The Big Kvetch: Seattle's deli scene & bagel authenticity
Understanding what an "authentic" bagel is and where to find one.
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Welcome to another edition of the It’s a Shanda mailbag. Here’s the first one in case you missed it. Thanks to everyone who sent in a question or query. I did my best to answer them below and there are more mailbags ahead (so keep your questions coming). The first answer is free to all but the full post is only available to paid subscribers. Enjoy!
You seem fairly committed to the idea that there is an "authentic" bagel, which implies that there is some single bagel standard that bagel makers either do or do not adhere to, that is, a "first bagel," from which all other bagels derive. Can you defend or explain your use of authenticity in this regard? (Now, I'll note that you do explain what you think a good bagel is very well, and I happen to share your definition, but I admit that I chafe at the idea of authenticity here, in the same way I chafe when someone says, "Is it a true, New York bagel?" as if a good bagel couldn't be made anywhere.) - Ted
One of the few things I remember from Philosophy 101 is the notion of the “unmoved mover.” And much in the way that Aristotle argued that "there must be an immortal, unchanging being, ultimately responsible for all wholeness and orderliness in the sensible world,” I believe in the notion of the “first bagel” by which all future bagels must be measured.
In all honestly, I feel like I am constantly grappling with the idea that there is an “authentic” or “correct” bagel that I should be looking for. Everything evolves, right? When it comes to baking, which is a form of artistry, it would be a shame to dissuade artists from building on what came before them and creating their version, and vision, of the bagel.
But like in any art, not everyone is cut out for that. A lot of the time, you end up with some weird flavor concoction or “elevated” version that strips away everything that makes a bagel a bagel, robbing it of its simple, humble perfection.
Something this newsletter journey has taught me is that I am very open to the possibilities when it comes to the modern bagel and where it goes from here. However, I am also very keenly aware that there are some core tenets that I cannot shake when am determining whether or not something is a “good” bagel.
I talked about it a bit in my “What IS a bagel, anyway?” post after visiting Coquette Bake Shop on Bainbridge Island. By no conceivable measure would I say that what they served me that day qualified as a bagel. And yet, I kinda liked it. Meanwhile, while I want to allow room for sourdough bagels and rye bagels, my first thought when eating them is almost always that I wish this “tasted more like a bagel” because I feel removed from the joyful experience I want from it.
Maybe this is all a long-winded way of saying “I want every bagel to feel like the bagel I grew up eating” because isn’t that how it works for most things in life?
New York has Katz’s Deli which gets a lot of attention. Is there an authentic Jewish Deli in the general area of Seattle (preferably, parts north) that slings an awesome or at least good pastrami sandwich and matzoh ball soup? - Brian
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