Fill Your Belly With Authentic Hand Rolled Bagels At This New Bagel Shop In Brick, N.J.
I’ve been seeing a lot of action on social media about the new bagel place that recently opened at 325 Drum Point Road in Baywood Plaza called, “Big Belly Bagels.” They’ve spent nearly 2 weeks since opening their doors giving away free bagels and coffee.
As a self proclaimed bagel expert, my first online question to the owner was: Are your bagels kettle boiled?
His reply was a hearty, “Yes they are.” Excellent news since these are the kind of bagels Bruce and I have enjoyed since we were children!
An authentic old school bagel is hand rolled, kettle boiled, and baked. If the bagel does not have a slight shine on the exterior, then it’s not kettle boiled.
The sheen on a bagel is created by boiling the bagels in water, which gelatinizes the outside of the dough, which in turn creates a shiny exterior when baked.
My husband comes from a long line of bagel bakers, his great grandfather was one of the founders of the Bagel Baker’s Union, which is no longer in existence.
There was a long line at Big Belly Bagels which is expected at 10:00 on a Sunday morning, but not a long wait as there were 2 people at the counter taking orders and another person handing off orders that were ready to go.
The place is clean and has a few tables and a couple of refrigerator cases for beverages, along with grab and go items such as a few varieties of cream cheese.
This is the review I left on Google: My husband & I made our first trip to Big Belly Bagels this morning . There was a long line, but not a long wait as there were 2 people taking orders simultaneously. We each ordered a bagel with smoked salmon cream cheese and we each grabbed a coffee at the self service coffee station. The owner, whose name is Eric, took my order and 5 minutes later it was ready to enjoy.
I was told no charge because he’s been giving away one bagel and one coffee per person since the grand opening nearly 2 weeks ago.
The bagels were some of the best we’ve had in a long time. My husband comes from a family of Brooklyn bagel bakers going back a few generations, so he is aware of what goes into making a good bagel.
The bagels are hand rolled, kettle boiled, and baked to perfection. The slight sheen on the outside of the bagel is the dead giveaway that the bagels here are kettle boiled. The texture, the taste, and the chew were all perfect. If bagels aren’t kettle boiled then it’s just a baked roll with a hole in the middle.
We will be back for your bagels. Thank you for your hospitality. May you have much success in your new venture.
Parking: Better than expected for a Sunday morning in a shopping center with a bagel store.
By the way, if you’re a bagel baker/bagel roller, there’s a job posting online at the Simply Hired website. It pays up to $24 per hour. Click here for more information.
