Bagels to Make the Big Apple Proud

To make the perfect bagel, you have to do it by hand, says Bethesda Bagels co-owner Steve Fleishman, above, who learned to make bagels in Queens, N.Y., before opening his area shops. (By J Carrier For The Washington Post)

New York transplants gripe incessantly about Washington's culinary inferiorities. They say there's no decent Chinese food, the pizza lacks pizazz and the coffee's just awful. And where, oh where, are the good bagels?

It's true that chains and supermarkets dominate the D.C. area's bagel options. But if you do some exploring, you'll find plenty of mom-and-pop shops dishing up tasty hole-in-the-middle goods.

And just what makes a bagel good? Bread guru Mark Furstenberg, founder of local foodie temples Breadline and Marvelous Market, says well-made bagels should have a slightly sweet exterior from the malt syrup used in the water they're boiled in and heavy but soft insides. How do you know you're biting into a great bagel? "First, your teeth break through the crust," he says. "Then you get to a pliable, doughy interior. It's that contrast that's so pleasing."

In and around the capital city, you'll discover bagels made in-house, often from cherished recipes. It might be enough to make even the most skeptical New York nosher admit that the cross street of her new favorite bagel shop isn't Broadway.

Here are eight places where the bagels are fresh -- and homegrown.

Bagels and Baguettes

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Isn't it funny how cops always seem to know where the good breakfasts are? Follow members of the U.S. Capitol Police from their headquarters just a few steps away to this high-carb haven. The narrow space makes the always-packed eatery a bit chaotic. But the bagels are worth it, with their manageable size and satisfyingly chewy centers.

Bagels are 77 cents; $7.50 for a baker's dozen. 236 Massachusetts Ave. NE, 202-544-1141.

Bagel City Explosion

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Mirrored walls, light-up menu boards and chrome chairs jazz up this strip-mall spot, which has been serving bagels for 30 years. Regulars include families celebrating after soccer games and moms looking to fuel up between errands.

Manager Anna Alvarado says that the bagel recipes have stayed the same over the decades but that today's customers are more curious about ingredients. "People are really health-conscious now, and they want to know they're eating a healthy product," she says. "There's no fat, and the ingredients are all natural -- just like it's always been." Real health nuts opt for the "power bagel," made with seven grains, carrots and honey.

Bagels are 70 cents; 14 for $6.95. 12119 Rockville Pike, Rockville, 301-231-8080.

Bethesda Bagels

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Customers are just as likely to be toting diaper bags as briefcases at this bustling veteran of Bethesda Row. The tasty bagels more than make up for the lack of seating and cramped quarters: They're glossy, with insides that are airy but substantial.

Co-owner and Bronx native Steve Fleishman apprenticed himself to a master bagel baker in Queens, N.Y., before leaving a career in real estate to open bagel places in the District in the 1980s.