Bagels

[Lois R]

28 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

As a new Bagel consumer, I am learning.  My first were Thomas' Blueberry Bagels, I buttered them after being toasted, and they were good.  This morning, I had my first Thomas' Plain Bagels, buttered. and they were OK.  Would adding some Strawberry Preserves or Orange Marmalade improve there taste?  They just seemed so "plain" in taste with butter.  

Hi, you can try whatever topping you like for sure. Savory or sweet, whatever you prefer. I have been eating bagels since I was a little child. Try Lender's if you are doing a packaged brand. A store bought plain bagel is going to taste "store bought". Do you have a Paneras nearby? They make a pretty good bagel(in my opinion).

[shipgeeks]

I agree with Lois; I have been so inspired by this thread that we went to Panera's a few days ago and had a double-toasted bagel with cream cheese, and a coffee.  Very pleasant.  I no longer buy grocery store bagels.  However, to fill that gap, I look for other interesting breads, and my find last week was a pumpkin seed bread from Aldi's.  Very nice toasted and spread with cream cheese.

[BklynBoy8]

3 hours ago, shipgeeks said:

I agree with Lois; I have been so inspired by this thread that we went to Panera's a few days ago and had a double-toasted bagel with cream cheese, and a coffee.  Very pleasant.  I no longer buy grocery store bagels.  However, to fill that gap, I look for other interesting breads, and my find last week was a pumpkin seed bread from Aldi's.  Very nice toasted and spread with cream cheese.

 

To hear the difficulties people have getting good quality item went in NYC we have everything at our hands and maybe don't appreciate it. And the creativity is thru the roof. 

[Lois R]

9 minutes ago, BklynBoy8 said:

 

To hear the difficulties people have getting good quality item went in NYC we have everything at our hands and maybe don't appreciate it. And the creativity is thru the roof. 

Hi BB, you are spot on with your observations. You have access to every type of food, bagels to Buffalo. And as for not appreciating that fact? I bet now now you will😀

[BklynBoy8]

14 minutes ago, Lois R said:

Hi BB, you are spot on with your observations. You have access to every type of food, bagels to Buffalo. And as for not appreciating that fact? I bet now now you will😀

 

We have a place that has close to 50+ types of bagels.

[lenquixote66]

On 10/5/2022 at 9:33 AM, Hlitner said:

A topic near and dear to my stomach.  As an ex NYC Jew, I was raised on New York bagels (the best on earth) and even though we no longer live in NYC, DW and I generally start every day with a bagel.  DW puts butter on her bagel (this would be considered a crime in NYC) and I use cream cheese (and also like lox).  

 

But at the risk of starting a controversy, those "things" sold under the "Thomas" brand are shaped like a bagel but would not be considered a real bagel by most bagel lovers.  When you live in NYC, bagels are considered serious business and folks often head to their usual bagel factory or neighborhood deli (who gets their bagels from a bagel factory on a daily basis).  It has long been argued (among bagel lovers) that NYC bagels cannot be duplicated because they can only be made with NYC water!  One of the best (and largest) bagel factories (H & H Bagels) was actually located within walking distance of the Manhattan cruise ship terminal, but alas, that place was closed a few years ago (H& H are now made elsewhere in the city).

 

Just a note that a real bagel is actually made by a two step cooking process in that they are first boiled (in a large vat) and then baked in an oven!  Sadly, we have never had a good bagel on any cruise line (we have tried them on 16 lines).  

 

So now you have all you the information you never wanted to know about bagels.

 

Hank

 

 

I grew up in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn .The bagels were great.

When my wife and I lived in Canarsie from 1967 to 2003.We used to buy bagels from Bell Bagel .We have been living in Long Island nearly 20 years and people buy from a bagel chain ,Bagel Boss.However,my wife makes a trek to still get Bell Bagel who are now in Long Island.

My wife had an uncle who was a bagel baker in Brooklyn.

[lenquixote66]

On 10/5/2022 at 9:24 PM, CGTNORMANDIE said:

Mazel tov in trying to find a good bagel at sea Hank.  Croissants yes…bagels no. There is nothing like a great NY bagel.  However…we do have some excellent bagel bakeries around here…metro Boston.  We have one bakery here in Somerville that is really good.  The young lady who runs it dropped out of the corporate world to bake these gems.  We also had an Egyptian family nearby who makes an excellent bagel…the old fashioned way…boiled and then baked.  Finding good lox…not so easy.  

We have good lox in Long Island .When I was a kid living in Brooklyn every Sunday morning my father went to the local Appetizing store for lox and pickled herring.I loved the taste of the sauce.

