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    Home » This and That » H and H Bagels, NYC. World’s Best? H2O Brushed!

    by Kathy Patalsky · updated: Sep 13, 2019 · published: Sep 3, 2009 · About 5 minutes to read this article. 6 Comments

    H and H Bagels, NYC. World’s Best? H2O Brushed!

    Bagel Run! I was roaming around the upper east side today-not my usual neck of the ‘Manhattan’ woods. But whenever I get close to 80th street and 2nd avenue, a detour trip to H and H Bagels is a total must. And I did confirm, they are brushed with water, not egg wash, so they are indeed vegan, water brushed bagels…

    New York City Bagels. There are a few things synonymous with New York: Taxi Cabs. Times Square. Shopping. Tourists. Broadway. Crowded sidewalks. NYC Subways. Central Park. And Amazing Food including fine dining, street food, pizza and bagels. New York City Bagels are up there with Maine blueberries, Georgia peaches, Florida oranges, Parisian cappuccinos and San Francisco sourdough. It’s not hard to find a bagel in NYC, but it is hard to find a good bagel. If you are desperately seeking pure bagel bliss, you’ll probably do your research and head to H and H Bagels. Foodies in the know, or anyone who watched the Festivus episode of Seinfeld, knows that H and H bagels are known as the best in the city. So, are they indeed the “world’s best bagels,” as their slogan claims? My review…

    UPDATE 9/4: I wanted to confirm that H and H bagels were brushed with water and not an egg wash, so they would be vegan. And today I got this reply from H and H: “Good morning, our bagels are brushed with water.” -HandH customer service.

    Yippee! Egg wash free bagels. Just don’t order the ‘egg’ flavor bagel if you want it vegan! On to the review…



    Good vs. Bad Bagels.
    If you think all bagels taste the same, you’ve obviously never had a good bagel. Or you’ve lived in New York your whole life and have never had a bad bagel. (Highly rare). Well let me clue you in to how a bagel should taste: Warm and chewy. Airy center with a few air pockets in the soft and moist inside flesh. Chewy sturdy crust on the outside. Highly aromatic scent. Slightly sweet, slightly salt. When toasted, the crust becomes super crisp and chewy, while the flesh stays soft. “A bagel’s fresh taste and chewy texture come from the moisture rich center which is protected by its baked skin.” -H and H

    A look inside the whole wheat H and H bagel:

    But is H and H really the best bagel establishment on the planet, as they claim themselves to be? H and H’s slogan is: World’s Best Bagels. Lets get to my review of the world famous H and H bagels…

    My Review: H and H Bagels, Upper East Side NYC

    Shelf Appeal: Walk in the H and H store and you might think you are in the wrong place. It’s a humble local-feel atmosphere with very simple set-up. Nothing flashy, nothing loud. Just a few simple silver colored cafe tables in the entrance and a big bakery window filled with goodies, cookies and treats. But where are the bagels? In the back. A lineup of wire baskets are filled with heavenly smelling bagels. So get your bagels and off you go. Don’t expect to hang out in a big Starbucks-style seating area. However there is a Starbucks one block up…

    Label Check: My research found that my favorite bagel, the whole wheat everything, has 160 calories per serving. Two servings per bagel. 2 grams of fiber, 6 grams of protein and 0-.5 grams of fat. So since I’m guessing you will eat the entire bagel: 320 calories, 12 grams of protein, 4 grams of fiber and 0-1 gram of fat. Who knew bagels have 12 grams of protein? Not bad. Yes they are high on carbs, but you are eating a bagel.

    Here is the nutritional label for an H and H plain bagel (although for more fiber and nutrients-go with whole wheat):
    Nutritional Facts: H&H Plain Bagels
    Ingredients: High gluten flour, water, brown sugar, salt, fresh yeast.
    Serving Size: ½ bagel
    Calories: 150
    Total Fat: 0g, % Daily Value
    Cholesterol: 0mg
    Sodium: 230mg
    Total Carbohydrate: 32g
    Sugars: 4g
    Dietary Fiber: 1g
    Protein: 6g
    Vitamin A: 0%
    Vitamin C: 0%
    Calcium: 0%
    Iron: 10%
    Thiamine: 25%
    Riboflavin: 10%
    Niacin: 10%
    Iron: 10%
    Potassium: 60 mg

    Taste Test: I must say I adore these bagels. The smell of them is enough to make my mouth water. Then when you bite into a warm bagel it is chewy, soft, salty, silky and pretty much perfect. I never eat bagels without some tofu cream cheese or almond butter, unless they are H and H bagels. Eat them plain and they are divine. My fave flavor is the whole wheat everything. Also tasty is the pumpernickel and blueberry. I’m not a big fan of white flour bagels though. And you’d be surprised by hour smooth this whole wheat dough is! Trust me, it doesn’t even taste like what most people call ‘whole wheat’.

    Price Check: A dozen bagels will run you about $13. That’s about a buck a bagel-a little over. On the pricey end for sure, but not really. Freeze the bagels and they will last you a while. That’s a lot of bagel bliss for $13 bucks.

    Last Word: I’ve tried a lot of bagels in NYC. Some other brands are good and even great, but H and H never misses and has that ‘special something’ that makes the taste pure New York. …Maybe it’s the water…





    « Back to School Series Part 6: Sporty Snacks and Sips!
    Organic California Mangoes in Season. No Hot Water! »

    About Kathy Patalsky

    Hey there! I'm Kathy, lover of kitty cats, weekend baking, 90's movies, travel, beach fog and foamy lattes. Since 2007, I have been sharing my vegan recipes and photos. My goal is to make your cooking life a little easier, delicious - and plant-loaded - while sharing some LIFE and conversation along the way.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Abigail S. Bean says

      April 20, 2010 at 3:49 pm

      I'm a big fan of Bagels on the Square as well; check it out!

      Reply
    2. chet says

      October 29, 2009 at 8:12 pm

      we will likely be moving soon, but right now I am less than a block away from that H&H. we also absolutely love the whole wheat everything. I will have to try the tofu CC next time I cant overcome the temptation. great review! cheers!

      Reply
    3. Kathy says

      September 06, 2009 at 5:20 pm

      Lucysmom~
      Freaking amazing…I so agree. And I recently found out that they have tofu cream cheese at HandH too. Yay! I love Russ and Daughters tofu scallion cream cheese, still have to try handh cc…

      Kathy

      Reply
    4. Kathy says

      September 06, 2009 at 5:19 pm

      M,

      OOh I will check out Terrace. I LOVE handh, but it's so tricky to get when you live downtown!
      Thanks!

      Kathy

      Reply
    5. m says

      September 06, 2009 at 4:35 pm

      You might also like to check out Terrace Bagels, just south of the 15th Street Stop on the F train – great spot to go before checking out Prospect Park if you want to have an excuse to go! They are my favorite in the city…although H+H is wonderful and I have a soft spot for the Bagel Store in Williamsburg, especially when pumpkin bagel season rolls around…

      Reply
    6. lucysmom says

      September 06, 2009 at 1:07 pm

      Yeah I totally agree. I am from Chicago but whenever we come to NYC we try and hit up a few bagle joints and this has for sure been our favorite. They are amazing. There is something nice about have a fresh bagel made for you. We loved Zabars until we had H&H. Not a fan of the fact that Zabars has the premade bagels in the case. They are a lot more dense and chewy. H&H are fluffy and soft and fresh and freaking amazing. We always get the lox. Happy to see your review. Brings back happy feelings to my belly.

      Reply

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