#12 - Brooklyn Bagel Bakery's Hearth Water Bagel

“This place scares me!” John said as we drove through the mostly abandoned streets of Flipinotown last Saturday morning. After a few weeks of Create-A-Plates and Foo-Detours, the blog was in desperate need to get back to it’s original roots and John was in desperate need for some carbohydrates. Problem is, even though we are only 12 pLAtes in, the destinations for some of these restaurants are a bit outside the bubble of my 90046 zip code. So in order to cross another pLAte off the list, we had to venture to the outskirts of Downtown LA to visit the Brooklyn Bagel Bakery.

For anyone who has immigrated to California from the east coast, they know that bagels in LA are a real problem. It’s right up there with the Twizzlers vs. Red Vines debate. Seriously west coasters…Red Vines taste like waxy plastic with food dye. Twizzlers for life! Back to bagels - as a kid growing up on the east coast, my Saturday mornings consisted of my father taking me to Bagelicious (Ridgewood!) and I’d order a (still warm) plain bagel slathered in melting cream cheese with a Snapple Grapeade on the side. It’s not wonder I ended up looking like this.

Since moving to LA nearly five years ago, I just haven’t been able to find a lightly toasted gift from the gods that can stack up to the bagels back east. Yes you’ve got your Bagel Brokers and Noah’s Bagels…I’ve had ‘em, I’m unimpressed. 

This is a real bagel, not a roll with a hole is the grand statement emblazed on the Brooklyn Bagel Bakery’s website. According to the reviews, this place has bagels that are cooked the proper way. No, they don’t import the water from New York (which I thought was the proper way). Instead, they boil the bagels before baking them, which according to the owners is more time consuming but makes for a better bagel.

After nearly walking into a gospel church service going on next door, John and I found our way into the factory-like store that Brooklyn Bagels calls home. One could be easily overwhelmed by the diversity of doughy delights waiting in bins behind the counter. They’ve got your standards like Sesame, Onion and Egg, but in addition they also offer options like Banana Nut, Jalapeno Cheese and Strawberry bagels for the sweet tooth.

Despite the abundance of variety to tantalize your palate, all of the flavored donuts are made the west coast way. To get the “properly cooked” Brooklyn bagel, you need to order carefully. Tucked away in the corner, like a diamond in the rough (Aladdin anyone?), is the Hearth Baked Water bagel. This is the real deal…the reason people have been coming back to Brooklyn Bagels for nearly 60 years.

In order to properly taste the difference, I ordered one Hearth Water bagel and John went with a Sesame. Much to my dismay, the cream cheese was not slathered on in heaping clumps. Instead, the thickly lipsticked woman behind the counter sold us individual cream cheese packs (which by the way, are “not for individual sale”).

John – “Where do we sit?”

Me – “Well this place isn’t exactly known for its ambiance.”

We settled on a lovely spot down the street…aka the front seat of my Mitsubishi Eclipse.

“Smell the carbs!” John exclaimed as he spread apart his sesame and got to work on the cream cheese. I ended up leaving mine totally plain in order to really ascertain the unique flavor promised from the Hearth Baked. To my surprise there was a distinct difference between the two bagels. John’s was definitely the puffier of the two. All around the sesame was chewier and softer. My bagel, like most east coasters, had a tougher exterior. The outer skin of the ring was almost elastic-like as I peeled away pieces of the bagel. The crust definitely had a richer density, but the inside still had the doughy texture we’ve come to love about bagels.

As we cleared our plates…errr…laps, I think it’s safe to assume we both silently contemplated a return trip in the near future. In fact, Brooklyn Bagels will be celebrating St. Paddy’s Day with batches of Green Hearth Bagels from March 14-17. So this year, instead of Erin Go Braugh…make it Erin Go Bagel!

Brooklyn Bagel Bakery

2717 Beverly Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90057

(800)-78-4BAGELS

#10 - Cole's French Dip

Ladies and Gentlebloggers, we have a winner in the French Dip Family Feud (really, that’s what I titled it back in December?). For those who are completely lost, here’s a recap.

Previously on 99pLAtes, we visited Philippe’s French Dip for their take on the soaked sandwich. This week we head back downtown and take a trip to the other side of the 101 freeway to try Cole’s version. Not only do both restaurants claim to have the better French dip, but they both claim to have invented the sandwich too! I don’t know who originated it, but I do know who is doing it the best.

