Cleveland, Ohio – National Bagel Day Has been celebrated on January 15 since the early 2000s, although it was originally on the national holiday calendar in February. National manufacturer Thomas’ bagels caused the prosecution to postpone the date to avoid having to share it with National Pizza Day.
Whether you prefer to top your bagel with cream cheese, salmon or a Schmear, the bagel lovers in northeast Ohio have it many places put their hands on a large one – or a dozen.
To celebrate the holidays, cleveland.com reporters Brenda Cain and Yadi Rodriguez decided to visit a popular spot. The Cleveland Bagel Companyand try one of the bagel flavors on offer. Check out the flavor rankings below.
It’s been a little over eight years since warehouse worker Dan Herbst decided to make a living from bagels despite having no culinary experience. Herbst had been barred from firing when he and longtime friend Geoff Hardman first sold their bagels, made in Herbst’s kitchen, at the Gordon Square farmers’ market.
They first caught the attention of bagel lovers in Cleveland when they appeared on the TV series in 2016. “Cleveland Hustles” produced by Lebron James. Twenty entrepreneurs applied for business mentoring and funding from local investors. The couple secured an investment of Alan Glasses.
Since then, they have had a home in Ohio City with a manufacturing facility and retail store, and a second location on Carnegie Avenue near the Cleveland Clinic. See addresses below.
Herbst and Hardman’s bagels are crispy on the outside and light and tough on the inside. Here’s our ranking of the Cleveland Bagel Company’s seven flavors made fresh every day (except Mondays when both locations are closed).
7. Poppy seeds
(Photo by Brenda Cain, Cleveland..com)
This poppy seed bagel had tasted the crispiest outside of all of us, but even the earthiness of the poppy seed did little to detract from the mild taste. The inside was fluffy and chewy, just like you’d want a bagel to be.
6. Sesame
(Photo by Brenda Cain, cleveland.com)
Sesame bagels are Cain’s go-to when visiting most bagel shops. This one had a lot of seeds, but they weren’t roasted. Crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. It was very reminiscent of a fresh baguette.
5. Easy
(Photo by Brenda Cain, cleveland.com)
No cream cheese is required for this simple bagel. Crispy on the outside with a fresh, soft center – without being doughy – on the inside. This is the kind of simple bagel you will be craving for.
4. Sea salt
(Photo by Brenda Cain, cleveland.com)
If you’re a fan of those big hot pretzels that you find at fairs and the stadium, this sea salt bagel should be tried. A generous amount of large grains of sea salt decorates the crispy outer shell without making this bagel overly salty. Soft and tough inside with just a hint of yeasty taste.
3. Everything
(Photo by Brenda Cain, cleveland.com)
Usually Everything Bagels are full of aromas and flavors of garlic and onion. While you can still smell the garlic and onions on this one, it won’t be overwhelming to your taste buds so you can still enjoy and taste the other toppings. And the fresh yeast of the bread came through too. Like the others, it offered a nice crispy outside with a fresh chewiness inside.
2. Rosemary
(Photo by Brenda Cain, cleveland.com)
We loved the fresh tasting herbs on these bagels. While the rosemary has dried, it still adds freshness to the bagel that the others didn’t have. We just wish the herb was branded instead of just on the bagel. But it was still a wonderful experience.
1. Cinnamon cranberry
(Photo by Brenda Cain, cleveland.com)
Tart and chewy cranberries baked in a chewy bagel dusted with cinnamon made this an easy choice for top honors. The dough tastes slightly sweet with the cranberries and offers just the right amount of bite. Since the fruits are burnt in, you can enjoy the ingredients with every bite. And the bakers aren’t persistent with the cinnamon – there is just enough. Great combination of flavors.
The Cleveland Bagel Co. has two locations. West side at 4201 Detroit Ave .; and east side at 7501 Carnegie Ave. This is the east location pictured. (Photo by Yadi Rodriguez)
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