[lenquixote66]

On 10/10/2022 at 7:15 PM, Mary229 said:

My local grocer has mastered bagel making.  
 

For all bagels we lightly heat them in the toaster oven then cut them in half for toasting.  For plain and savory varieties we butter than sprinkle on a all seed garlic mix.  The mix is poppy and sesame seeds, parsley and garlic- lots of garlic.  You can also pre melt the butter and add equal parts olive oil to spread for a Mediterranean treat.  
 

for sweet varieties such as blueberry it is either butter and cinnamon sugar or preserves but no butter.

 

now to the grocer they have mastered the Texas standard bagel - cheddar cheese and jalapeño.   Yum, yum, a meal in itself. 

Many years ago I went to visit a friend living in Houston who grew up in NYC.I was invited for what he termed a typical Texas breakfast .Much to my surprise it was bagels and lox.

[Hlitner]

Lox is good topic unto itself.  The lox we have had on ships has never been anything great, but generally eatable.  As a young boy living in Reading, PA, we had a small Jewish Deli called Rudniks and Mrs. Rudnik would hand slice several types of lox (to order) which was of very high quality (think Zabars in NYC).  My family generally favored Nova....but I was the outlier who really loved just plain ole salty belly lox!  These days, living in Central PA I must settle for Nova from either BJ's Club or Costco.  Both places have pretty decent lox and the price (about $20 a pound) is certainly reasonable.

 

Hank

[rkacruiser]

As a feature of my breakfast, lox or any smoked salmon will not be on my menu.  I'd  try it during a cruise.  But, I would not purchase the Cream Cheese and the fish to make that entree.  

 

I am not really liking a plain Bagel.  I butter them.  I have tried Strawberry Preserves.  I will try Orange Marmalade and I have an Alaskan wild berry jam that I will try.  (I butter them first.)  The Blueberry bagel variety?  I did like that.  

[lenquixote66]

4 hours ago, Hlitner said:

Lox is good topic unto itself.  The lox we have had on ships has never been anything great, but generally eatable.  As a young boy living in Reading, PA, we had a small Jewish Deli called Rudniks and Mrs. Rudnik would hand slice several types of lox (to order) which was of very high quality (think Zabars in NYC).  My family generally favored Nova....but I was the outlier who really loved just plain ole salty belly lox!  These days, living in Central PA I must settle for Nova from either BJ's Club or Costco.  Both places have pretty decent lox and the price (about $20 a pound) is certainly reasonable.

 

Hank

When I lived in Brooklyn there were hundreds of kosher deli’s.Currently there are 2.

[Hlitner]

12 minutes ago, lenquixote66 said:

When I lived in Brooklyn there were hundreds of kosher deli’s.Currently there are 2.

When I think of Brooklyn the first thought is about Ebingers!  Ahhh the chocolate blackout cake was amazing!

 

Hank

[lenquixote66]

Just now, Hlitner said:

When I think of Brooklyn the first thought is about Ebingers!  Ahhh the chocolate blackout cake was amazing!

 

Hank

My late mother in law worked in a Brooklyn Bakery that sold delicious baked goods.The bakery’s of our youth are a thing of the past .Referring to Brooklyn.

[Hlitner]

2 minutes ago, lenquixote66 said:

My late mother in law worked in a Brooklyn Bakery that sold delicious baked goods.The bakery’s of our youth are a thing of the past .Referring to Brooklyn.

When I was a young boy, we moved from Long Island to Reading, PA.  Most of our family (and some business interests) remained in NYC and the island and we would routinely make the drive from Reading to Brooklyn and the Island (before there was a Verrazzano.  Some of my fondest memories involved the long Sunday drive home when we would stop in Brooklyn to buy tons of things at Ebingers, then to Houston Street to buy lots of meat at Katz's (and bagels from a nearby bagel factory).  When I was in the USAF and stationed in Asia, my Mother actually sent me salami from Katz's ("Send a Salami to your Boy in the Army).  When I took DW to Katz's for the first time, we managed to get seated at the "When Harry met Sally" table :).  Lots of great memories.   So many of the great delis and bakeries are now gone, but there are still some great options.

 

Hank

[lenquixote66]

2 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

When I was a young boy, we moved from Long Island to Reading, PA.  Most of our family (and some business interests) remained in NYC and the island and we would routinely make the drive from Reading to Brooklyn and the Island (before there was a Verrazzano.  Some of my fondest memories involved the long Sunday drive home when we would stop in Brooklyn to buy tons of things at Ebingers, then to Houston Street to buy lots of meat at Katz's (and bagels from a nearby bagel factory).  When I was in the USAF and stationed in Asia, my Mother actually sent me salami from Katz's ("Send a Salami to your Boy in the Army).  When I took DW to Katz's for the first time, we managed to get seated at the "When Harry met Sally" table :).  Lots of great memories.   So many of the great delis and bakeries are now gone, but there are still some great options.

