- All right.

So Rachel, you know my position on this, there are no good bagels in Seattle.

I grew up on New York bagels.

- [Rachel] Yeah.

- I'm very spoiled.

So I have a very high bar coming in here.

- I know, but I brought you here to prove you wrong (laughing) because the thing is, is, that there's been all these newer places that have opened in the past few years.

I think in the past we had a bagel drought.

We are not known for bagels, but people are starting to work on it.

And these might not be New York style, but it's still good.

- Right.

- So I'm excited for you to try it.

- Yeah, me too.

I'm nervous.

- Nervous.

- I'm nervous (laughing).

I'm Rachel Belle, host of "Your Last Meal" podcast, longtime Seattle broadcast journalist, and food writer.

Here on "The Nosh," we explore some of the region's most delicious stories, through the lens of art, nature, and community.

And today we are exploring Seattle's burgeoning bagel scene.

(bright music) It's not just my friend Ben.

People are always telling me that you can't get a good bagel in Seattle.

Clearly they have never been to Mt Bagel.

Roan Hartzog was a baker for Tom Douglas restaurants when he started a bagel delivery side hustle on Instagram.

It had an instant cult following.

And today, Mt Bagel has a storefront, often with a line out the door, and they only sell two things: bagels and cream cheese.

I had to check it out.

Okay, so we're gonna make a couple bagels?

- Yes, indeed.

So just take your thumb, and poke a little hole in the middle.

- All the way through?

- Yep.

That's the goal.

And then get your other thumb in there, and just start stretching.

Kind of work some that bulk.

And when you have roughly, I don't know, that size, yeah, that looks great, you're hired.

- Professional.

People often tell me that there are no good bagels in Seattle.

What is your reaction to that?

- I don't think it's true anymore.

- Yeah.

- I think that for a long time there were not a lot of bagels- - Yeah.

- and not a lot of places to get bagels in Seattle.

Now you can find a lot of good bagels.

- A lot of good bagels.

- A lot of good ones.

- Why do you think so many opened around the same time?

Like, did somebody see somebody else doing it, or is it just this feeling inside that bagels were the next big thing?

- We're all a lot more synced up than we realize.

- Yeah.

- I think probably that agitation of like, "Gosh darn it, I just want a bagel."

Stars just kind of aligned, I think, at a certain point, - The thing that you always hear about pizza and bagels from New Yorkers, is, "It's the water.

"It's the water, it has to be the water."

So what do you think about that?

Does the characteristics of the water make a difference in your bagel?

- My instincts just as a baker, would be to say no.

(laughing) And now that's forever on television.

- On the record, yeah.

- But you're working with so few ingredients that everything does end up mattering one way or another.

- [Rachel] Yeah.

So what makes a bagel a bagel, as opposed to just round bread?

- [Roan] Definitely malt syrup.

I think that that gives it that distinct bagel flavor.

- [Rachel] For the boiling process?

- Yeah, it's malty, well, we use it in the boil, but we also have some in our actual dough.

- Oh, I'm gonna sniff it.

- [Roan] I do think the boil is huge.

- [Rachel] Yeah.

- [Roan] It gives it a real distinct texture that I think is unique to bagels.

- Hey, everybody out of the pool.

- [Roan] Yep.

(upbeat music) I have eye protection.

- I'm not just saying this.

I've never been more excited to eat a Bengal.

Which one do you want?

Pick your guy.

- I'm gonna go with this guy.

- Okay, I'm going for this one.

Oh, they're super warm.

- [Roan] Yeah, careful.

- Cheers.

- Cheers.

- Okay.

Whoa, whoa.

Oh, oh my God (laughing).

So steamy.

- [Roan] I'm going in for it.

- Oh my God, it's so good.

It's so fluffy.

- [Roan] Mm hm.

Nothing beats right outta the oven.

- Nobody can complain that there are no good bagels in Seattle.

