Can I find a good Seattle bagel at... Rubinstein Bagels in Eastlake
Rubinstein is entering it's Einstein Bagels phase
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The names Rubinstein and Einstein have very similar origins.
Both are of Germanic-Jewish descent. Stein means “stone” or “rock” in German, which means that Einstein translates to “a rock,” or as a reference to einsteinen, which means “to enclose or surround with stone.” It’s said that the name was commonly given to stonemasons.
Rubinstein, which has its roots in Germanic Jewish communities and the meaning depends on who you ask. Some say it denotes “ruby stone” (In the Middle Ages, the word "rubin" referred to a kind of gem). Others note that it comes from the Hebrew name "Reuven,” which means “behold, a son,” making Rubinstein into "son of Ruben.”
Albert aside, you might know these names best now as bagel chains. Einstein Bros. has swept the nation, bringing bland, mass-produced bread circles to the masses (including us here in Seattle).
Rubinstein Bagels, meanwhile, got its start in Seattle a few years back as the bagel scene was taking shape. Founder Andrew Rubinstein may have moved on but the company has started to put its footprint on the region, with three shops in Seattle and one on the Eastside, most recently adding their Eastlake location. Presumably, there are more on their way.
Einstein still outranks Rubinstein location-wise (5 to 4) but it feels like the latter is making a play to become the regional version of the former. The ever-present bagel option for when you’re waking up, grabbing lunch, or just on the go.
The question is, are they trying to elevate that experience or simply meet Einstein where they’re at? Let’s find out with a visit to the new Eastlake shop.
And if you want to know how I define a good bagel, you can find that here.
WHAT I ORDERED
Plain bagel ($3.25)
Everything bagel with fried onion and chive cream cheese ($5.50)
THE EXPERIENCE
While the Capitol Hill shop is nestled in the middle of a residential neighborhood, the company was born out of its South Lake Union right across the street from the Amazon spheres. The Eastlake spot is a return to those roots. right smack dab in the middle of the medical corridor that runs Eastlake Ave., this bagel place has the morning and lunch crowd on lock. Do you want to grab a bite to eat in that area? It’s Rubinstein or Duke’s Seafood.*
*okay maybe that’s oversimplifying things
The sleek space fronts the massive 1150 Eastlake complex and must have a steady stream of workers coming and going throughout the day, especially when you look around at all the offices that surround it. No wonder the spartan interior is made for standing room. A ring of stool seating rings the windows but I’d imagine most of the clientele stop by to pick up their order and get back to work. All in all, a pretty smart place to set up shop.
UPON FIRST GLANCE
In my Second Schmears review of Rubinstein in Capitol Hill and my review of the Redmond location, I wrote about how it felt like the quality of their bagels had dropped, seemingly as the company began its expansion. After a quick glance at the bagels here, they appeared to be in line with what I had been seeing at the other stores. I presumed that these bagels had been baked a while ago or elsewhere, and when I saw that my order automatically got a “toasted” note, that seemed to confirm those suspicions.
TOP
I’ll note that the bagel itself was cold to the touch, which is never a good start. The exterior was very shiny and uniform. The bagel, which was slightly on the smaller side of normal, featured a medium-large center. The top was very firm and soft with no discernable crispiness. The coloring was a light-to-medium brown. I also noted a wrinkling along the edges of the top.
The everything bagel was very similar to the plain in terms of size and shape. The coloring was uniformly light brown but a solid seed hand helped give it some color and texture. The top was still firm but soft to the touch. The bagel was not pre-halved before being wrapped up.
BOTTOM
The bottoms of both bagels were fairly identical. Both were firm and soft with no crisp points. Both featured a medium brown color. While there wasn’t a Cornmeal Ring of Doom (CRoD) per se, you could see cornmeal baked into the bottom. The everything bagel bottom did hang on to a smattering of seasoning.
INSIDE/BITE
The plain bagel offered a tough rip. Not stale by any means but not pillowy or airy. I noted a textureless bite that left a strange aftertaste in my mouth. I would describe it as sour but not in a sourdough way, if that makes sense. There was no real scent I could pick up from the bagel. Coupled with a nonexistent flavor and bland chew, I felt like I was eating something that was nothing. It existed and I was eating it but my senses received no stimuli from the experience.
As for the everything bagel with fried onion and chive cream cheese, the first bite revealed a significant issue. I had received ample schmear application, which I’m normally a fan of, but because the cream cheese was soft and the bagel was warmed, it created the age-old glooping issue that has plagued bagel shops for years. Every bite sent a glob of cream cheese out of the bagel. At least half of the schmear ended up on the plate below.
The bagel itself was fairly textureless aside from the seeds. While I did get some onion flavor from the schmear, I didn’t get any everything seasoning flavor. I did detect a few flakes of salt in the mix but it could have used more. On paper, this bagel and schmear mix promises a lot of flavor, and I didn’t much get of any.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Given my previous Rubinstein experiences, I wasn’t expecting anything very different this time. They’ve got a system down at this point, for better or worse. And not only do they seem happy to try and emulate Einstein Bros. Bagels in terms of ubiquity and reach but they also seem fine with emulating them on quality as well.
Is It Good Enough For The Goys?
For the goyim toiling away in all those medical offices and labs nearby, it’s nice to have an option you can grab quickly. Those folks were working in a bit of a bagel desert, and we always like to see those go away. That said, the world already has enough mediocre, pre-made bagels, and the more we add, the more people think this is what it’s supposed to be.
Is It Good Enough For Northeastern Jews?
Setting aside the obvious answer here, consider the price points. I’ve always been a little gobsmacked by some of their prices (the $10.50 egg & cheese will forever blow my mind). But looking around at the places where they apply schmears to bagels, $5.50 is a fairly median Seattle price. And when you think of it that way, wouldn’t you rather spend that $5.50 on a better, fresher bagel?
MY SEATTLE BAGEL RANKINGS SO FAR (7/15/24)
Hey Bagel - 1st visit
Bloom Bistro (Georgetown) - 1st visit
Loxsmith Bagels (West Seattle) - 1st visit
Rubinstein Bagels (Eastlake)
Sully Eats - 1st visit
Rachel's Bagels & Burritos (Ballard) - 1st visit, 2nd visit, 3rd visit
Macrina Bakery (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
Kelly’s Cannoli (Magnolia) - 1st visit
Bagelbop (Pike Place Market) - 1st visit
OUTSIDE SEATTLE BAGEL RANKINGS (6/3/24)
The Bagelry (Bellingham)
Howdy Bagel (Tacoma)
The Cottage Bakery (Edmonds)
Shawn’s Cafe & Bakery (Mercer Island)
Coquette Bake Shop (Bainbridge Island)
Caffe Vino Olio (Vashon Island)
Rubinstein Bagels (Redmond)
Good Bagels Cafe (Anacortes)
Mustard Seed Baking Co. (Stanwood)
Blazing Bagels (Redmond)
Otherside Bagel Co. (Bellingham)
Whidbey Island Bagel Factory (Mt. Vernon)
Woodinville Bagel Bakery (Woodinville)
Big Apple Bagels (Bellevue)
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