My Review of Michigan Bagels

3/30/2024

OVERVIEW

I moved to Ann Arbor in 1989 for a two year Masters program. I have no memory of worrying about bagels while living in Ann Arbor--and not just because I always had a dozen NYC bagels in a ziplock bag in the freezer. When I lived in Ann Arbor a bagel was just a bagel...it wasn't the symbol of my Jewish existential identity crisis. I didn't dwell on my Jewish identity because there were plenty of east coast Jews in Ann Arbor and I was young and thought I would be back in New York (where I was sure I belonged) soon enough. But it turns out that Ann Arbor was my just the beginning of my Midwest life.

I hadn't been back to Ann Arbor since the start of the Pandemic and was glad to have the bagel quest as an excuse to visit some old friends. I drove with my husband, Matt, and we stayed with my good friends Michael and Ruth. During my Ann Arbor life their home was my Jewish home away from home, so staying with them was perfect. Ruth is from Rye, NY so she joined me as I visited, tasted, and judged four bagel shops.

After consulting the 'best bagels' list in several foodie magazines, posting my bagel question to the 'Detroit Jewish History' Facebook group and asking my Ann Arbor friends for their suggestions, I settled on four bagel shops: New York Bagel in Detroit, Detroit Institute of Bagels, Bev's Bagels in Ann Arbor, and Zingerman's in Ann Arbor. All four used traditional bagel making techniques...some were hand rolled, some were generous with toppings, some steamed their bagels...and all were great bagels. (For newcomers to my bagel reviews, link here to the description of my judging categories.)

All four bagel shops make a high quality bagel. Click the audio for a very brief discussion on the dilemma of choosing a favorite.

DETROIT BAGELS

Me holding up my bag of bagels in some sort of bagel salute

New York Bagels: Opened in 1921, New York Bagel shop was on the top of almost everyone's list. The 'best of' foodie blogs, most of the comments from the Detroit Jewish History Facebook group, acquaintances of mine...all said to go to there. I am a sucker for a good family-owned business story, so I was looking forward to checking out this fourth generation bagel business. New York Bagel started its life in downtown Detroit, but as the Jewish community moved north to the suburbs so did the bagel shop. I met with Phil, the current owner whose very succinct description of how they make their bagels I really enjoyed and tasted some bagels from their Ferndale shop. Walking into the Ferndale store was like walking into any NYC bagel shop. The look of it, the smell of it, and the bins and bins of bagels were just what I was hoping for.
Would I walk half a mile out of my way to eat a New York Bagel bagel: YES! The crispy crust exterior had a lovely crispiness without being tough to bit into. The dough was particularly flavorful. The mark against this bagel is how few seeds were on the sesame and everything bagel.
Would I buy a dozen bagels for a bagel spread: YES! New York Bagel would easily be my first pick for a bagel spread. All the Michigan bagels I tasted were quite good, so quality being almost close to equal, I would go for the much less expensive bagel for a dozen.

Click the audio to hear Ruth and I sit in her car and discuss the New York Bagel

Ruth pointing out the mezuzah at the DIB's entrance.

Detroit Institute of Bagels: After reading through the 208 comments from the 'where are the best Detroit bagels' question I posed to the Detroit Jewish History Facebook group and reading through the Detroit News archives, it was clear to me that DIB was the second place to go. Philosophically I wanted to try these bagels. In 2012 Ben and Dan Newman opened it because they wanted to bring bagels back to the city center of Detroit. They were inspired to fill some the city's vacant spaces and bring this "quintessential Jewish food" to be part of a growing Jewish community. So what's not to like. I know that good intentions does not mean good bagels but enough people sung the praises of DIB's bagels, so off we went.
Would I walk half a mile out of my way to eat a DIB bagel? YES! This was a very good bagel. Outside exterior was crispy, the seeds on the bagel were generous, and it had just the right chewiness. I had two minor quibbles with the bagel. It took a little bit of effort to pull off a piece of the bagel with my teeth and the dough wasn't quite as flavorful as it could be. This was easily remedied with cream cheese.
Would I buy a dozen bagels for a bagel spread: YES. DIB bagel's are a perfect vessel for all the bagel spread options.

