Bagel Trek: The Search for Schmear

A longtime friend and fellow East Coast Transplant recently remarked that Phoenix is "a bagel wasteland." According to him, the best way to get a decent bagel here is to have it flown in from New York.

It can't possibly be that difficult to find a tasty bagel. Or can it? This past weekend, my friend and I trekked out to the farthest reaches of our territory in search of a bagel that would live up to our cream-cheese-of-the-crop standards. We were rewarded with one closed shop, another that moved to BFE, one that was out of bagels and finally, two worthy contenders. Oy vey! 

In One Corner: Bagel Nosh/Nosh Bagelry
4855 E Warner Rd. in Phoenix
480-940-4484

Would bagel-hunting weariness color our view of The Nosh's bagel?

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​After spending two hours trekking out to the apparently defunct New York Bagel Cafe in Chandler, Sunrise Bagel Cafe in Gilbert to discover a nail salon in its place (Sunrise moved out to Signal Butte) and Kokobelli Bagel Cafe near Superstition Springs which had no everything bagels, we headed west by word-of-mouth to the independently owned Bagel Nosh at 48th St & Warner in Southeast Phoenix. 

It's a bright, sunny little shop in a large grocery store strip mall, with a handful of inside tables and sport-themed wall murals that made me feel a little guilty about packing on the carbs. Who knows? Maybe the swinging golfer and racing cyclist were intended to remind diners how to work off breakfast. 

​In typical bagel shop fashion, the menu is printed above bagel bins set behind the counter. Bagel Nosh, or "The Nosh" as locals call it, has a pretty sweet selection of flavors. There are standards like poppy seed and onion, and a few harder-to-find varieties including jalapeno cheddar and banana nut. We opted for a New York favorite: The everything bagel, known here as "The Works."

​The bagel arrived in what seemed like nanoseconds, lightly toasted and open-faced with a thin coating of plain cream cheese. It seemed paler than most of the everything bagels I've had. But when I bit in, the doughy circle yielded unexpected flavor. "Ooh, salty," mouthed my friend as he reached for a drink. 

There was a strong undertone of salt and garlic, with a slightly earthy, peppery finish from the poppy seeds. The texture was decent -- a little chewy and not as crisp as I like, but still tasty. The schmear was perfectly applied, just enough thickness to be a blank canvas for the art and avoid squishing out of the bagel in a gloppy puddle.

The best part was that it didn't go down as heavy as a lead brick, a problem with a lot of local bagels. All in all, a good bagel experience. Was it as good as the bagels back home? Well...