Bagel Time

Deli pre-school

I remember reading a few years ago a debate about bagels. I want to say it was in the New Yorker, perhaps Calvin Trillin. At any rate the discussion revolved around the legitimacy of bagels. The discussion included size, thickness, density, color.  The part I especially remember is the extension of the discussion to super market bagels-- and some source claiming Lender's as the top dog in the freezer deli. That point was obviously met with sharp dissent: Frozen bagels are not bagels in any sense bearing discussion beyond their exclusion from the discussion. (That sentence makes sense. Really.)

I can't get too involved in this anymore. I don't live in LA or New York, the two planets in my bagel universe. But before there were deli bagels in my life, there were Emerson bagels. Emerson bagels were the bagels served at our little food kiosks in the lunch area. We had a cafeteria but we also had these food service windows where a student could walk up and get a snack like a cookie, an apple, or a large slice of coffee cake. There were also bagels. All of which were available every morning during the first break of the school day-- a break called "Nutrition." And those were my training bagels, if you will. They were smallish, served warm, had nice crust, soft chew, and a buttery finish.

Living here, a thousand miles from the nearest legitimate deli I know, I made a happy discovery the other day. Our big Michigan based multi-store, Meijer-- think locally owned Wal-Mart-- makes bagels. They're a bit oversized in my book, they have a bit too much chew, but, by god, brush a little melted butter across its surface and, wow, it's 10:15 on a Tuesday morning at Emerson all over again. And for this boy, on a winter's day, 2000 miles from LA, that will just have to do.

I mention all this because today is the Short Jewish Gal's birthday. And if anyone has an opinion on bagels, it's the SJG. Happy Birthday Carol! Have a bagel for me.