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We asked Greater Long Island readers to name their favorite bagel shops in Nassau and Suffolk counties — and then we did our research, leaving no sesame seed behind, no raisin unturned.
From there, GLI food writer Dana Lostritto hit the highways over the course of months. And she believes she has found the very best. So here they are, in our LI Bagel Bites series. Look for more to come.
Let There Be Bagels
Yuriy Murdak, owner of Let There Be Bagels, churns out 8,000 bagels every weekend in Port Washington. And everything is made in house, right down to the muffins the size of jumbo grapefruits.
Murdak’s bagels are rolled and then enjoy a leisurely 24-hour rest in the walk-in to proof before a quick boil and then a final bake in the blazing 460-degree oven. The result is a bagel that is plump and soft on the inside, with a crisp crust and an unmistakable golden glow reminiscent of a Miami sun.
Standouts include the Russian pumpernickel with caraway seeds and raisins, the crispy rye bagel toasted with a slick of butter, and — my personal favorite, a throwback from marathon training — a freshly baked and still-warm seven-grain raisin bagel with plenty of peanut butter and strawberry jam.
Just look at them all!
Smoked fish is cut to order (check out the smoked sable and belly lox), and the pastrami nova should not be missed. This bakery delivers on the wow factor, and in a town that wholeheartedly embraces every holiday, it is safe to say that there’s always something to celebrate. There’s even a color-coordinated, hand twisted bagel to punctuate it all.
How rare it is to say that everything on offer is stellar? Here it most definitely is. Bagels start rolling out at 5 a.m. They are fresh and in constant production all day until the the 6 p.m. closing time.
Address: 475 Port Washington Blvd., Port Washington, NY
More to bite on:
Boardwalk Bagel in Atlantic Beach likes to go big
The folks at Boardwalk Bagel in Atlantic Beach are readily aware that size matters. Boardwalk bagels tip the scales at over 7.2 ounces.
