An assortment of bagels from Posh Bagel

Bagels are a delicious type of bread available in Davis. They may share the basic shape of doughnuts, but this isn't just a breakfast food. These tasty rings from Jewish cuisine are first boiled in water and then baked, giving them a wonderfully chewy texture with a hard crust. Sadly, many establishements, including Noah's Bagels do not make their bagels in the traditional manner, and instead steam or simiply bake them. Some argue that this makes the result "bagel shaped bread" not a true bagel. Some bagels are savory, with a crust of salt or herbs added, others have various types of dough - egg, whole wheat, or seeds. Whatever you're looking for, they can be eaten toasted or just as they are.

You can find them at most supermarkets, but if you're looking for a cup of coffee or tea along with a fresh toasted and split bagel, possibly with a bit of butter or cream cheese, you're probably going to one of these places:

Several restaurants that serve breakfast likely have bagels as well.

UC Davis Graduate Students consume many bagels at Coffee-Bagel-Donut Day, as well as other non-bagel bagel shaped objects.

Bagel talk!

You must be logged in to comment on this page. Please log in.

2009-06-07 14:56:36   Davis should have a locally-owned bagel place that makes REAL bagels, like those found at Los Bagels in Humboldt and the Bagelry in Santa Cruz. —TimMatthiessen

  • Mmmmm... Los Bagels! Geez, I miss Arcata sometimes. Places like Los Bagels make me look back so fondly on my undergrad days. And yes, Davis could definitely use a place like that! —StaceyEllis

2009-06-07 18:47:22   Davis had a locally-owned bagel shop that made traditional bagels from fresh dough made daily. Unfortunately, the owner had to close, which also meant I was out of a job as the manager and baker. Not sure what Tim means by REAL bagels as I don't know how Los Bagels makes them. I don't think any bakery kettles their bagels any more, and that it one of the techniques that makes a bagel a real bagel. Unfortunately the cost of doing business was out-pacing the actual demand. Too many shortcuts and compromises are made by other bakeries to provide bagels today. It just frustrating to hear comments that Davis "should have a locally-owned place" for any business, when there are plenty of businesses here, yet shoppers choose to spend their money elsewhere. This is not sour grapes, I'm not frustrated that I lost a job fifteen years ago (although it was great work and a lot of fun, even with 10-hour days, six days a week), but that a person's shopping choice means a lot to the business owners of Davis, especially with a cyclical target of university students. The person who is able to continuously and successful target the ever-changing desires of the university students will become the most desired person in Davis. —MichaelGalli

What was the name of the place? Would you mind making a wiki page for it, for historical purposes? It'd be a neat addition if it's not already on the wiki!

2009-06-08 05:21:29   How is Posh Bagel unlike Los Bagels? —NickSchmalenberger

  • I'm not really sure I can answer that question, since I'm not great at describing things like food. The bagels up at Los Bagels just had a flavor and texture that was better than bagels I've had elsewhere (not just Davis, but in general) and continue to be my favorite bagels. They were smaller, but they were denser. They were not big and fluffy like a lot of the bagels I've had other places, although, to be fair, I've only seen and not tasted the ones at Posh (I've had Noah's and several of the supermarkets in town), so I can't directly compare to Posh at all. The shop also had a great attitude about it, which I am really not sure how to describe. You know when you go somewhere, and it just feels nice to be there? Los Bagels always felt that way. It was a bagel shop and a Mexican bakery and more, all at once. Where else can you get a bagel, a loaf of bread, an empanada and some challah all at once? They also sold goods from other local businesses, such as jars of Larrupin. I'm not saying I can't eat bagels from elsewhere, and I'm certainly not saying bad things about the bagels available in Davis. When the comment about Los Bagels was posted, great memories came flooding back, and I'd love for Davis to have a place that serves bagels made in the same style that Los Bagels does and that has the same feeling about it. —StaceyEllis

2009-06-08 10:08:03   "Noah's doesn't sell bagels, they sell bagel shaped bread." Few places make real bagels nowadays.. —EdWins

  • Few places in the US west of the Mississippi. I'd imagine that L.A. might have a high ratio as well. Places with heavy Jewish populations where you can (and people routinely do) buy whole tongues and people gain or lose friendships over their opinions on which deli has the best black and whites tend to have lots of places where you can find proper bagels. New York, Florida, the Nashville area (yes, really) and probably some others. That said, most bagels in Davis are tasty bready rings that do the job if you're not looking for something you specifically grew up with. If there was loads of demand, it would probably be better, but the bagels in Davis satisfy most people. A properly boiled bagel with crust and "pull" is worth seeking out if you're in a region that does have good ones (or chance across a local place that makes them, sounds like Los Bagels were exceptional), but to give some perspective, keep in mind that locales with many places that have good bagels may well only offer a choice between Chilli's or Taco Bell if you want "Mexican". Different areas, different people, different cuisines... travel would be so boring if you could see, eat and experience the same stuff everywhere. —Evan 'JabberWokky' Edwards

2010-01-29 16:03:18   If you're looking to get your true Bagel on, I can confirm that Noahs does NOT make real bagels. I can't address Coffee House, Posh or MU Bagel. If you're willing to drive to sacdo, I can confirm that Main Street Bagel Cafe actually boils and bakes. —rfrazier

Add tags