The simple pleasures of a bagel run
The simple pleasures of a bagel run
A fresh-out-of-the-oven bagel first thing in the morning can change everything.
15 bagel reviews in, it feels like a good time for some self-reflection.
It’s fair to say that I have discovered some good bagels here in Seattle. And it’s also fair to say that I have discovered some truly bad ones as well. Perhaps I got a little carried away when dinging Dingfelder’s or berating Blazing Bagels, but it’s just because I care (too much?).
I was recently reminded of what I learned after my initial bagel review was almost scuttled. Following a particularly harrowing trip to Zylberschtein's, I realized that the goal here wasn’t just to find a good bagel, but a good bagel experience.
“There’s more to a great bagel than the bagel itself. I realize that now. And I also realize what I’m really looking for. What every slab of cream cheese and each sesame seed truly represents. An emotional experience. Something that transcends a bagelry’s ability to make something that’s ‘as good as New York.’”
The bagels haven’t been very good lately so I woke up feeling in need of a sure thing. I decided to walk to Little Market, the unassuming Portage Bay spot that somehow served me one of the best bagels I’ve had in Seattle so far. I figured it was a good chance to confirm that opinion and see what they’re like first thing in the morning.
It was a gorgeous start to the day in Seattle. A rare January day when it’s already in the mid-40s by 9:00 a.m. One of those overcast winter days when you don’t need your coat but you pop your hoodie on because the morning chill is still biting.
I strolled my way to the sleepy Portage Bay neighborhood as it was just waking up. Arriving at Little Market around 9:20 a.m., I don’t think I could have timed it any better. The first batch of bagels was hot out of the oven and I appeared to be the first customer. All the options looked good but I decided to try out the salt & pepper bagel on a whim. I left and sat down on a bench outside.
Before I even bit into it, I knew I had to record some proof of this beautiful crispy bagel.
That’s untoasted, by the way. As Yahweh intended.
After that, I sat there and blissed out on every bite. The crunch. The interior fluff. The true bagel smell. The flecks of salt and pepper. It was all pretty perfect. So much so that I immediately went back inside and bought a few more bagels for the road. I couldn’t come all this way for just one.
Returning home, a thought crossed my mind. Is this actually the best bagel in Seattle? I really love Bagel Oasis but I had to admit this was giving them a real run for their money. Had I always thought that but rated Little Market No. 2 because they’re not a “true” bagel place? Is that even fair?
In my mind, I was recontextualizing every Seattle bagel I’d eaten and where it ranked. Was it fair to make it only about the bagel or does the overall experience of the bagel run encapsulate the full value? And if so, are my rankings “correct?”
These are all questions that I think I need to answer in the coming weeks. We still have a few more initial bagel reviews to get through, but after that, it’s going to be time to provide some critical context to these rankings. We’re going to need to pit Bagel Oasis and Little Market head-to-head for a true battle of the best. We’re going to need to go back to Rachel’s and Westman’s to see if “they are what we thought they are” or if we simply caught them on a bad day. We’re going to need to figure out where we can not only get a good bagel but where we can get the best bagel experience.
Again, all of this is Future Sean’s problem. Right now, I’m still basking in my perfect little bagel run and excited once more to rediscover the city’s bagels with my rediscovered excitement for the total experience. I hope you’ll come along for the ride.
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