “and we’re starting to see a comeback in trade.” Rubinstein doubled the size of its sandwich assembly station and will soon be adding a second layer of baking to keep up with demand, he said. By mid-September, it will expand with an outpost in the heavily trafficked area of ​​15th Avenue East on Capitol Hill in the former Wandering Goose Space.

Loxsmith bagels, the popular pop-up, is fulfilling fan requests by selling bagels and lox every week after renting it during the day from the Nacho Borracho dive bar on Capitol Hill. There’s also a plancha grill station for making bodega-style egg sandwiches. Loxsmith has expanded to include two dozen different flavors like nori sesame seeds. Loxsmith currently opens Thursday through Sunday, but owner Matthew Segal will add more hours and days of operation as he finds more kitchen help. The long-term goal, according to Segal, is to set up bagel stands near city train stations.

In Fremont, Old saltThat was meant to be a temporary pandemic focus point has become such a hit that this pop-up will last forever. Old Salt, which makes some of the best smoked fish in Seattle, is run by the team behind the Manolin Seafood Bistro. Old Salt will continue to share the room with Manolin, with the day dedicated to Bagels and Lox; In the evening the dining room changes to Manolin’s seafood menu. Old Salt will also expand with an outpost in Ballard near Rupee Bar next year, management said.

The Coho Lox on a Bagel with All the Spices at Old Salt was on our food reviewer’s list of best sandwiches earlier this year.

At the beginning of the summer, Porkchop & Co. focused more on bagels and even renamed the café Rachel’s Bagels & Burritos. Ballard Restaurant used to sell out at 10:30 am, so co-owner Paul Osher tweaked the menu and bought more ovens and kitchen appliances while sacrificing part of his dining space to expand his bagel production space. The good news is that Osher now brings out enough bagels to last till closing time.

Westman’s bagel and coffee has plans to add up to two more locations, but owner Monica Dimas is the mother of the exact addresses.

The popularity of bagels has also created a demand for bagel sandwiches. Among the first to benefit is Bagobopwho set up a counter in Pike Place Market selling breakfast egg sandwiches and crab melts to downtown office workers and tourists. The stand offers 15 different toppings, from poppy seeds to Asiago, with bagels from the Seattle Bagel Bakery.

Many bakeries and neighborhood cafes make their own bagels these days. Small Lago grocer Portage Bay doubled bagel production to meet demand. In Ballard, the wood-fired bistro Samara found a sideline and sells onion bagels on weekends.

What’s your favorite Seattle bagel shop? Tell us in the comments!