"Eat Bagels, Not me!"

Bagel Breakdown: One Plain SaraLee Bagel (We do not consider this a proper specimen but it is the only type (lenders also) that has a nutritional readout. Weight 85 grams/3 oz. Calories 230, calories from fat 10, Total fat 1g 2%RDA diet, saturated fat 0g, cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 390mg 16% of RDA @ 2,000 cal diet, carbs 47g 16%, dietary fiber 2g 8%, sugars 3g, protein 8g, Calcium 15% RDA & Iron 10% RDA - Not flippin' bad at all!!

Hot & Crusty Bagels Lexington Ave, between 86-85th Krafty Krebs had been raving about something to do with... "worth the walk..." and it was lost between sentences about colleges, and running at a pace that kept on getting faster. I was all but lost in the abyss of bewilderment when it became clear that Krafty was talking about his fav bagelry. As both of us were in the vicinity the long walk was not such a hike, and for a taste energy can appear so... We transversed a few blocks, hopped over a few sides and arrived at this well established joint at the crux of the Upper East Side's busiest crossroads. No reference to Jimi, but. Steppin inside the staff were bland, and can I invent a new word? SeviceNormfied - we got what we wanted in neither a good nor bad fashion, the bagels came about when one would expect them too. Have I been doing this review so much that I know the exact performance time? Well they don't call me Mr. Bagats for nothing. For this web I did deviate from my usual choice - I actually did not go for a straight innings but instead chose three cinnamin raisin and one everything bagel. This latter adjustment at the advice of Krafty. Krafty himself bought two dozen (Now you see why I call him Krafty!) though he only ate two. "I have to cook for Meredith (Mrs. Krafty) and I don't want a full stomach," he pined. To the core of the niut, the juice of the stone, the jewel of the flashing star; the bagels were great! Good sized, fancy, and flavorfull - a starstudded rating of 8.4/10. (Both flavors). Most definitely worth visiting if you are in the area.

Gramercy Bagels Third Ave, between 20-21st Set in a busy functional yet quaint area of NYC this bagelry gives out its demand. Basically a bagel cafe. The bagels are a little more crusty than the usual bagelry, the size good and the taste is there too. Cinnamon Raisin and Sesame are the only two that have been sampled to date, the former scoring highly, the latter a little too crusty. The Salmon was good and not over salted, goes nicely with the cinnamon raisin. The coffee is rather good, and the staff are unobtrusive making this a great joint for a long mid-morning breakfast. It never seems too crowded either, which is a huge plus.

The Green Tree Madison @ 89th The key attraction to this deli is its close location to the NYRRC HQ. The bagels taste imported, though of a reasonable standard. Steer clear of the plain, to be recommended: Cinnamon raisin or the Sesame. Cream cheese is plastered on by the plank. Be sure to ask for a shovel to reduce the bountious slab. Pricewise the deli is reasonable, and on par with most bagel joints. A rating of 7 reflects the norm of the dough. Service would take things a notch higher.

HEALTHY BAGEL 2nd Avenue in Manhattan, between 71st and 72nd Streets This pleasant bagelry/coffee shop would be interesting to visit even if its bagels tasted like sawdust, because of the astounding self-aggrandizing efforts of its owner, Reza Zand. A slightly-builtman of fifty-odd years with fluffy gray hair, Mr. Zand is admirably photogenic,and he may have more proof of that quality than anyone else in New York. The walls of Healthy Bagel, which is a mid-sized store--perhaps half again the size of the West Side's H&H Bagels, for example--are almost completely covered, from table height to ceiling, with glossy, identically framed, meticulously arranged 8" x 12" photographs of Mr. Zand standing with--often hugging shoulders with--nearly every living political, athletic, or entertainment-world celebrity that has ever visited New York They all look perfectly pleased to be photographed with Mr. Zand, too. (There is a noteworthy absence of distance runners. Not even German Silva, Tegla Loroupe, Toby Tanser, or Stacy Creamer has made the cut. I pointed out this omission to Mr. Zand, who nodded his head vigorously. He speaks very little English; my hopes are not high.) There's the current mayor, and his two recent predecessors. Five heavyweight boxing champions or ex-champions. Every A-list actor in the land, and many from other lands. The Round of Sixteen from the most recent U.S. Open tennis tournament. At least three runways' worth of supermodels. Every New York Knick, and Spike Lee, too. And with each of them, the wide-eyed, eminently pleased, and certainly not starstruck Mr. Zand,holding his own in the high-wattage-smile department no matter with whom he shares the frame. When you realize that the man in all the pictures is behind the counter selling bagels, you find yourself shocked. Why would a celebrity be doing that? The bagels don't taste like sawdust. Far from it: after seventeen years of research, I now believe that the best bagel in New York is Healthy Bagel's sourdough-raisin model. The sourdough taste is a mild tang, balanced exquisitely by the raisins' sweetness. The dough seems to have been twisted as well as looped, and the bagels "unwind" when pulled apart; they're soft inside and just slightly crisp outside. "Unique" must be the most over- and ill-used word in the language of appraisals; nevertheless, this is a unique and absolutely delicious bagel. I ate Healthy Bagel sourdough-raisin bagels for sixteen months while living at 71st and 2nd; forsaking my usual cyclic pattern, I never switched over to another flavor, although there are other interesting and unusual flavors at Healthy Bagel--rye, herb, challah, and no-raisin sourdough--as well as the usual run of poppy, sesame, whole wheat, cinnamon-raisin, pumpernickle, garlic, onion, salt, and everything (which is never really everything; no one seems to want raisins with onions). Since moving to the West Side, I've had to rely on couriers and other agents, and the occasional crosstown trip, to obtain my specialty. Of course, their comparativerarity now (they sell out fairly early) makes them even more desirable, but I can guarantee the reader that my opinion of them is not a product of the Good-Old-Days syndrome. The rest of the food looks and smells like typical, maybe slightly above-average diner fare. I only go for the bagels. Predictably, I rate the the sourdough-raisin variety a 10 out of 10.

