Where’s a good place in St. Louis to buy bagels these days? —Max M., St. Louis
Every time a local bagel bakery opens—or closes, for that matter—the discussion continues anew: Where can I get a good bagel? Who’s got the best bagels? I need a bagel…now!
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When The Bagel Factory (arguably the best bagel bakery in town) unexpectedly closed late last year, bagel-noshing St. Louisans were shaken to their schmears because, quite frankly, there were few other places in town to get a bona fide New York–style water bagel.
When Bagel Union (8705 Big Bend) opened just after the first of the year in Webster Groves, local news showed people waiting in hour-plus long lines in the cold—for a bagel. (Progress report: The lines have since subsided, and the bagels and bagel sandwiches are excellent. Co-owner Sean Netzer reports that the next project is to get the deli case fully up and running and to add more ancillary retail offerings to accompany the bagels.)
The long-awaited brick-and-mortar location for Lefty’s Bagels (67 Forum Shopping Center) opened April 13 in Chesterfield to a predictably robust crowd. Hats off to the ownership team for the transparency on social media, keeping customers up to date regarding stock-outs and early growing pains. Similar to Bagel Union, the bagels from Lefty’s are excellent, with a slightly softer crumb than those from the Bagel Factory. Production is being increased daily, with several bagel varieties currently available, along with schmears and sandwiches.
Another legit option is Baked & Boiled, which until recently had operated a pre-order pop-up on Fridays out of Wild Olive Provisions. The shop currently offers several varieties every Saturday at the Tower Grove Farmers’ Market from 8 a.m.–12: 30 p.m.
When Bagel Factory closed, Kohn’s Kosher Deli (10405 Old Olive) upped its production of six bagel varieties to keep up with increased demand.
Another option with a strong pedigree is C & B Boiled Bagels (62. E. Ferguson), opening early next month in Wood River, Illinois. C&B is owned by Matt and Amy Herren, the married team behind Chef and Baker Collaboration and the highly regarded 1929 Pizza and Wine in Wood River. Matt was also the co-owner of 222 Artisan Bakery and Goshen Coffee, and Amy was the chef /co-owner at the erstwhile Fond in Edwardsville.
The bagels at Protzel’s Deli are made by Breadsmith (10031 Manchester), which incidentally supplies Circle@Crown Café (at the Gladys & Henry Crown Center for Senior Living).
Olio, owned by Ben Poremba, features a Jerusalem bagel, an oval-shaped bagel topped with Za’atar, a blend of Middle Eastern spices. On May 1, Poremba is slated to open Deli Divine (5501 Delmar), which will likely be the next hot spot to grab a good bagel.
A tip of the baker’s beanie to Bridge Bread Bakery (2639 Cherokee), which sells New York–style bagels in four varieties (pretzel, everything, blueberry, and classic) from its shop on Cherokee Street. Bridge is a nonprofit enterprise that hires individuals experiencing homelessness and provides them with marketable skills and reliable employment.
A slightly softer, more sandwich-friendly bagel (achieved by the use of steam) is available at The Daily Bread Bakery & Café (11719 Manchester). It’s available in six varieties, including blueberry, cinnamon chip, and cranberry oat.
Steam is also used in the baking process at Companion (9781 Clayton), which supplies bagels to City Coffee & Creperie, Kaldi’s Coffee, Meshuggah Café, and Shaw Coffee.
The local grocery-store bagels that we researched (at Schnucks, Dierbergs, Straubs, and Whole Foods) arrive parbaked and are finished in store in a myriad of varieties. Several lines of pre-baked and frozen bagels are available as well. Granted, they’re not New York–style, but you can’t beat the convenience—and you know there will be plenty of cream cheese available.
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