Why Philadelphia is Still in Knead of Great Bagels

Fennel & Sea Salt from Knead

Amid all the conversations about what amazing food Philadelphia does have, one repeat afterthought remains: "...but you really can't get a great bagel around here." Many have tried - and we're getting better - but for anyone who defines a "great bagel" as the plump, fluffy wonders from New York/North Jersey, the void frustratingly lingers on. Especially in Center City, which is really our personal frame of bagel reference.

Spread brought us smaller, chewier wood-fired Montreal bagels, which are good in their own right. The trick is to head for right side of the counter and ask for a couple unsliced bagels to-go with a tub of cream cheese so you can skip the line that always snakes out the door. Watch out for the prices, though; a dozen costs $18 - yowzers.

According to Michael Klein at The Philadelphia Inquirer, Spread plans to open a second location in Midtown Village and will compete with another Montreal-style bagelry coming called Mount Royal Bagel Company. Queen Village's South Street Philly Bagels, which we often hear has great bagels but haven't tried yet, is also expanding to 17th & Chestnut in early 2015 so hope is still alive. 

Togarashi, Plain and Fennel/Sea Salt from Knead

Knead bagels is the newest kid on the block (7th & Walnut to be exact), baking a perfectly fine variety, too. They are kettle-boiled, a little larger than Spread and less dense - but still didn't satisfy our search for that big fluffy NY bagel. Looks like Midtown Lunch agrees.

At Knead you can get traditional plain, poppy, everything, etc. with butter ($2) or cream cheese ($3), as well as a standard bacon or sausage/egg/cheese ($6) sandwich.

But what's more fun about Knead is their non- traditional menu deemed for the "brave and curious." Mix and match any of their unique bagels and spreads or defer to a helpfully suggested combo for $3.50, such as: Black Sesame bagel with kimchee cream cheese; Moroccan Spiced Apricot with lemon goat cheese spread; or Superload vegan bagel with red lentil hummus.

What I Did in Philly This Summer, Part II: Do's and Don'ts

Last September I wrote a post to recap the Summer of Kristy - a summer dedicated to squeezing in every last bit of awesome before I turned 30. The summer of 2011 didn't hold quite as emphatic a mission, but it was still jam-packed with memorable experiences in and around Philadelphia.

Here's a run-down of some things we did this summer but haven't blogged about, accompanied by recommendations of what you should - and shouldn't - do, too. 


DO ride El Toro at Great Adventure. Boy, has that place become a roller coaster lover's dream. Among 14 great coasters, nothing beats the insane drops and steep turns of the wooden monster, El Toro. Make sure you buy tickets online ahead of time to save significant money. Save even more at AAA.com as a member.

DON'T go to Spread Bagelry if you're in a rush. The Montreal-style bagels are really freakin' good (see more photos in the slideshow below). But twice now the weekend line was out the door and just takes way too long to finally get an expensive bagel sandwich. Go on a weekday instead, if you can. Or bring reading material.