Can I get a good Seattle bagel at... Bean's Bagels
You never know what kind of bagel you might find at your local farmers market
Welcome to It’s A Shanda, one Northeastern Jew’s quest to find a decent bagel in Seattle (and beyond). If you’re interested in taking this journey with me, make sure you subscribe so you never miss a review. If you want to ensure I review any specific bagels (or want to let me know why I’m wrong), you can email me at seanmatthewkeeley@gmail.com.
The COVID-19 pandemic had a seismic impact on the restaurant and food world. Unfortunately, that meant a lot of closures around the country and here in Seattle. One of the many local restaurants to shutter for good was White Center’s Bloom Bistro.
Executive chef and owner Marisa Figueroa opened the “quirky queer-femme-owned restaurant” as what was supposed to be the “culmination of over a decade of working in the food industry.” Unfortunately, they opened in 2020 right in the midst of the pandemic, and weren’t able to survive. However, there was a silver lining.
“My coffee roaster called me after the restaurant closed and said ‘Hey, I know you are in a tough spot right now but everyone really loves your pickles and hot sauces. You should think about selling those wholesale. It will be less affected by the pandemic,’” Figueroa told Canvas Rebel.
That’s when Electric Habitat was born, offering small-batch hand-crafted pickles and hot sauces often sold at farmers’ markets. Figueroa and partner/co-owner Miranda have also used the opportunity to expand into another niche food space: Bagels.
In late 2021, the duo launched Bean’s Bagels, showcasing their bagels and schmears at pop-ups, farmers markets, and online. After going on a brief hiatus last year, they’ve started ramping up with regular appearances at places like the Burien Farmers Market, South Park Saturday Market, and Bad Jimmy’s Brewing Company.
Now that Bean’s Bagels is officially part of the Seattle-area bagel scene, it’s time to find out how they stack up.
And if you want to know how I define a good bagel, you can find that here.
WHAT I ORDERED
Plain bagel as-is
Everything bagel with plain cream cheese.
THE EXPERIENCE
I had been watching Bean’s Bagels’ Instagram page for pop-up updates and just so happened to catch a mid-week post that they would be at the Burien Farmers Market that day. So I took an impromptu trip south to seek out their schmears.
Sure enough, I found them in the food area next to a brass band that was wailing away. Marisa and Miranda were working the booth and both were exceedingly friendly and welcoming.
Perusing the menu, the offerings were definitely on the pricier side than usual ($3/bagel, $5/bagel & schmear). But in this instance, it felt fair enough to support a small business. And hey, their egg & cheese ($6) is still way cheaper than many of the ones you’ll find in Seattle.
I ordered my plain bagel and I got an everything bagel with plain cream cheese because they didn’t have scallion. It was a pretty brisk day and the pre-made bagels were definitely on the chillier side, so they warmed up the everything bagel before applying the cream cheese.
I also grabbed a rosemary sea salt bagel for the road because those have become my weakness.
UPON FIRST GLANCE
Getting home, the first thing that stood out to me was the truly hand-rolled nature of the bagels, which led to some very interesting crevices and texture points throughout. The bagels also featured a very oblong shape, which creates some interesting bite potential depending on the angle. The bagels seemed slightly smaller than the norm but not to any degree that was concerning.
TOP
The plain bagel top featured some really nice all-around color. A mixture of golden brown and lighter brown. There were plenty of visible blisters and bubbles, not to mention those aforementioned crevices. Given the hand-rolled nature of the bagel, there were some fat bits and skinny bits, all of which promised unique bites. The top of the bagel was soft to the touch with a whisp of crispness.
As for the everything bagel, this thing featured a HEAVY seed hand, which we love to see. It was a good seasoning mix too, including salt, AS GOD INTENDED. The top of the bagel was firmer and felt crispier, but I couldn’t tell if that was the bagel or the seed crust.
BOTTOM
The plain bagel bottom also featured some nice colors. It too was very soft to the touch. It was also very cold given how chilly it was outside that day.
The everything bagel bottom, however, was firm and very knockable. I wondered if because it had been heated up that was making a difference in terms of the texture. It also had some nice coloring all over and a smattering of seeds, though nothing like the top.
INSIDE/BITE
The plain bagel offered up a tough rip but no crispness. The interior featured a very bagel-y smell, which is always great. The bite was very chewy thanks to a soft-but-not-pillowy interior. I did not detect any crunch. However, I will note that the bagel rebounded extremely well after each bite, making it a very sturdy base for any schmear or sandwich needs.
The everything bagel did offer a little bit of crispness, thanks in large part to the shell of seeds and seasoning on top. I liked the seed mix flavor, which was slightly onion-forward. I think I would have liked a little bit more cream cheese, but there was so much flavor coming from the seeds that I didn’t mind. The bagel offered up a tough bite in a good way. The cream cheese stayed firm and intact for most of the meal. A bonus of having so many seeds on top is that enough of them fell off during the bites that I could sop them up with the cream cheese for some bonus flavor.
I should also note that the rosemary sea salt bagel was pretty good as well.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I gotta say, I was pretty impressed overall with Bean’s Bagels. Temperature played a role for sure, and the warmed-up everything bagel was much more enjoyable than the cold plain bagel. If I had warmed the plain bagel up slightly when I got home, it probably would have improved the experience. Pound-for-pound, I thought the everything bagel stacked up with some of the best in the city. And based on everything I ate, I’d definitely be interested in trying more of their bagel flavors.
Is It Good Enough For The Goys?
If you’re a regular at the Burien Farmers Market or South Park Saturday Market, consider yourself lucky to have such solid bagels to choose from during your visit. And considering the local options otherwise, I hope people look to Bean’s for their bagel needs.
Is It Good Enough For Northeastern Jews?
I gotta say, I feel like under the circumstances noted above, I think you’d be pretty happy with what you get from Bean’s, especially if you mix up the flavors and mind the temperatures. I hope my fellow bagel connoisseurs will seek them out or perhaps place an online order for pick-up. These bagels are worth supporting.
MY SEATTLE BAGEL RANKINGS SO FAR (9/18/23)
OUTSIDE SEATTLE BAGEL RANKINGS
The Bagelry (Bellingham)
Howdy Bagel (Tacoma)
Coquette Bake Shop (Bainbridge Island)
Good Bagels Cafe (Anacortes)
Otherside Bagel Co. (Bellingham)
Whidbey Island Bagel Factory (Mt. Vernon, Whidbey Island)
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I hadn't heard of this one yet, excited to check it out!