Seattle Met Taste Test: Bagels
Eltana Za’atar
POINTS FOR Dusted with the eponymous green Mediterranean spice blend, the bagels impressed tasters with the novelty of the flavor (none had encountered such a unique variety before). We were also impressed with Eltana for going in such a bold direction—all of us wanted to know what else the bakery had to offer. Delicious with olive oil.
BUT Several said za’atar contained an herbal quality that was too prominent in the bagel. It took half the group a few minutes to warm up to the powdery texture that the spice imparted on the bagel’s surface.
Blazing Bagels Jalapeno Pepper Jack Cheese
POINTS FOR: The intense spiciness made these hard to forget, especially since the kick lingered long on the tip of our tongues. We also liked that the jalapenos weren’t just dumped on the top but also cooked into the dough and evenly so. Runner-up in the specialty category.
BUT: Those who aren’t hot-heads won’t dig the kick. Several tasters thought cheddar would work better.
Stopsky’s Delicatessen Plain
POINTS FOR With a slight sourdough taste and a crunchy pull, tasters agreed this was more baguette than bagel—"it makes me want to try their bread," said one fan. Would be great with soup or for making a sandwich.
BUT: The exterior was too tough for some: "It seems to take so much energy to tear off a piece."
Blazing Bagels French Toast
THIRD PLACE WINNER!
POINTS FOR: The liberal sprinkle of sugar crystals made for an audible crunch. The texture and taste were spot-on and had us thinking we were eating a plate of eggy, maple syrup–soaked toast. Sure to satisfy sweet teeth wanting to start the day with a saccharine kick. And look how pretty it is.
BUT: Too sticky: "For bagels being such a hand food, this is not one I’d want to handle," remarked a participant. The somewhat gummy dough turned off two tasters: "It’s like you could roll it in a ball and throw it at someone," noted one of them.
Seattle Bagel Bakery Plain
POINTS FOR: The texture. There was a nice and even exterior and a soft inside. The perfect bagel for a sandwich.
BUT: Could use some salt. And some love—the word "standard" was thrown around a few times.
Blazing Bagels Everything
POINTS FOR "Sometimes an everything seems like someone took a plain bagel and just threw some stuff on top. This one tastes like the baker took time to give the dough flavor too."
BUT A problem we’d encounter with several everythings: the toppings were only on the top, leaving the bottom slice unappealingly bland.
Blazing Bagels Pizza
POINTS FOR: The size would sate even the hungriest of eaters. Kids would love it.
BUT: Too much tomato, and the taste was reminiscent of tomato paste.
Eltana Everything
SECOND PLACE WINNER!
POINTS FOR: The garlic and poppy and sesame seeds (the latter tasted toasted, which we valued) coated the Montreal-style bagel all the way around and didn’t litter our plates with each bite. The nutty and natural flavor was delicious, and the dough had a perfect pull. Nice density without feeling like a carb bomb.
BUT: Few complaints here, just a call for more punchy garlic.
Seattle Bagel Bakery Jalapeno Cheddar
POINTS FOR: The softer chew and fluffy versus heavy dough. The peppers tasted wonderfully fresh and lent just the right amount of spice.
BUT: The excessive amount of cheese in the middle drowned out the taste of the jalapenos. The peppers were situated just in the center, we wanted a more even spread.
Eltana Plain
POINTS FOR: The complex flavor set it apart from the rest of the undressed options—"I’ve definitely never had a plain bagel with that much character," enthused one— making this the favorite of the plain bunch. Bites started off slightly sweet and ended on a smokey note. Also appreciated: the distinctly crunchy skin.
BUT: That aftertaste had tasters split—some said it was too reminiscent of smoked salmon. Shrimpy in comparison to the other submissions, the size prompted several to label it a "snacky" rather than a "mealy" bagel—a good or bad thing, depending on your appetite.
Seattle Bagel Bakery Everything
POINTS FOR: The garlic: lots of it but not overpoweringly so. The distinctly non-bready dough (a common complaint of tasters was that biting into a Seattle bagel is like eating a loaf of the leavened stuff) and the pretzel-like crust.
BUT: Toppings were only sprinkled on the upper quarter—"none of us took the bottom half because we could tell there was nothing there," noted a taster—and didn’t stick to their bready base.
Stopsky’s Delicatessen Onion
FIRST PLACE WINNER!
POINTS FOR The cooked onion and the wheat flavor made this a sophisticated favorite of the bunch—"this tastes like an adult food, it’ so flavorful and interesting," was one remark. Serious thought is clearly given to its mouthfeel: texture is lightly chewy on the inside and pleasingly firm on the outside without being tough.
BUT No complaints here, even the onion averse couldn’t resist.
Seattle Bagel Bakery Pizza
POINTS FOR: The tomato taste didn’t dominate as it did with the previous pizza bagel. The basil seasoning added some interest.
BUT: It could’ve used even more of that seasoning. Is there such thing as a pizza bagel that’s complex enough for the adult palate?
Stopsky’s Delicatessen Sesame
POINTS FOR: Not surprisingly, Stopsky’s once again had tasters raving about the perfectly prepped dough.
BUT Too many seeds! They ended up everywhere—plates, laps, and especially, stuck in our teeth. A couple tasters resorted to scraping them away.
