5 Must-Try Bagel Spots in NYC, According to a New Yorker Who Knows Food

"To me, the perfect NYC bagel has that nice crust and then the perfect chew throughout! I don't know why, but outside of NYC, everyone seems to struggle with this."

"A truly great bagel should still be good even after it's cooled to room temperature."

"Utopia Bagels is committed to tradition. Its bagels are hand-rolled and kettle-boiled, and the recipes have stayed the same over the years."

"At its original location in Whitestone, Queens, the bagels are baked in a 1947 carousel oven."

New Yorkers experience diverse bagel qualities, with Utopia Bagels exemplifying tradition and quality through hand-rolled, kettle-boiled techniques. Jeremy Jacobowitz offers insights into top bagel spots, emphasizing key characteristics of a perfect bagel, such as texture, crust, and flavor. His standards reveal the struggle outside NYC for bagel perfection. Utopia Bagels, in particular, has been successfully baking since 1981 in a vintage carousel oven, maintaining its recipes for an authentic bagel experience.

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