Bagel Champ coming to Byrd & Barrel in south St. Louis

Byrd & Barrel owner Bob Brazell is bringing a concept within a concept to his popular South City chicken joint: Bagel Champ.

Starting March 23, a rotating selection of boiled bagel sandwiches will be available for breakfast and lunch on weekends only from 9 a.m.–2 p.m.

For the past two years, Brazell and sous chef Dred Sedlack have been traveling to cities across the country to research boiled bagels. “I literally had the name, logo, and kind of sandwiches I wanted to make in my head two years ago," says Brazell. 

Made with malt syrup, the old-school–style bagels are kettle-boiled, hand-rolled and twisted. Look for cold sandwiches, hot ‘steamer’ sandwiches, and even a few open-face bagel sammies. Brazell and Sedlack are also working with local farmers and breweries to develop a signature syrup.

So what is Brazell's favorite item? “The Century Park bagel," he says without hesitation, explaining that it's a sentimental favorite because he proposed to his wife in Shanghai's Century Park. The Shanghai-style egg salad sandwich includes tomato, red onion, sprouts, and a sriracha spread on a sesame bagel. The pastrami bagel's next on his list.

Of course, there’s also a chicken sandwich—grilled, not fried, and served Cordon Bleu-style. And the Noodle Boy sandwich includes the ramlette (a ramen noodle patty), along with smoked ham, American cheese, a sriracha spread, and scallions on an egg bagel.

Check out Bagel Champ's Instagram page for more bagel sandwiches.