Bellevue's getting Toasted, Rubinstein's rough review, & more
Bellevue's getting Toasted, Rubinstein's rough review, & more
Let's catch up on all the Pacific Northwest bagel news that's fit to print.
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It was a long and winding road for co-owners Jaafar Altameemi and Murat Akyüz to the opening of the Mediterranean-inspired bagel cafe Toasted. in University District. However, less than three months after finally opening that store, they’re opening a second.
According to Downtown Bellevue, the second Toasted. location is set to open at Bellevue’s Soma Towers (288 106th Avenue Northeast) this November.
“We’ve been quietly working on this next step for over six months, and we’re excited to share it with you soon,” read the caption on a recent Toasted. Instagram post that showed off the new signs for the Bellevue spot.
Toasted’s new location puts them in the same retail corridor as Hui Lau Shan, Just Poke, Lao Ma Tou Hot Pot, and Xiao Chi Jie.
It also sounds like the burgeoning bagel empire doesn’t stop with just two stores.
“When we opened Toasted. U District we shared all the challenges we faced behind the scenes of opening our cafe, and people tuned in,” Altameemi told It’s a Shanda. “These same loyal followers became loyal customers who are now the reason we get to bring our bagels to Bellevue. And the excitement does not end here. We still have so much more to share.”
The move gives Bellevue a huge upgrade from its current bagel situation. I’ll be sure to head over for a review soon after they open.
Back in 2021 when celebrated cookbook author J. Kenji López-Alt infamously said “[Seattle’s] best bagels are just as good as any in New York,” his list of the city’s finest included Rachel’s, Loxsmith, Rubinstein, Eltana, and Zylberschtein’s.
It’s safe to say that Rubinstein Bagels is no longer among his picks for the best around town.
López-Alt is constantly sharing local food reviews on his social media channels and last week he stopped by the South Lake Union location to sample their current wares. He did not seem to come away impressed.
“Okay, well…this place is here. There’s a couple locations. They exist. You can get this bagel if you want,” said the notoriously upbeat López-Alt in what amounts to his version of a decimation.
Sadly, that meshes with my read on Rubinstein as well. Since founder Andrew Rubinstein left, there’s been a clear dip in quality and the bagel-making process.
When asked about his current list of favorite Seattle-area bagels, López-Alt namechecked Rachel’s, Bagel Oasis, Mt Bagel, Howdy Bagel, Zylberschtein’s, and Oxbow.
We know bagels are booming across Seattle but they’re starting to show on the city’s Best Of lists as well.
The Infatuation recently updated their Hit List of new Seattle restaurants to try right now and included Backyard Bagel. They also included Mt. Bagel on their 25 Best Restaurants in Seattle list.
Backyard Bagel also showed up on Eater Seattle’s Hottest New Restaurants in the Seattle Area for October.
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