Who doesn’t love a bagel with spread? It’s the ultimate snack for a lazy Sunday morning, an early coffee run or just an easy (and filling!) breakfast or lunch.
Add some pastrami nova, a generous helping of scallion cream cheese, red onion, tomato, and capers, and you’ve got the best thing I’ve eaten all week. This sandwich, a take on the shop’s popular BK Classic (but with the added pastrami nova), can be found at Brooklyn Bagel & Coffee Company in Mamaroneck.
The new location, which opened June 18, features 17 types of bagels (ranging from blueberry to cinnamon raisin, everything, multigrain, onion, pumpernickel, egg and whole wheat) and 20 spreads, all made in-house. Flavors include vegetable, honey bacon sriracha, cucumber dill, pimento olive, strawberry, jalapeño asiago and cannoli. (I’m more of a scallion, veggie and cucumber dill girl, though.)
Best Bars in the US: This Westchester Bar Was Voted One of the Best. Everything You Need to Know Before You Go
But I digress, because I also really enjoyed the chicken breast in the store, the Westchester. It’s a bagel of your choice (I ordered the regular bagel) with breaded chicken breast, fresh mozzarella, sun-dried peppers, basil, and balsamic vinegar.
And I was impressed with their plant-based menu – a first for the company – featuring “sausage, egg and cheese.”
And oh my, their gloriously oversized hand-rolled, kettle-cooked bagels that strike the perfect balance between a crispy-chewy exterior and a soft, fluffy interior. What also makes them so delicious: they’re generously studded with seeds and both sides get a generous sprinkling of seasoning.
But back to the Pastrami Nova, another new offering from the company that some may recognize from their Manhattan locations (their flagship is in Chelsea). I honestly wasn’t sure I’d like it, since I’m not a pastrami eater anymore, but the subtle smoky flavor took it to the next level of deliciousness, complementing the creaminess of the cheese with the crunch of the bagel.
What makes it special, according to founder and owner Pete Voyiatzis, is the top-quality ingredients. The process, he said, starts with fresh salmon, dry-brined with salt and pastrami seasoning. It is then cold-smoked for 15 hours.
Eating in Hudson Valley: These eateries empower and embrace people with special needs
After smoking, additional spices are rubbed dry on the surface for the finish. It’s basically the same spices as pastrami, but made with salmon. Combined with my iced coffee and the shaded patio out front, it was pastrami perfection.
If you go
Address: 690 Mamaroneck Ave., 914-835-1500, bkbagel.com.
Opening hours: Monday to Friday from 6am to 2pm; Saturday and Sunday from 7am to 3pm (times subject to change).
Good to know: The dine-in spot has its own delivery and takeout app. They also do catering. And they have two handicapped-accessible bathrooms and handicapped seating. Best of all, there’s parking in the Grand Street Lofts apartment in back.
Let’s go Rangers: Rangers fans will definitely want to check out The Foxy, named after New York Rangers player Adam Fox and featuring nova, fried eggs, plain cream cheese and tomato on a sesame bagel. I’m still waiting for a bagel named after me (LOL). Muchnick’s munchies, perhaps?
Newsletter reminder
Want more behind-the-scenes information about where I go and what I eat? My weekly newsletter is free; sign up at profile.lohud.com/newsletters/manage.
Jeanne Muchnick writes about food and dining. Click here for her most recent articles and follow her latest food adventures on Instagram @jeannemuchnick or via the lohudfood newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Brooklyn Bagel in Mamaroneck has Muchnick’s ‘Best Thing’ this week
