Whereas I think it’s worth a shot 
oh no, I need you to be the voice of reason! You’re not afraid the bodega grill guys might find the request insulting?
You could always tell them it’s GF or some other kind of special item (I’m a terrible influence, why would you assume otherwise 
)
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I think my father in law is bringing us some starter when he next comes out to Jersey from Denver. Nice, let me know!
The “tiny starter” project during the pandemic was fun, and easy. Also not the usual waste.
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You may be interested in Maggie Glezer’s firm sourdough starter. The great advantage is that it does not have to be refreshed every two days. You refresh it 2 or 3 days before you want to bake. When it increases in volume by a factor of 4 within 8 hours, it’s ready. I’ve been using it for years. And I save all the discards for other breads.
https://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/2390/firm-starter-glezer-recipe
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from a quality and financial pov, it probably makes more sense to pay fairway their $14 for a quarter pound of very good smoked salmon, pick up some ben’s cc, walk across the street to tals for a couple of bagels, and be done with it. otoh, if I’m grabbing the sandwich before playing pickleball in carl schurz park, there is a convenience factor of the bodega/good bagel idea.
I guess the first thing to do is to understand just how bad the bagel is at our bodega…
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I make a starter every time we’re in Florida, easy to do. alternatively, your fil could send you dried starter in the mail:
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After many many years, Ess-A is still our go-to. However, whereas I could put away two whole Ess-A bagels at one breakfast decades ago, I am down to 1/2 per meal. Ess-A pumpernickel will always be my favorite.
As for other purveyors, I stumbled on Shelsky’s a couple years ago and enjoyed their smaller bagels. Also will get bagels at Russ & Daughters when I venture in for my occasional splurge. Their bialys are excellent too. Have also enjoyed the flagels from David’s.
Had a funny experience at Black Seed Bagels at Chelsea Market a few months ago (I was in the neighborhood; NB Li-Lac Chocolates in Chelsea Market is outstanding). Anyway, after waiting in the interminable line, I got to the counter and asked for a dozen bagels. They sell a baker’s dozen so when I got to 12 I tried to order one more. The bumbling counter person told me that a baker’s dozen is 12, not 13. When I tried to explain that there’s a reason the sign says baker’s dozen and not simply dozen, he just chuckled and I gave up. But I sent an email complaining (nicely) and got a $25 gift certificate for my troubles. PS their bagels are mediocre at best.
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I really liked ess-a-bagels Midtown East but at some point, it must have been written up in a tour guide, it became hard to get a table and I hated navigating all the roller suitcases.
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Yeah when I used to go to my office at 300 Madison I made several stops before heading to the train station and that Ess-a was one them along with Jacques Torres, Melissa’s Cupcakes, Maison Kayser (RIP)……
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I just got this book from the hold queue at my local library. I really like Barrow‘s recipes and look forward to making her bagels
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Genius. Thanks!!
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When you have the bandwidth, consider curing your own. Probably not very different in net price, but fun and delicious.
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eater declares uws has the best bagels in nyc:
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Just noticed there’s a bagel and co at 77th and York, right across from kossars, might make a good one-two punch one morning…
Thanks for sharing! I actually looked into Bagels & Co the last time I walked by. Next time, I will think about entering.
Not quite. The headline says
“Who Makes the Best Bagel on the Upper West Side?”
Then says
“I’d have to say the best neighborhood for bagels is the Upper West Side, …”
But why? 'cuz
“the UWS has the most bagel bakeries, which vie with each other for bagel supremacy.”
That hardly makes them the “best bagels in nyc”.
Here’s the Eater list, with their own comments pasted in:
- Bagels & Co.
“More bulbous than usual, the small hole was like a whirlpool on this one, and the crumb more finely textured, without a speck of sweetness. The taste was slightly toasty without being toasted.” - Absolute Bagels
“Bagel slightly larger than average size, nicely browned with a shiny surface, hole has pretty much disappeared.” - H&H
“This specimen was pale and shiny, a perfect size and old-fashioned, a real retro-bagel. It’s chewy without being overly so.” - Bagel Talk
“The size and level of doneness was perfect, but the outside was positively crunchy, and crazed with fine cracks. By contrast, the inside was softer than most.” - Broad Nosh
“Bagels are of average size, darker than most, good flavor, no hole to speak of, provides a good chew. Odd spiraling fissures on the top, though” - Zabar’s
“Maybe following the current caramelizing fad, this average sized bagel was a very dark brown with an adamantine crust and a slightly salty flavor, almost meaty.” - Pick A Bagel
“Bulbous and slightly larger than usual, this bagel was unremarkable, and corporate seeming.” - Silver Moon Bakery
“The shape is odd and twisted, the taste is wheaty, the crust too thick and firm.”
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I don’t follow your logic. he tried a bunch of bagels on the uws and compared them to bagels he had in other parts of NYC and declared the UWS the best. are you saying he didn’t delcare the UWS the best neighborhood for bagels?
His explanation of why the uws has the best bagels is that there’s a lot of competition. seems like a reasonable theory. Are you saying you don’t agree with that?
I think what I said above is about as clear as I can make it. People are welcome to disagree with what passes for my logic.
In any case, we have had previous bagel threads in which I have expressed (possibly equally illogical) opinions:
Summoning the splendiferous @SteveR, what did you think of Strathmore bagels bagels in your Stony Brook (a mere suburb of NYC, after all) days? I was introduced to bagels by a Bronx-raised friend and took to them. In the Stony Brook area I began eating them first at a miniscule shopping mall in Port Jefferson Harbor, then at Strathmore – at the latter for a decade. I liked both, but, hey, what did I know?
(I did know enough, though, to find knishes unbearably bland – but I was fresh off the batata-wada boat back then.)