You can't have this bagel, and say that it's not an excellent bagel.

Truly.

It's such a treat.

- Yeah, well, you know, hopefully we start fixing that stigma a little.

- Yeah.

- One bagel shop at a time, right?

- One bagel at a time.

Next I meet up with Andrew Rubinstein.

Andrew opened Rubenstein's Bagels in 2019, but after expanding to several locations, he felt like more of a manager than an artisan.

So he sold the business, and got back into the kitchen, eager to perfect his sourdough bagel recipe.

Now Andrew is the sole employee of Hey Bagel.

He bakes bialies and bagels, and sells them at popups around the Seattle region.

Hey Bagel Bud.

- Hey.

(both laughing) - Oh my God, there's so many bagels.

- [Andrew] I made it easy for us today.

- This is a small amount of bagels.

- This is a small, this is about half of what I normally do.

So there's three poppies.

- [Rachel] Okay.

- There's three sesames, and there's seven salt.

- Okay.

Did you know my cat's name is Poppy?

- I didn't, I should.

- Yeah.

I'm gonna put three little kitties in this bag.

All right, this is for Sheldon.

- That's for Sheldon.

- This goes out to you, Sheldon.

So I know a lot of people, you know, compared to New York bagels, that's kind of the gold standard of bagels.

But do you think there's a West Coast style?

- I think right now, the one thing that's differentiating in my opinion, is the quality ingredients that West Coast people are putting into it.

I think that we have that ethos of organic, natural, high quality.

And I think that is one of the things that you're seeing from our group of bakers.

My flour is a hundred percent organic.

My sesame seeds are organic.

My poppy seeds are organic.

- What are your bagels like?

Talk about, you know, like the texture of them and the flavor.

How do you describe your bagels?

- I want a crust that has a crunch to it.

- [Rachel] Yeah.

- [Andrew] That also has a nice yielding inside to it.

- [Rachel] Yeah.

- [Andrew] I want it to be springy.

I bake 'em harder, I bake 'em so that they get a crust to them.

I want blisters.

I want darkness.

I want parts that might be burned.

Like it feels old school.

It feels ancient when you deal with bread that has color to it.

- [Rachel] Yeah.

And each one isn't exactly the same.

You can tell that they're handmade.

- [Andrew] Exactly, yeah.

- [Rachel] Should we try?

- Yeah.

- Cheers.

I'm gonna rip mine.

Oh my gosh, it's so chewy.

That's so good.

- They're so squishy, and like open.

Oh, this is my favorite of your bagels that I've had.

I mean, I've been eating your bagels for years.

They're so good.

I'm so proud of you.

- Thank you.

(bright music) - And just like that.

- [Rachel] All right, where are we going?

- [Andrew] We're going to Hello Robin, University Village.

The pop and drop is where I will take pre-orders, but I will have bagels available for people to purchase on the spot.

- [Rachel] People must be excited to see the bagel man.

Or is it, is it kind of like you're Santa when people come to get their bagels?

- [Andrew] Well, yeah.

I like the idea of being there, and rather than having somebody else be the emissary for me to hand them out.

I think it's just another point of contact with the customer.

Hi.

- [Rachel] These are shmearly two of Seattle's new wave bagel bakeries.

There are at least five others making fantastic bagels over the past several years.

Oh my God.

My mouth is watering.

But the real question is, can I change Ben's mind?

- [Ben] Bagel cheers?

- [Rachel] Bagel cheers.

- L'chaim.

- L'chaim.

(both laughing) - Oh wow.

This is like softer than I was expecting.

- Look at this.

Like, this is like what really good sourdough bread or challah, looks like inside.

It's beautiful.

- Dang.

That's good.

- Do you like it?

- So I stand corrected.

- Woo!

- Good bagel in Seattle.

- I'm so happy that I changed your mind.

Well, they changed your mind.

- Yes, yeah, yeah.

(bright music)