"GOLBERG'S is located on 711 Saw Mill River Road in the village of Ardsley, just off the Parkway. Their bagels are fresh and good quality. The outside is crusty but not too hard and the inside is soft and bready. I tried the salt, the plain, and the everything and judged each very good. Barbara bought an even dozen for coworkers at the Transit Authority, and the sales person generously threw in a handfull extra. (Individual Bagels are 50 cents, Baker's dozen for $6.00)." Thanks to Jonathan Zuckerman for that one.

ABSOLUTE BAGEL. (Bwy between 107 & 108) "Don't know the exact address. I'm sure everyone has their favorite bagel place, well this is mine. It's fairly basic as bagelrys go. Their primary focus is take out, but they do have a small table section in the front. My tips for this place are simple: don't be disouraged by the long line, the service is quick, providing you have an idea of exactly what you want ( of course the non locals are aware of this:-) When you arrive at the counter, you are overwhelmed by bagels & cream cheeses for all tastes. Their bagels are big, delicious & fresh out of the oven (located just behind the counter)!!! It's great for morning on weekends or any time." Thanks to Tyronne Culpepper.

H & H BAGELS. 2239 Broadway & 80th, Upper West Side. "Ah .. bagels, one of the core food groups for New York runners (along with bananas, pizza, and electrolyte replacement drinks, such as Gatorade or Guinness). Everyone has their favorite New York bagels, of course, but for me it has to be H & H Bagels on Broadway on the Upper West Side. The bagels are big, fresh, crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside, and they seem to have a slightly sweet flavor that I just can't resist." Thanks to the Harriers Douglas Hegley for this one.

TAL BAGELS. Loc: 1st Ave btwn 53 & 54 Cost: 65c - basic bagel. Comments: "Excellent Cinnanmon raisin. Very clean on the hygene front. Always courteous service. Best time - early morning 6.00am or 2.00pm - fresh baked. Worst time - big lines at general breakfast and lunch times." Thanks to Conor Murphy.

Name:ESA-BAGEL Loc: 3rd Ave btwn 50 - 51 Cost: 60c - basic bagel. "Comments: Excellent Cinnanmon raisin. Bigger/fatter bagels than most places (referred to as life preservers). Average on hygene front. Generally rude service - plus they "try" to be funny. Usually rate well in all surveys - hence the arrogance. Best time - early morning 6.00am or other fresh baked times. Avoid line - go direct to back shelf for bagels only. Worst time - big lines at the general breakfast and lunch times." Thanks again to Conor Murphy.

RUSS AND DAUGHTERS. 179 East Houston (between 1st Avenue/Allen Street and Orchard Street) New York, NY 10002 "I'm not a huge fan of bagels (they're too doughy for my taste) but the bialys from Lower East Side landmark RUSS AND DAUGHTERS and are worth buying in bulk. A crispier, lighter, less filling cousin of the bagel, Russand Daughters' bialys have a full, round shape and a defined indentation full of onion paste in the middle. Warm one up in the toaster and try with tofu cream cheese. Or, for the more decadent, top with their famously fresh lox and caviar cream cheese. Mmm?. Perfect for a post-run treat? Just make sure you take a number when you walk in or, like me, you'll find yourself ignored by the staff in favor of savvier customers who know when they're onto a good thing." Thanks to Jenny Hailstone for this review.

"Being a man whose taste is so often governed by price rather than quality (on account of my Scottish ancestory) I would have to plump for "Man-on-the-Street" cart coffee and a bagel for $1. However ! not just any 'Man-on-the-street" cart bagel - instead it simply has to be the cinnamon and raisin variety as supplied by Westchester PUMA runner Froylan Garcia from his cart on 14th St and 8th Ave - preferrably WITH a schmear." Thanks to the Puma star of Westchester, Justin Reid.

