A report by Dana Eastland. Holey bagel news, Batman! Bagels have been on everyone’s mind lately, and now two new businesses are taking on the chewy, boiled delight. First is LEAVEN BAGEL, which has been serving bagels at the Fort Mason farmers’ market and via pop-ups (mostly in Santa Cruz). Owner Alison Lee is making the bagels by hand and boiling them properly for the right level of chew. She’s taking inspiration from the bagel styles of New York (density and texture), Montreal (a dash of honey is added to the dough) and San Francisco (she’s using a natural leavening style to get a touch of sourdough flavor). The menu offers classic bagel flavors as well as a seasonally changing special and housemade cream cheese spreads. Hours at the farmers’ market are Sunday 9:30am-1:30pm, but be aware they do sell out sometimes. You can also follow along on Instagram for information about upcoming pop-ups.
For a pop-up bagel experience, make your way to SHEGETZ BAGEL at PizzaHacker on Sunday October 11th. Their bagels are made with a sourdough starter, hand rolled, and freshly baked and boiled. They are only serving them cut and topped with house toppings, which vary and start at $5. The team behind Shegetz is Oliver Steele (Pizzetta 211), Ben Kaminsky (Blue Bottle), and Alex Rogers (Local’s Corner, 20th Century Cafe), and they are using “West Coast” methods, so come expecting something delicious—but maybe not a New York copycat, mmmmmkay? The pop-up begins at 10am and goes until they sell out; coffee and wine will also be available. H/t Mission Mission. 3299 Mission St. at 29th St.
Bagels from Leaven Bagel. Photo from Facebook.