Joining us for Round 2 of this chowdown is the always-up-for-au-jous John and my most persistent blog-guest-to-be Marika. After completing her own 40 by 40 blog, Marika has been jonesing to get back to the blogosphere. You can actually check out her own writing re-launch here.

Last Saturday night we climbed down the stairs and stumbled into the crowded dining room of the former speakeasy. Cole’s, which has a strange resemblance to the Cheers bar in my mind, is actually the oldest public house in Los Angeles, dating back to the turn of the century. Sitting along the bar, I thought, “If only there were street trolley’s zipping thought the streets…” Alas, my only real memories of Downtown LA’s heyday are from nearly 100+ viewings of “Who Framed Roger Rabbit”. Is it me or was The Dip and Nickelodeon’s Green Slime the exact same thing?

Once seated our bustling waitress (sadly Sam Malone wasn’t working that night) asked for our drink orders. Cole’s is the type of place where you order cocktails like a Manhattan or an Old Fashioned, something that packs a punch and will put hair on your chest. If ever there were a reason to drink vermouth…this would be the place to do it.

Waitress – “So what can I get ya?”

Me – “We’ll have two Ginger Rogers and a Daisy de Santiago”

So much for trying to fit in…

With our drinks halfway gone, we got to the matter at hand – The French Dip. Cole’s claims the origins of the sandwich back in 1908 when a customer with sore gums asked the restaurant’s chef to dip the crusty sandwich into the juice of the meat (meanwhile – Philippe’s says the sandwich “accidentally” slipped into the pan juices). I’ll let you play Judge Judy and decide the jous judgment.

John went with the Beef & Swiss, Marika ordered Pastrami & Swiss and I rounded things our with Pastrami & Goat Cheese with a side of beef chili. We put in an order of Spicy Garlic Fries (don’t plan on making out with anyone for at least 24 hours after eating) and the Spicy Atomic Pickles.

“Whooooo!!!!” exclaimed Marika (literally) as she snapped into the first atomic spicy pickle. “Whoooaoaaaaa-mamammmaa!” she cried again, causing the larger men in pinstripe suits (I’m not saying it was the mob) to turn their heads. The atomic pickles are –well- atomic and not for tempermental tastebuds.

Marika – “You guys don’t understand, Sweedish food is really bland. I’m not used to this.”

John – “Well we could have eaten at Ikea, but unfortunately it’s not on the list.”

Me – ZING!

The key difference in the battle between Cole’s vs. Philippe’s versions of the French Dip is the key ingredient to the Dip itself! It all comes down to the jous (pronounced Jew, as in “Peter is au jous”). At Philipe’s they do the dipping in the kitchen and leave you with a somewhat soggy, but not really juicy sandwich. At Cole’s you are given a whole bowl of au jous, just for yourself! So you can constantly go back to the well for more and more of that juicy dipping delight.

To put this in terms of an analogy: Cole’s sandwich is almost the Yogurtland of French Dipping, you can choose exactly how much or how little jous you want. Whereas, Philippe’s (aka Pinkberry) decides a predetermined level of jous for you. (Read: No going back to the toppings bar for more mango chunks).

For those who know me, I’ll take Yogurtland over Pinkberry any day, therefore (in keeping with the analogy) Cole’s is the undisputed winner in the French Dip Family Feud! Not only does the constant dunking make the sandwich better, but the quality of meat, cheese and bread are head and shoulders above the competition. And when it comes to ambiance, I’ll take Cole’s Cheers-like feel over the Ellis Island situation at Philippe’s any day.

The comments around the table were all positive. John especially enjoyed  the beef chili and banana cream pie, meanwhile Marika went out on a limb claiming the combo of Pastrami & Swiss is greatly underrated in history.

As we settled the tab, Marika chimed in with one final assessment of the night.

“Well that was wonderful. I think I now smell like a sweaty Armenian plumber.”

And with that, I’m pretty sure we just lost the readership of my mom’s side of the family and all of Glendale.

Cole’s Original French Dip

118 East 6th Street

Los Angeles, CA 90014

(213) 622-4090