Click the audio to hear Ruth and I have our first taste of the Detroit Institute of Bagels and discuss.

ANN ARBOR BAGELS

Bev's Bagels: I was very much looking forward to trying these bagels. Michael clued me into Max Sussman, an artisanal bagel maker running a weekend pop-up out of his house. I started following Bev's Bagels on Instagram and the bagels looked gorgeous. To give the bagels even more bonafides, his Ann Arbor bagels were raved about in the comment thread in the Detroit Jewish History Facebook discussion of best Detroit bagels. True, it was his aunt praising the bagels, but I took it for confirmation. I liked the whole set-up of the pop-up...the very homey vibe was nice. The entry room to the house had his oven, and mixer and bagel racks and the bagel check-out operation.
Would I walk half a mile out of my way to eat a Bev's bagel: YES! These bagels were outstanding. First of all the bagels were warm when we ate them, which already gives them an advantage. A bagel is at its best in the hour after it comes out of the oven. The exterior crispiness was perfect. The amount of seeds was incredible , covered every inch of the bagel. The interior taste was quite good but not fully great..maybe it was the hint of sourdough...not sure. I should add the downside of the pop-up bagel....unless I lived in this specific outskirts of town neighborhood, it would not be possible to walk half a mile to get this bagel. It was a schlep to get there.
Would I buy a dozen bagels for a bagel spread: YES. These bagels are gorgeous and tasty and would elevate any bagel spread. (But I might only invite good friends since the bagels are pricey.)

Click the audio to hear Ruth and I sit in my car and eat and discuss the bagels.

Zingerman's: Zingerman's Deli opened in 1982 and was already an institution by the time I got there in 1989. Anytime I wanted to plunk down a chunk of money I could get myself a truly perfect deli sandwich. But they did not make bagels. They started making incredible bread in 1992. There was a glorious year when they would give away any unsold loaves to whoever was in their next door coffee shop at the time. I made a point to be there a few times a month to get a loaf. I didn't realize they started making bagels until I checked their website. Given the quality of all of Zingerman's food I figured I had to add them to the list. Amy, one of the co-owners of Zingerman's Bake House met us there and told us the story of Zingerman's bagels.
Would I walk half a mile out of my way to eat a Zingerman's bagel: NO. I feel uncertain saying this because it was a very good bagel. The flavor and exterior were great but it was dense and difficult to chew. I did eat it about eight hours after it was baked and a bagel that isn't fresh needs to be toasted. When we brought them home, toasted them and added cream cheese they were delicious. Since these bagels needed to be toasted to reach their full potential...I wouldn't walk extra to buy them and then need to wait until I got home to toast it.
Would I buy a dozen bagels for a bagel spread: YES! Great exterior texture, nice amount of seeds, flavorful interior...these would be great bagels for a bagel spread. And warming up the bagels in the oven before you bring them to the table is very acceptable behavior for a bagel spread.

Click the audio to hear Ruth and I discussing Zingerman's bagels at her dining room table.

AND THE WINNER IS...

Michael stating his case for Bev's Bagels being the best

The discipline of my self-appointed Midwest bagel quest requires me to judge Midwestern bagels by the authentic NY bagel standard. I made the rules so I must stay disciplined and not be distracted by delicious artisanal bagels.

Let me first go on the record and say that if you find yourself in Detroit or Ann Arbor you can not go wrong buying a bagel at any of these four bagel shops. My mission statement for this quest is that I am a NY Jew living in the Midwest just looking for a great bagel. And these are all great bagels.

That said...I need to choose a winner. And that winner is the New York Bagel. The bagels were the right size, the interior flavor was the best of the four and there was a nice crispy exterior. The bins of bagels were full and ready for you when you walk into the store. The bagel would be closer to perfect if they weren't so skimpy with seeds on the bagel. You can tell from the audio that I initially was tempted to choose Bev's Bagels because of how gorgeous, seed-filled and tasty they are. But if I am looking for NYC bagel experience...and considering the gestalt of the bagel...New York Bagel hits the mark.