"My favorite bagel place is TAL BAGELS. It is located on 333 E. 86th Street between 2nd and 1st Avenue. 212-427-6811. Admirers warn that these strong contenders in the bagel wars can be habit forming thanks to consistently good bagels, lots of spreads, lightening-fast service, and lots of seating. Good black and whites and hot cocoa too!" Thanks for this review go to Kim 'Texas' Mannen.

HOT BAGELS in Brooklyn Heights on Montague Street "Your stomach begins to grumble. Your hand is on the door. You step inside. The smells rush into your nostrils...garlic, salt, pumpernickel, cinnamon and raisin, any flavor anytime, they're open all day. You order -- no creamcheese, you won't need it, just a little butter. You pay at the counter and your bagel is delivered. Don't forget the extra napkins!!! The bagel is hot and as you pull apart a piece you notice the steam rising from the bagel. The butter has completely soaked in -- your mouth waters as you begin to take your first bite. An awesome bagel experience!" --Thanks to Elizabeth Stricker.

"My fav bagel place is located in brooklyn heights, on montague st. off hick st. and the name is HOT BAGELS or something like that and my fav bagel was used to be poppy seed. really, i had bagels all over the place in the city but no bagel good beat my poppy seed at above place and it's also a nice place to remember since i always made a stop there on my morning run over the brooklyn bridge." Brought to us, via Germany, from Anke Dieker.

THE BAGELRY. 30th and 3rd Avenue This particular Bagelry is my favorite bagel shop. I enjoy the bagels, and other items, in this shop so much I have often worried what I will do for good bagels if I ever move out of the neighborhood! The bagels are small (about the size of your hand) and dense. They are crunchy (perfection!) on the outside and chewy and dense on the inside. Not puffed up with lots of air like many of their larger counterparts. Many times they are fresh from the oven and very hot! They also have "flat" bagels which are bagels that are pressed flat before cooking, making then even more dense. I find the flavor of these bagels to be much more intense than in other bagel shops I've frequented. I asked the manager this morning why that is and he happily explained that the recipe contains malt rather than sugar, which intensifies the flavor no matter what kind of bagel is made. I love beer so maybe that explains my attraction to these bagels! If you enjoy a sweet breakfast, I recommend a cinammon raisen bagel with blueberry cream cheese. Very tasty and definitely satisfies a sweet tooth (I'd say it rivals Krisy Kremes!). I am not a fan of sweet breakfasts, so I prefer a toasted pumpernickel or whole wheat bagel with sundried tomato cream cheese and a slice of onion. Yummy!! A word of warning -- get the cream cheese on the side or you may end of scraping much of it off.To accompany your bagel there is a variety of juices, some fresh squeezed and the usual Fresh Samanthas and Snapple. The coffee here is not the greatest. If you like it strong, I would advise bringing in a cup from the Starbuck's on 28th and 3rd -- the Bagelry doesn't seem to mind. And in the Summer (will it ever be Summer again?) there are delicious yogurt shakes with fresh fruit. Slurp! Now that you've finished breakfast, it is time to think about lunch. No need to leave the Bagelry -- they have chicken salad that is unbelievable! Try a toasted whole wheat bagel with chicken salad and a cup of minestrone soup. Great relief for a drizzly, cold day. There are some downsides to this Bagelry. The service is excellent on some days and others it seems they just can't get their act together and the wait (and line!) seems to go on forever. The tables are tiny and can barely fit me and my food so pulling a few together is a must if you go with more than 2 people. I do like the staff at Bagelry. They know I am a runner and I'm greeted every morning with inquiries about how the running is going and how I like running in whatever weather we're having that day. They even noticed when I switched from artificial sweetner to regular sugar and asked me to explain why. I actually heard one of the counter people last week try and talk a customer out of using Equal in her coffee! Pretty amusing. Besides, they always have a pat on the head and a little piece of bagel for Salazar (her black Lab). All around, I give it an 8/10. Check it out!" Thanks to Robin Roberts for the review!

AU BON PAIN. 5th & 14th. Fine average, in a pleasant sense, bagels in a fastfood style cafe setting. For the non-bagelite there are many other alternatives to buy, though if you're not here for the bagels then.... The lunch time hazed rush makes this downtown meeting spot a crowded and lumpy one. The house speciality, and for those craving a sweet tooth fix with more sugar than any mountain or daddy, must be the Dutch Apple bagel. Best recommended is to shop elsewhere for a coffee. The clients are predominantly tourists and fast shoppers with a window browsing rating rather low. The prices reasonable and the staff as bland as the decor.

This report comes to us from UA's women's running star Michelle Rossettie, "I enjoy H&H bagels, but my favorite bagel eating experience is getting straight-from-the-oven bagels from MURRAY'S BAGELS on 13th and 6th. Whenever I go into Murray's, I ask which varieties are warm or about to come out of the oven and that is what I get. This morning, following a difficult session at the gym, I got a multigrain bagel- its insides were still steaming. I highly recommend trying this approach and this bagel shop. On cold and rainy days, Murray's also has good homemade soups and sometimes chili. By the way- I also recommend peanut butter and jelly on a bagel."