Bialys

[JonS]

23 hours ago, DaveO said:

Parenthetically I think Bethesda Bagel made them 2 decades ago.  If so they dropped them- not enough demand.

Bethesda Bagels absolutely still had them last time I was there.

[curiouskitkatt]

Letter of Recommendation: Bialys  NYT Magazine, Jason Diamond  10/30/18

[DonRocks]

Note we also have this Bialys thread in the New York City Forum.

[DaveO]

On 10/30/2018 at 3:29 PM, curiouskitkatt said:

Letter of Recommendation: Bialys  NYT Magazine, Jason Diamond  10/30/18

Nice article.  Come to think of it, besides a less than great bialy experience at Bullfrog Bagel I haven't had a  bialy in years (I'm sorry but the great Breadfurst bakes something other than a bialy imho).  I don't think of them or go out of my way to get them in the DC region. 

Actually there is nothing extraordinary about a bialy imho.  Its an average tasting roll type of thing.  The size and flavor in the indentation is the real flavor enhancement.  Growing up I ate them all the time, b/c they were easily accessible and b/c it was a staple in my father's entire life, hence in his family's life.  The exact same thing occurred in my cousins' households, the homes of my dad's brother and sister.  Having said all that, bialy's are on my mind.   I'll probably get around to one or more up in NYC or Northern Jersey in the near future.

[DaveO]

I prefer the Bethesda Bagel bialy to that at Bullfrog Bagels.  It’s broader, deeper hence larger.  The depression is filled with ample onions and poppy seed.  Ample filling.  In that it is a deep bialy so Too is the center depression—-lots of filling

Taste—- aha. I admit to not having a real bialy in years.  It didn’t remind me of those from my past... but not bad.

I’ll get more

For two weekdays there were long lines in the morning at the new Rosslyn Bethesda Bagel.   If the office space in the area is full it compares to parts of downtown DC for daytime traffic potential.  Saturday and Sunday morns.  That is the question

[elgrandechorizo]

I've eaten a bagel or bialy for breakfast the great majority of days since the mid-80's. Thousands of 'em. For many years I frequented Bethesda Bagels on Bethesda Avenue, and when we lived on River Road, very close to Western Avenue, I switched alliances to Georgetown Bagel by the River Road Whole Foods. Both of them make a good bagel and a decent bialy. In 2011 we moved close to East West Highway @ Beach Drive, so Goldberg's Bagels on Georgia Avenue is my new place. Excellent, if somewhat inconsistently rolled bagels, and really good bialys. Their parking lot is an utter shit-show, the service is average to abysmal, and the coffee has improved from wretched to better than muffler shop waiting room coffee. They're closed Saturdays, as well as all the Jewish holidays you've ever heard of, and a bunch more. 

But the bialys, and the bagels haunt me. 

(I buy dozens and freeze them in Washington Post bags. 45 second defrost in the microwave, toast to just the tiniest hint of brown. Add Philly, Euro butter, or a quick lox or olive spread and a pot of Mayorga, and you're eating my daily recipe for making mornings tolerable)

[DaveO]

6 hours ago, elgrandechorizo said:

I've eaten a bagel or bialy for breakfast the great majority of days since the mid-80's. Thousands of 'em. For many years I frequented Bethesda Bagels on Bethesda Avenue, and when we lived on River Road, very close to Western Avenue, I switched alliances to Georgetown Bagel by the River Road Whole Foods. Both of them make a good bagel and a decent bialy. In 2011 we moved close to East West Highway @ Beach Drive, so Goldberg's Bagels on Georgia Avenue is my new place. Excellent, if somewhat inconsistently rolled bagels, and really good bialys. Their parking lot is an utter shit-show, the service is average to abysmal, and the coffee has improved from wretched to better than muffler shop waiting room coffee. They're closed Saturdays, as well as all the Jewish holidays you've ever heard of, and a bunch more. 

But the bialys, and the bagels haunt me. 

(I buy dozens and freeze them in Washington Post bags. 45 second defrost in the microwave, toast to just the tiniest hint of brown. Add Philly, Euro butter, or a quick lox or olive spread and a pot of Mayorga, and you're eating my daily recipe for making mornings tolerable)

Thank you.  I would heed the advice from someone who eats bagels/bialys every day over someone who hasn’t touched a bialy in years.  

As someone who used to devour bagels (and less so bialys) on an almost regular basis I would also tend to find the closest decent place for my fix. 

[dracisk]

9 hours ago, elgrandechorizo said:

Goldberg's Bagels on Georgia Avenue is my new place. Excellent, if somewhat inconsistently rolled bagels, and really good bialys. Their parking lot is an utter shit-show

We're semi-regulars at the Silver Spring Goldberg's as well. I've noticed they have bialys, but I've never eaten one. I'm far from a bialy expert -- I think I've eaten one or two in my life and the last time was a long time ago. Now I want to try one again!

As for parking, there's a county lot diagonally behind Goldberg's (per Google Maps it's the Columbia Boulevard (Lot 12)). It's a 2-3 minute walk to Goldberg's and handy if, like me, you're too much of a wimpy parker to deal with Goldberg's lot (which is indeed a shit show!).

