Taste of New York Bagels & Deli

"This Lakeview spot from a New York City transplant achieves the city’s famous chewy-yet-crispy style by boiling and par baking the bagels in the Big Apple (where higher levels of magnesium and calcium in the city’s water supply supposedly create the desired effect) and flying them into the Chicago location, where they are baked fresh daily. Conversely, its cream cheese offerings mostly eschew tradition with options including jalapeno, fig, and vanilla walnut. Order online through the store’s website." - Naomi Waxman, Eater Staff

"The variety of bagels, schmears, and things like black and white cookies at Taste of New York Bagels & Deli is reminiscent of what you’d find at an NYC deli. So the “New York Bagels & Deli” part of the name isn’t wrong. As for the taste, ToNY gets their bagel dough shipped from New York and bakes them in-house every morning. This results in perfectly fine, but not great, bagels. They’re bready and chewy enough, but (depending on the batch) tough to the point where you could slather on some peanut butter and seeds and use it as a bird feeder. There isn’t much seating in this Lakeview bagel shop, so if you do find yourself here, get your order to go. " - Veda Kilaru

"Chicagoans couldn’t enough bagels flown from New York City to Lakeview over the holiday week." - Daniel Gerzina

"Taste of New York Bagels & Deli is slated to open later in June at 3268 N. Clark Street. Owner Sam Asous said there’s no official opening date yet but he will announce a grand opening in the coming weeks. Lakeview’s Taste of New York outpost will feature bagels that are boiled and par baked in New York City and flown into the Chicago location, where they will be baked fresh daily. The bagels will be kept at very low temperatures while in transit to Chicago to preserve quality, according to Asous. A native New Yorker, Asous came to Chicago three years ago to complete his medical studies as a physician and fell in love with the “outstanding diversity” of Chicago’s food industry. Though he enjoys the bagels he tries in Chicago, he still feels the best bagels come from his hometown. Asous’s family first opened the business, then known as Westway Food, in 1980 on the Upper West Side of Manhattan where they operated for 34 years. The family now runs two bagel shops in Brooklyn, in addition to the forthcoming Chicago location. Once open, the shop will offer rainbow bagels in honor of Pride, as well as discounts for Cubs fans after every win at nearby Wrigley Field." - Naomi Waxman

"A New York-style bagel purveyor and to-go deli, slated to open this spring." - Naomi Waxman