 

Hank

I live in Long Island .There are kosher style deli’s but very few that are kosher.My parents had a friend that owned a kosher deli in Brooklyn .It was originally in Crown Heights and moved to the Georgetown section of Brooklyn.When we lived in Canarsie the only kosher deli was Grabsteins .

[BklynBoy8]

Again living in Brooklyn when we want Smoked Salmon we go to Acme Salmon (their smoke house facility).

 

You can find the smoke house by following the smell in the air.

[rkacruiser]

I have decided a plain Bagel requires some type of smear to make it taste good for me.  Butter alone is OK.  But, adding a topping of some type makes it better.  The best that I have found is an Alaskan Ruhberry Jelly.  Alas, I have emptied the jar.  Maybe I can order another?  (But, what will the shipping cost to do so!)  

[Mary229]

2 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

I have decided a plain Bagel requires some type of smear to make it taste good for me.  Butter alone is OK.  But, adding a topping of some type makes it better.  The best that I have found is an Alaskan Ruhberry Jelly.  Alas, I have emptied the jar.  Maybe I can order another?  (But, what will the shipping cost to do so!)  

I would say economize on the shipping - buy a case!   (I do this with my favorite tea)

[BklynBoy8]

1 hour ago, rkacruiser said:

I have decided a plain Bagel requires some type of smear to make it taste good for me.  Butter alone is OK.  But, adding a topping of some type makes it better.  The best that I have found is an Alaskan Ruhberry Jelly.  Alas, I have emptied the jar.  Maybe I can order another?  (But, what will the shipping cost to do so!)  

 

I picked up in Sept Iles Ca Mountain Cranberry Jam. Very different from the Cranberry you get from bogs of the Eastern Sea Coast. 

[rkacruiser]

19 hours ago, BklynBoy8 said:

 

I picked up in Sept Iles Ca Mountain Cranberry Jam. Very different from the Cranberry you get from bogs of the Eastern Sea Coast. 

 

That sounds good.  I like Cranberries.  One of the things that I do shop for on some cruises--particularly in ports that I have not visited or rarely do--is local food products that I can easily and safely get home.  Almost always return from the Caribbean with a Rum Cake, but, more recently, I will directly order from the company that makes them.  One less item to pack/carry!

 

21 hours ago, Mary229 said:

I would say economize on the shipping - buy a case!   (I do this with my favorite tea)

 

🤣   That would likely last me the rest of my life and into eternity!  A different Alaskan company produces a delicious Wild Blueberry Jam that they absolutely will not sell individual jars that are requested.  I have tried repeatedly to order this and the order is refused.  Really don't understand their reasoning.  

[Mary229]

14 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

That sounds good.  I like Cranberries.  One of the things that I do shop for on some cruises--particularly in ports that I have not visited or rarely do--is local food products that I can easily and safely get home.  Almost always return from the Caribbean with a Rum Cake, but, more recently, I will directly order from the company that makes them.  One less item to pack/carry!

 

 

🤣   That would likely last me the rest of my life and into eternity!  A different Alaskan company produces a delicious Wild Blueberry Jam that they absolutely will not sell individual jars that are requested.  I have tried repeatedly to order this and the order is refused.  Really don't understand their reasoning.  

I have this issue with another favorite food - Hatch Red Chile pods.  I found a small farm market New Mexico.  I pick up the phone and call them.  They are so tickled to get an out of town order 

Edited November 2, 2022 by Mary229

[Eamon Chute]

Bagels, like pizza, are a very personal thing. Everyone have their favorites, and everyone have ones that they will NEVER consume. Generally I have not found any bagels on a ship that I truly enjoyed, though the best bagel I found on board a ship was on the Volga Dream during a cruise from St, Petersburg to Moscow in 2007.

[lenquixote66]

I never liked bagels on cruise ships

[BklynBoy8]

33 minutes ago, lenquixote66 said:

I never liked bagels on cruise ships

 

QM2's in the restaurant not Buffet wasn't bad with smoke salmon plate. Asked for it toast was fine.

 

Pretty good bakery department.

[lenquixote66]

16 hours ago, BklynBoy8 said:

 

QM2's in the restaurant not Buffet wasn't bad with smoke salmon plate. Asked for it toast was fine.

 

Pretty good bakery department.

 I have only been on a Cunard cruise once,in 1973 and do not recall having bagels