Can I find a good Stanwood bagel at... Mustard Seed Baking Co.
Is this the best bagel in Snohomish County?
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 make sure I review any specific bagels (or want to let me know why I’m wrong), you can email me at seanmatthewkeeley@gmail.com.
The bad news when you run a newsletter that provides weekly reviews of Seattle-area bagels is that eventually, you start to run out of Seattle-based bagel purveyors.
The good news is that the region is constantly adding new bagel places into the mix. And a little research always seems to reveal a new bagel worth schlepping to try out.
Natalie Russell graduated from the Le Cordon Bleu culinary school in 2005 and lived in various places until moving to Camano Island in 2017. She started baking at home, doing custom orders for friends and locals, a hobby that soon evolved beyond that.
“It was an outlet for me to be creative,” she told Go Skagit in 2020. “Then the demand grew and I couldn’t keep up from home.”
Looking to open her own storefront, she moved into a shared space in Downtown Stanwood, with Hometown Brew Coffee House in the front and Mustard Seed Baking Co. making sweets in the back. The business was a big hit from the start.
“The cinnamon rolls just took off,” Russell told Go Skagit. “I do cakes, cookies, scones, anything baked, but the cinnamon rolls have become the claim to fame.”
At some point in early 2021, the business became entirely Mustard Seed Baking Co. and, after pushing through the pandemic, they established themselves as a go-to spot for Stanwood locals and tourists passing through town.
While the pastries are the Instagram show-stoppers, Mustard Seed also makes its own bagels fresh daily. Given how many places get their bagels from wholesalers or other local bagel makers, it was intriguing enough to consider taking a drive up to Stanwood to find out if this was Snohomish County’s best bagel.
So on a recent weekend, that’s what I did.
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 cream cheese
THE EXPERIENCE
I stopped off in Stanwood on my way to a hike at Little Mountain Park. I don’t think I’d been through town before but the downtown area was pretty charming on a Saturday morning. It was early but Mustard Seed was already hopping. Most of the tables were taken and there was a steady stream of people stopping by for their morning coffee and baked goods.
I got a little worried when I walked in because I didn’t see any bagels behind the glass case, but the incredibly friendly staff assured me they were available. They had four flavors to choose from (plain, everything, french toast, and jalapeno cheddar) and just plain cream cheese (I think). I snagged my usual but wish I’d taken the other two to-go for research purposes. I snagged a seat on the cozy couch while waiting for my order.
UPON FIRST GLANCE
They serve their bagels pre-sliced with a side container of cream cheese. Obviously, I’d love to see more of a pre-schmear but I understand, though I could tell that it wasn’t going to be enough.
I think I confused them with my plain bagel order because how many people come in and just order a plain bagel as-is? Normally, I’d request my bagels untoasted, as you know, but I decided to ask them what they think I should do and they suggested toasting.
TOP
The top of the plain bagel was a light brown with golden brown nubs and edges. It was crinkly and flaky to the touch with a very bubbly exterior. I thought the bagel itself was a nice size, slightly bigger than normal and featuring a small hole in the middle.
The top of the everything bagel was much more golden brown with some very dark brown regions. This one was less blistery and more uniform in texture. There was a solid seed hand at work but I was pretty sure I didn’t notice any salt in the mix. This bagel was definitely on the bigger size and had some heft.
BOTTOM
The bottom of the plain bagel was very soft and pressed in easily to the touch. There were some grill marks in places but I got the sense the bagel bottoms weren’t getting a lot of direct heat. No Cornmeal Ring of Doom (CRoD), though.
The same can be said of the everything bagel bottom. Very soft throughout.
INSIDE/BITE
The plain bagel offered a very dense bite that collapsed easily. The interior was extremely doughy. The lack of texture on the outside meant not much in the way of crunch or crispness. The flavor reminded me more of a frozen bagel than a fresh one, unfortunately. The dough wasn’t giving me a strong “bagel” flavor.
The everything bagel also had a very soft bite. My teeth glided right through the bagel. It was a very soft and doughy chew with wisps of crispness. The everything mix was very garlic-forward but could have used some salt to make everything pop. As for the cream cheese, I wanted more flavor and I wanted more of it. It barely made an impact as-is.
FINAL THOUGHTS
You know, I’ve eaten a lot of “offensive” bagels on this journey. I would not say this bagel falls into that category. It just didn’t wow me like I hoped. There’s a lot of potential here. I’d love to get more flavor out of the bite, either from the seasoning or the schmear. That said, if you enjoy a soft, doughy bagel, as I know some people do, this could be right up your alley.
Is It Good Enough For The Goys?
Mustard Seed seemed like such a perfect small-town coffee and pastry shop. It seemed like everybody knew everybody else, the pastries looked amazing, and my hot chocolate was very tasty. My guess is they do just fine with their bagels, and I really wish I’d tried the jalapeno cheddar cause I bet it’s a big seller.
Is It Good Enough For Northeastern Jews?
For the time being, I suppose this is your best option in Snohomish County by default, though I know of a handful of spots I also need to visit. If you’re heading north to go hiking or to look at some tulips, you should consider making a stop here for some coffee and something to eat. Whether you want to make it a bagel or one of those decadent-looking cinnamon rolls is up to you.
MY SEATTLE BAGEL RANKINGS SO FAR (3/25/24)
Old Salt (Fremont]
Old Salt (Ballard)
Loxsmith (West Seattle)
Loxsmith (Beacon Hill)
Westman’s (Capitol Hill)
Westman’s (U District)
OUTSIDE SEATTLE BAGEL RANKINGS (3/25/24)
The Bagelry (Bellingham)
Howdy Bagel (Tacoma)
Coquette Bake Shop (Bainbridge Island)
Rubinstein Bagels (Redmond)
Good Bagels Cafe (Anacortes)
Mustard Seed Baking Co. (Stanwood)
Otherside Bagel Co. (Bellingham)
Whidbey Island Bagel Factory (Mt. Vernon)
Woodinville Bagel Bakery (Woodinville)
Big Apple Bagels (Bellevue)
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