Can I find a good Seattle bagel at... Little Rachel's
How does the Lake City offshoot compare to the Ballard homestead?
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It’s been five months since Little Rachel’s opened in Lake City and I resisted visiting for as long as I could. Longtime readers know that if there’s any Seattle bagel place with a solid reputation that I haven’t been able to get on board with, it’s Rachel’s Bagels & Burritos.
On my first visit, I found their bagels inconsistent and uninspired. On my second visit, I failed to see what its defenders were trying to tell me. On my third visit, I widened my sample size and somehow came away even less impressed.
Contrary to belief in some circles, I have a soul, and the notion of writing a fourth negative review about this small business (with enough on its plate) was not high on my excitement list. I had other lox to fry, so to speak.
Eventually, I knew I would look around at my options and see that it was time. And lo, this past weekend, it was time.
Whereas Rachel’s Bagels & Burritos in Ballard is its own shop, Little Rachel’s in Lake City is something akin to an ongoing pop-up inside Elliott Bay Brewing’s former Brother Barrel space.
“Little Rachel's will be a smaller version of what we do in Ballard, but you can expect the same fresh bagels, made on site daily, overstuffed breakfast burritos and coffee from our good friends at Kuma Roasters,” read their announcement in April.
So let’s swing by and how different the bagel experience is on Lake City Way.
And if you want to know how I define a good bagel, you can find that here.
WHAT I ORDERED
Plain bagel as-is ($3)
Everything bagel with cream cheese ($4.50)
THE EXPERIENCE
I was thrilled to arrive and see David Lynch (pictured above) on the door. I happened to be listening to a podcast series about the director. Specifically, I was listening to an episode about the first season of Twin Peaks. I saw it as a fortuitous sign, though I also became concerned I might open the door into the Red Room.
The dark PNW industrial space might be meant to be a bar but they’ve done a good job making it work for bagels. I arrived around 11:30 a.m. and sure enough, they were starting to run out (The Togorashi was a hot seller). Thankfully, I snagged one of the last everythings and got my order in. There was a solid smattering of customers sitting or grabbing orders to go, so the word is definitely out up here.
UPON FIRST GLANCE
By all accounts, this appears to be the same menu and bagels as in Ballard. I don’t know if they make them down south and ship them up here in the a.m. or make them fresh in both locations, but I assumed the selection is the same.
TOP
One of the signatures of Rachel’s plain bagel is the dark coloring, like a malty brown. That was the case here, though this bagel seemed a lot bigger than I remember with a large center. The look and feel of the top was uniform and sleek. It was soft and crinkly to the touch, with cracks appearing as I pressed slightly down.
The everything bagel also seemed slightly larger than I remember, also featuring a large center. The bagel arrived unsliced, but I have to say it looks really good. A heavy seed hand at work, this thing was caked in seasoning and seemed to be a healthy mix of ingredients. The darker coloring of the bagel made the sesame seeds pop. The top was firm to the touch with a crispiness thanks to the seeds.
BOTTOM
The other signature of Rachel’s plain bagel is that massive caking of what I presume is semolina or polenta flour. Not exactly a Cornmeal Ring of Doom (CRoD) but it certainly always seems odd to me. The bottom was firm but also crinkly, breaking with some pressure just like the top.
The bottom of the everything bagel was softer than the top. It was seeded better than most other bagel shops seed the tops of their everythings, so credit is due. There was no CRoD present.
INSIDE/BITE
The plain bagel offered a tough rip with slight crinklage (I’m declaring that a word). The bite was also tough with whisps of crunch. As I’d noted in my prior Rachel’s reviews, it was a very sourdough-y and bready bagel. The interior was fluffy but not pillowy and there was a strong rebound after the bite. Also mentioned in prior reviews, a slightly sweet and malty flavor lingered and made for an unappealing aftertaste.
The everything bagel offered a tough bite and good chew. I was getting a lot of flavor in each bite from both the seasoning and the schmear. The cream cheese was cold and maintained a solid integrity as I ate. I also noted some good scallion bits that would pop from time to time. In previous reviews I wasn’t a fan of Rachel’s cream cheese but this felt like an improvement. The everything mix also seemed to include a little salt, AS GOD INTENDED, which wasn’t previously the case. It made a difference.
I did note a slight tang in the aftertaste but I couldn’t identify if that was coming from the bagel or the schmear. The overall flavor faded as I continued eating, so it might need a little more salt in the mix or a schmear flavor boost.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I’m trying to make sense of the fact that my best Rachel’s experience to date came at the Lake City location instead of Ballard. This might be in my head but the everything bagel with scallion cream cheese seemed elevated from previous visits. Despite the flavor fade, I ate the whole thing and felt like it would hold its own against plenty of everything bagels in town.
The plain bagel continues to befuddle me and my taste buds, but I am now fascinated to find out why this experience was an improvement. Has Rachel’s upped their game recently or is this specific to the Lake City shop? Further investigations are necessary.
Is It Good Enough For The Goys?
The goyim of Lake City are thriving. When I was there, the place was packed and about to run out before noon. Also, have you seen this menu? Togarashi bagels, black truffle cream cheese, and sprouts? It’s goy bagel heaven. I’m glad this former bagel desert has an option now. Plus, Zylberschtein’s isn’t that far away. Perhaps the Northeast corner of Seattle is on the verge of becoming a bagel haven…
Is It Good Enough For Northeastern Jews?
Look, we’ve been here before haven’t we? I can’t imagine traditionalists will find too much solace in Rachel’s selections. I’d be curious to hear from some Northeastern transplants regarding this everything bagel and whether or not it measures up. I’m not saying it’ll whisk you away to memories of Sunday mornings in Brooklyn, but it might just do the job.
MY SEATTLE BAGEL RANKINGS SO FAR (9/30/24)
Hey Bagel - 1st visit
Toasted (U District) - 1st visit
Little Rachel’s (Lake City)
Loxsmith Bagels (West Seattle) - 1st visit
Rubinstein Bagels (Eastlake) - 1st visit
Rachel's Bagels & Burritos (Ballard) - 1st visit, 2nd visit, 3rd visit
Macrina Bakery (Capitol Hill) - 1st visit
Cafe Argento (Capitol Hill) - 1st visit
Eltana (Wallingford) - 1st visit
Westman’s (U District) - 1st visit
Blazing Bagels (Ravenna) - 1st visit
Einstein Bros. Bagels (U Village) - 1st visit
Dingfelder’s (Capitol Hill) - 1st visit
Cafe Solstice (U District) - 1st visit
Kelly’s Cannoli (Magnolia) - 1st visit
Bagelbop (Pike Place Market) - 1st visit
You can find my full bagel rankings here.
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