Food: My New Favorite Bagel Joint
Story and photos by Hal Goodtree.
Cary, NC – Barbecue and bluegrass are just fine. But every Sunday, ex-pat New Yorkers living in Cary need a good bagel. Maybe you do, too. If so, let me tell you about my new favorite bagel place.
A Proper Bagel: Savory, Crusty, Chewy
A traditional New York bagel is three things: savory, crust and chewy.
Let’s start with crusty. Proper bagels are boiled before they are baked, giving them a signature crust on the outside. If the dough is just baked into a round shape with a hole in the center, it’s not a bagel.
Chewy texture on the inside is equally important. A well-made bagel does not have big pockets of air on the inside, but is chewy and consistent throughout.
Finally, your New York bagel is savory. I’m sorry, people – blueberry and cinnamon crunch don’t cut it. Traditional bagels include garlic, onion, salt, “everything,” rye, pumpernickel, poppy seed and “swirl.”
My Favorite Bagel Joint: NYBD III
My favorite bagel joint is now officially NYBD III in Crescent Commons. That’s at the corner of Kildare Farm and Tryon Road in the Walmart shopping center.
I used to frequent a bagel store right in my neighborhood, but it changed hands. The new owner just doesn’t have the touch. I went in search of better bagels.
NYBD bagels speak for themselves – perfect crust, chewy center, lots of seeds and stuff adhering to the outside. They also sell Italian Semolina bread, cold cuts, egg dishes, pastries and much more.
NYBD III is worth the trip on a Sunday morning.
What to Eat on a Bagel
Cranberry bagels may be verboten, but what you have on your bagel is up to you.
Butter or cream cheese are probably the top two favorites.
Many New Yorkers like smoked fish – it goes with the savoriness of the bagel. Lox, Nova Scotia salmon, whiting and white fish are all good. Many of these delicacies are offered at NYBD in slices or mixed with cream cheese.
Some folks have the cream cheese, smoked fish, a slice of tomato and a slice of raw onion on their bagel. That’s how we ate it at my house as a kid.
Nowadays, I sometimes like a few slices of cheddar on my bagel instead of the usual cream cheese. Peanut butter is good, jelly is fine. Really, whatever floats your boat.
NYBD III
NYBD III – New York Deli & Bagel
2050 Kildaire Farm Road
Cary, NC 27511
Hours:
Mon-Sat 6 AM – 4 PM
Sun 6 AM – 3 PM
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NYBD III
https://vimeo.com/56440401
Nice video, Brian!
Hi,
My name is Tiffoney Greene and I must say this is by far the Best place to eat in Cary NC.
Ultimately, I was astounded and blown away by the bagels and homemade New York style cheesecakes..Everything here is made from scratch!!
The place is Super Clean .. They are always nice and friendly ..
It’s a hit!!!
If you’re looking for good food supporting good people this is the place for you!!
Tiffoney greene
Anyone know if there is a place anywhere near here to get a Montreal bagel? Ever since my trip to Montreal last year I’ve been craving their style bagels vs. NY style (which I think are still good, just different).
Hi Andy – Provincial New Yorker that I am, I had never heard of Montreal bagels. And my father was born in Montreal! So I looked it up on Wikipedia:
The Montreal bagel, (sometimes beigel; Yiddish בײגל beygl, or sometimes in French “beguel”), is a distinctive variety of hand-made and wood-fired baked bagel. In contrast to the New York-style bagel,[1] the Montreal bagel is smaller, sweeter and denser, with a larger hole, and is always baked in a wood-fired oven. It contains malt, egg, and no salt and is boiled in honey-sweetened water before being baked in a wood-fired oven, whose irregular flames give it a dappled light-and-dark surface colour.
In many Montreal establishments, bagels are still produced by hand and baked in wood-fired ovens, often in full view of the customers.[2] There are two predominant varieties: black-seed (poppy seed), or white-seed (sesame seed).
The Bagel Basket in Wilmington (Kerr Ave) is reported to have Montreal bagels on occasion. It’s a long drive from Cary, so call ahead first to make sure.
Thanks for the great information Hal! Prior to our trip we found out there were two “bagel institutions” in Montreal: Fairmount Bagel Bakery (http://www.fairmountbagel.com/eng/index.htm) and St. Viateur Bagel (http://www.stviateurbagel.com/content/?id=63). The wood fired ovens tend to make them nice and crusty on the outside. I like my bread crusty as well. Usually I go to La Farm Bakery or Guglhupf in Durham for good bread. The pictures make the bread at NYBD III look good too.
Of course, now, I am anxious to try out NYBD III! The smoked fish, cream cheese, tomato, and onion sounds delicious! Sounds like a good weekend morning breakfast.
Oh yeah, and thanks for the heads up on The Bagel Basket in Wilmington. It will definitely be worth a stop one day.
I love NYBDIII!! I have been there many times and am finally happy that I found a REAL bagel place, run by people who know how to make a bagel.
Now, on a side note: anyone found a decent Italian bakery yet? I’m missing all of my REAL Italian cookies and pastries!! :-)
I agree with your comment. Bagles are great, breakfast sanwiched are hot & tasty, delicious chicken salad…They even have bialis! Very “New Yorkie” indeed. Too bad they brought the N.Y. attitude with them. I have visited 4 times since I saw it in the Cary Citizen. LOVE the food, but can we try to be a little less gruff? Remember, this is the south ~
Thank you….
If you are from Downstate (read – NYC), you also have to try the Bialys. Just like the Bronx. It’s been a long time between Bialys.
Thanks man. Brueggers gets close, but this looks like the real deal.
Dude, it’s like the difference between a Casio and a Fender Rhodes, if you follow my drift.
You JUST found this jewel? These folks are the real deal. Try their rye bread, their sandwiches, their hard rolls. I give them my highest compliment … they’re “Jersey-worthy”.
Had a place near my house that was good. NYBD is across town from where I live.
I’m an upstate New Yorker (big difference for those unaware) and yes, these bagels are by far the best around. Folks around here get excited for Panera bread and places like that and just don’t realize what a real bagel is like!!!
Now we just need a real Italian bakery.
Note: Not a New Yorker by a looooong shot, I was born an Okie.
Hands down, this is the BEST place to get a bagel in the state! Love getting a breakfast sandwich here! This is the place I always go to stock up on bagels, breads and treats for my family and even more so when friends arrive. Definitely on the A-List in my household!
Locally owned, too. Forgot to mention.