[elgrandechorizo]

I'm an adventurous driver, and approaching from Seminary Rd/Linden Ln. So I usually cut through the public lot to avoid the logjam of people who won't right-turn-on-red at the light at Georgia. I then snake through the Exxon station, and right into the Goldberg's lot. I'll confess I depart in reverse direction through the Exxon *without setting a wheel on Georgia Ave*.

It's an easy cut across to Snider's Super Food from the lot, as well.

[DonRocks]

On 3/25/2010 at 9:34 AM, Heather said:

They [Goldberg's Georgia Ave.] offer breakfast egg sandwiches, tuna salad, egg salad, veggie burgers, pizza bialys, and the usual cream cheese spreads.

On 2/16/2012 at 7:28 PM, Cuddlyone said:

What about Bagel City in Rockville? ... PS, the bialys are great too (but extremely oniony-I dump out the onions when I get home).

A couple more comments about the Bialys at Goldberg's (Downtown Silver Spring) and Bagel City (which nearly closed a few years ago).

[curiouskitkatt]

On 11/10/2018 at 11:58 PM, elgrandechorizo said:

But the bialys, and the bagels haunt me. 

 

Wow. Reading this makes me want to make a beeline to Goldberg's, but for sake of cutting down travel time, what are your thoughts on Greg's Bagels in Baltimore?

[elgrandechorizo]

We've  been once, a couple years ago when going to Towson to look at a car. I wouldn't make the trip for their bagels which are fine, but not significantly better in any regard to my local top 3 or 4. 

It seems the place does have a lot of interesting fish, tho.

(Side note: Goldberg's Georgia Ave switched to Ivy City Smokehouse as their packaged fish purveyor maybe a year ago, which was great, but they switched back to Acme, and when I asked got a straight answer, which was surprising. Their profit margin on it wasn't good enough, and the expiry date duration wasn't long enough)

[curiouskitkatt]

On 11/12/2018 at 10:20 AM, elgrandechorizo said:

It seems the place does have a lot of interesting fish, tho.

Yes, the smoked fish selection is a bit overwhelming, I never know what to order, and get something different every time. I do like that the serve up a salt bagel, that being my fav. Now I need to make the trek to Goldbergs to try their offerings. Thanks for the feedback.

[DaveO]

44 minutes ago, elgrandechorizo said:

We've  

(Side note: Goldberg's Georgia Ave switched to Ivy City Smokehouse as their packaged fish purveyor maybe a year ago, which was great, but they switched back to Acme, and when I asked got a straight answer, which was surprising. Their profit margin on it wasn't good enough, and the expiry date duration wasn't long enough)

Side note:   Dino’s Grotto switched from Qualia to Compass Coffee.   I asked if Price was the reason and got an affirmative nod.  Certain premium products can push up price and don’t necessarily drive sales enough.

[DaveO]

I’ve continued to try the bialy’s and bagels at the new Bethesda bagel in Roslyn.

The bialys are consistently inconsistent.  They are baked in house and they don’t bake many.  (I suspect they might do one baking for the morning:  the demand is minimal).  Over time the shapes have varied.  There have been signs for available bakers on the window- they either are short staffed have had turnover or both.

The better one’s are ample with sizable depressions brimming with onions and poppy seeds—kudos on those.   THe lessor ones have come in myriad shapes and sizes although they all have more ample depressions and a better filling than what I had at Bullfrog.

Ah...but the bialy taste is all important.  These are not the bialy’s I recall from my youth.  Something is amiss.  While I’ve been through NYC quite a bit of recent I’ve neither had the time or inclination to search out storied bialy’s.  I hope to get around to that later as I’ll have more time.

When well formed I give them a B

[KeithA]

Big bagel eater with limited bialys experience here but I will echo the praise for Goldberg's bialys above in the thread. I went to the North Bethesda/Rockville location hidden in the shopping center off Nicholson Road that has Moti's kosher grocery (used to be Katz's for decades). Bialy wa big, soft in center, chewy on outside with a nice bit of chopped spiced onions on top. I ate it plain and enjoyed. Also if you want to stop up on Israeli ingredients and of course kosher food - Moti's has a nice selection - so you can make all those great Zahav and Ottolenghi recipes that I'm working my way through. 

[Ericandblueboy]

Went to Kossar's in LES this past weekend.  A bialy with scallion cream cheese is now $5.  I don't think it was worth $5.  It was a generous amount of cream cheese, too much than needed really.  My jaws did feel tired from chewing too.

[pras]

14 hours ago, Ericandblueboy said:

Went to Kossar's in LES this past weekend.  A bialy with scallion cream cheese is now $5.  I don't think it was worth $5.  It was a generous amount of cream cheese, too much than needed really.  My jaws did feel tired from chewing too.

Pretty sure Kossar's is under new ownership and not the same as when it was a burnt out storefront.  Not sure if this has had any effect on their product.  It looks like it was cleaned up and has a much broader menu.