From The New Yorker, January, 2024.
Bagels and lox in Ocean Grove You can make a sandwich or enjoy a mix of components on a plate..Some optional accessories include anchovies, caper perles, olives, scallions, and Cape Cod potato chips.
Atlantic salmon at Wegman’s. It’s about 2 1/2 feet long. Lox is smoked salmon.
Eileen and Paul Goldfinger. Blogfinger.net. Ocean Grove, NJ, USA.
Blogfinger may be the record holder among blogs regarding number of posts about bagels.
Bagel shops have become as ubiquitous as pizza joints, but like pizzas, some are authentic while others are ersatz.
There is a traditional way to make bagels using a 2 day method. The bakers start off by hand rolling the dough. Then the bagels are “proofed” in the fridge over night on boards. The next day they are briefly boiled and then baked. At the Bagel Exchange on Sunset Avenue. (Ocean) the owner is proud of how he follows the traditional methods. He says, “These are not donut shop bagels.” He also describes his methods as “old fashioned.”
Some say that New York bagels are best because of the water, but the secrets also lie in the dough, the oven, and experience of the bakers.
I like my bagels toasted, but some like them untoasted. I met a bagel lover at Wegmans once, and he was firm in saying. “The only way to eat a bagel is toasted.” But at the “Hot Bagel” in Oakhurst, their product is wonderful untoasted as attested to by the lines, especially in summer.
I like to scoop the bagel by removing the doughy interior and then toasting, resulting in a crunchy finished product–and less calories. We prefer lean bagels rather than fat ones.
We buy our lox from Wegmans. It’s packaged, but wonderful. It comes from the Hudson River Valley up-state. The lox should be unsalted, slightly oily, and expertly cut thin by machine or by hand. Some New York restaurants are well known for smoked fish like lox.
This deli has been known for smoked fish for generations at their lower East Side location.
Lately we have been enjoying fresh bagels at “Bagel Talk” in the West Grove strip mall outside the OG “gates.” They also have very good lox obtained fcut and fresh from the Acme company in Brooklyn, suppliers of smoked fishes for many years. Wegmans has their white fish.
The cream cheese is from Bagel Talk, and it is very good. Their salads are fresh and good as is their coffee.
Ba-Tampte half-sour pickles come in fat glass jars from Brooklyn, and Wegmans has them in the International/Kosher department fridge. The half sour pickles will turn dill/sour within about 5-7 days of opening the jar.
Campari cocktail tomatoes are green house grown and very tasty at Wegmans. But you can’t beat Jersey tomatoes here at the summer farmers market
In winter, sweet onions at Wegmans are from Peru. In season look for Vidalia onions from Georgia.
Coleslaw is either made at home from a shredded coleslaw mix (Wegmans,) or we like the ‘slaw from Stop and Shop in Neptune City: “Sally Sherman” brand made with “Hellman’s” mayo.
Potato salad at Stop and Shop is also very good, but get the one that says “Hellman’s” mayo on the label. It is “Sally Sherman” brand. We usually avoid potato salad.
Here is a more detailed link on this subject from last summer. In it are details about the lox which we recommend:
SUZANNE HENRY: After the fox trot, it’s bagels in bed—–with cream cheese. (From the show “Marry Me a Little”)
I tried that bagel spot several times and found it to be unsatisfying. If they got it straightened out, it could be a gold mine year round.
What’s with All Star Bagel in OG? Seasonal ?
Paulie D: Harold’s is the only place we go to for hot pastrami in Jersey.
It’s worth the trip, and we like to meet friends from North Jersey there. You order one sandwich for 2 and then take the rest home for another meal.
Someone sent us a gift of a hot pastrami sandwich with all the trimmings from Katz’s Deli in NYC. (remember the scene in When Harry Met Sally–“I’ll have what she’s having.”). Katz’s is where they have salamis hanging from the ceiling with a sign, “Send a salami to a boy in the army.”
It is amazing how Goldbelly’s shipped it, but it fell somewhat short. I would like to go into the city to Katz’s and have one of their fatty pastrami feasts right there. My cousin Marty said that to really enjoy hot pastrami, the sandwich has to drip melted fat down your arm to your fingers.
Paulie G.
Thanks for the bagel review. We have been using Bagel Talk and they continue to be excellent. A couple of years ago they were inconsistent. Will also give bagel exchange a try based upon your review.
How about a corned beef review. Many places slice deli corned beef and it is not as good as a boiled corned beef sliced fresh from the steam table. Harold’s is a bit far and the portions are excessive. Any place local that you like?