I have a few bagel places in Monmouth County that I absolutely love. I used to live in Ocean Township, and around the corner from me was a place called, What About a Bagel on West Park Ave. in Cobblestone Village. They were my favorite.
Being Jewish and having parents from Brooklyn and Queens, as well as having a close connection to real old school bagel bakers, pretty much makes me an expert on bagels.
My loving companion, Bruce, comes from a long line of bagel bakers from Brooklyn. His late father was one of the last great bagel bakers of his generation. If you’ve ever visited Grandma’s Bagels in Little Silver back in the 90’s and early 2000’s, you may have known him, his name is Max Cooperman.
Max and his wife, Phyllis were the King and Queen of their little bagel castle. Phyllis’s grandfather was actually one of the first bagel bakers in America and had a hand in forming the first ever bagel baker’s union.
Phyllis was practically the Mayor of Little Silver. Everyone knew her and absolutely loved her. Like all Jewish Grandmas, Phyllis was a nurturer with a great laugh, and was as loving as any human being can be.
She greeted every single person who walked through the door, and would often sit down with customers to chat while they ate their meals. She treated the entire community like family.
Unfortunately, I never got to meet Phyllis, she passed away 3 weeks before her son and I met. Bruce absolutely believes that his mom was responsible for our union. He says, “I know my mother had something to do with us meeting.” She knew I’d take very good care of her boy.
I have heard so many stories about Phyllis from her children, grandchildren, and other family members, it makes me sad that we never got to meet.
Before I list some of Monmouth County’s favorite bagel shops, I want you to give you my thoughts on what an honest to goodness bagel should be. A REAL bagel is rolled by hand, kettle boiled, and baked. The result is a dense, chewy, doughy interior with a shiny, golden crisp exterior.
Grandma's Bagels - 479 Prospect Ave, Little Silver, NJ 07739
For over a decade, Phyllis Cooperman was the “Grandma” at Grandma’s Bagels. Phyllis is no longer with us, but she lives on through those who know and love her. I’m glad the current owners kept the name and are still making the community happy. (Pictured in the photo are Max and Phyllis Cooperman, the original owners.)
