Seattle's Old Salt: The 2024 Review
Is this Stone Way mainstay somehow underappreciated despite its success?
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If you’ve ever driven to the very bottom of Stone Way, you might have noticed the awkward way it ends. While the road veers to the left and becomes Northlake Way, it almost appears to want to keep going straight, if not for that pesky Lake Union.
There’s a good reason for that. There used to be an actual bridge that connected Stone Way N to Westlake Avenue across the lake in Queen Anne.
The Stone Way Bridge existed briefly, between 1911 and 1917, as a stopgap during the construction of the second (and current) Fremont Bridge. This was no rickety overpass, mind you. Spanning 2,700 feet, it was wide enough to include two lanes for cars with two streetcar tracks down the middle and sidewalks on both sides.
The big drawback was that it wasn’t a drawbridge. So if you were looking to take your sailboat out for a pleasure cruise on the weekend back then, you couldn’t get around it. Only vessels 25 feet high or smaller could cross under an 80-foot-long span at the north end.
The current iteration of the Fremont Bridge began service on June 15, 1917. Demolition of the Stone Way Bridge began immediately and was completed in time for the grand opening of the Lake Washington Ship Canal on July 4. Today. there are no visual signs that the bridge ever existed, although SDOT says there could be some leftover sub-surface pilings under the water.
While it was always intended to be temporary, the Stone Way Bridge makes for a fascinating what-if in Seattle history. The build-up of Stone Way over the last few decades has remade the neighborhood, especially towards its southern end. How would things have been different had it, not Fremont Ave., been a main commuting artery between Fremont/Wallingford and Queen Anne?
As is, the Stone Way stretch between 34th and 39th is in the midst of a long-running revival that has turned it into a neighborhood cultural epicenter. Old Salt Fish and Bagels is tucked right in the middle of that.
Like the surrounding area, it’s remade itself in recent years. Once a pandemic off-shoot of seafood restaurant Manolin, it now calls that space its own, sharing an oft-crowded courtyard with Sea Wolf Bakers. While Old Salt has already established itself among the best bagel makers in Seattle (and expanded to Ballard), one has the sense that they are somehow not quite as appreciated as they should be.
So let’s revisit this Stone Way mainstay to see if they still deserve a spot near the top of the Seattle bagel rankings.
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 plain cream cheese ($5)
THE EXPERIENCE
I showed up at Old Salt around 9:00 a.m. on a Sunday and customer traffic was surprisingly light. I’ve been there plenty of times where there’s a line to the door and their heated patio is packed, but I was a bit surprised to be able to walk right up to the counter.
The good news was that I was able to get my order fast, though I always appreciate hanging out in the converted restaurant space. The rustic PNW fishing village vibes remain strong.
By the time I left, the line was to the door and the seats were filling up all around me. Nature was healing.
UPON FIRST GLANCE
The display case is one of the most underrated aspects of the bagel-buying experience. Old Salt has one of the strongest setups in Seattle. You walk in, you get in line, and you come face-to-face with the baskets filled with freshly baked bagels. The plains might catch your eye. Or perhaps the black sesame ones will stand out.
One thing I’ve long noticed about Old Salt is their propensity to go for a lighter bake in their bagels. Not always, but you often see lighter browns and beiges, which can make the darker bagels stand out. That was certainly the case on this day, as some bagels looked more baked than others.
My concern over those kinds of things varies based on the bagel shop. Sometimes it can be a bad sign. But I’ve had enough Old Salt at this point to know it doesn’t necessarily mean I’m not going to enjoy the bagel. For them, this seems like a purposeful part of the process, not shoddy baking.
TOP
The plain bagel was a good size with a medium-large hole. As Old Salt bagels tend to be it was on the thinner side. It also came pre-sliced for…some reason? The coloring on top was half golden brown and half light brown. The exterior was extremely blistery and featured so much texture to the touch. The top was firm and crinkly but also soft and easily deflated when pressed. A few flecks of salt were noticeable.
The everything bagel was also a good size with a small center. It was slightly flatter than the plain, though they might be due to the schmearing. There was a medium seed hand at work. As always, I’m a sucker for the black sesame seeds. It looked like a good balance and I detected some caraway seeds, which have been in their mix for a while. Again, the bagel was golden brown in some areas and light brown in others. The top was soft to the touch and offered more pushback than the plain.
BOTTOM
Another aspect of Old Salt’s bagels that differs from the norm is their bottoms. The plain bottom was flat, very firm, and crisp to the touch. There was a slight char that tends to come from their baking style. There was also some Cornmeal Ring of Doom (CRoD) present, though I wasn’t concerned.
The bottom of the everything bagel had even more of a char on it. While it was firm to the touch, it was also soft. There was a smattering of seasoning that had haphazardly stuck to the bottom as well. A slight CRoD was present.
INSIDE/BITE
The plain bagel offered a very crispy bite and had a medium rebound afterward. The salt flakes really elevated the flavor and were placed almost strategically to ensure you got one with each bite. The interior was softer and doughier than I might have expected. Coupled with the crisp exterior it made for a pleasant balance. The bagel felt fresh and light but still offered a hearty chew.
The everything bagel with plain cream cheese also offered a nice, chewy bite. The salt kick was present here as well, with other seasoning flavors coming and going as I ate. The slight char on the bottom gave the bagel a unique flavor profile. There was some crispness from the edges that came through on some bites to complete the overall package.
The cream cheese was smooth and offered a pleasant zing and aftertaste. Since it was cold, it stayed put with each bite. While some might argue there isn’t enough schmear, I felt like the application amount fit the bagel well and ensured a good flavor balance.
FINAL THOUGHTS
“Eminently eatable” was the last line in my notes. I remember writing that after having thoroughly devoured both bagels. It was a truly pleasant eating experience all around.
Is It Good Enough For The Goys?
Often when I visit Old Salt, I will have to weave my way through the massive line emerging from Sea Wolf. Obviously, those people are there for different bread items and sandwiches, so it’s not as though they’re spurning one spot for the other. And no shade at Sea Wolf, who make some excellent pastries and breads. I can’t quite explain why but I find myself thinking there’s something very goyish about waiting in line there for 30 minutes when Old Salt bagels are just sitting there, a few yards away, waiting for you to discover them.
As always, one should be so lucky!
Is It Good Enough For Northeastern Jews?
A big part of the Seattle bagel experience is negotiating the nostalgic demands of what you grew up eating against the culinary evolution that each baker brings with them. I would tell any fellow NEJ that they shouldn’t expect the classic bagel experience when they visit Old Salt, but they should visit nonetheless. They have a specific vision for their bagels and it works. They might be doing things differently, but they’re doing differently very well.
MY SEATTLE BAGEL RANKINGS SO FAR (12/9/24)
Hey Bagel - 1st visit
Little Rachel’s (Lake City) - 1st visit
Toasted (U District) - 1st visit
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
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 see my full rankings here.
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Old Salt is definitely > Bagel Oasis IMO.
Agree, Old Salt is way better than Oasis or Blazin. It's not as good as Hey and probably not as good as Mt but their overall sandwiches, with cc and fish, is in a league of its own.
If we're talking CC, the za'atar cream cheese at eltana is pretty sublime
A few weeks until the OG opens his doors! https://photos.app.goo.gl/JpHyZH8oBF7Tc4ts8