Remember the rainbow bagel craze that hit New York earlier this year? Well, the story didn’t stop there. A proliferation of over-the-top, cereal- and cake-inspired bagels have followed in its wake.
The goal, it seems, isn’t to create the most delicious bagel sandwich, but to create the most photogenic and potentially viral one. The more colors and more impossible to eat, the better. Social media likes are transforming the humble bagel and cream cheese sandwich into something just as indulgent as ice cream sundaes and milkshakes.
Rainbow Bagel with Birthday Cake Cream Cheese
The Bagel Store, Williamsburg, Brooklyn
The bagel that started it all: Scot Rossillo’s rainbow bagel. People aren’t over this yet, as evidenced by the enduring popularity of this Williamsburg shop.
Oreo Bagel with Oreo Cream Cheese and Oreos
The Bagel Nook, Freehold, NJ
Oreo cream cheese we’ve heard of. But the Oreo bagel that’s actually stuffed with Oreos is venturing into some uncharted bagel territory. I am both terrified of and concerned about what might come next.
Black and White Truffle Burger Bagel
Bagel Store and Black Tap collaboration, Brooklyn, NY
The black and white bagel sandwich, stacked high with bacon, egg, cheese, and a burger, could probably only come from Black Tap (the people behind these gravity defying milkshakes). On Sundays only, at Williamsburg’s Bagel Store, you can brunch on this hardcore black sesame and sea salt-sprinkled creation for $19. The bagel itself is probably the most “goth” one of the bunch. (Clearly this one’s not kosher!)
Everything Donut Bagels
Flex Mussels, NYC
What could be more 2016 than an everything bagel-inspired donut hole? (It definitely makes more sense than the stuffed bagel hole, if you ask me.)
Elvis Bagel
Bagels and Brew in Lake Forest, CA
Nosh like Elvis with this bacon, bananas, and peanut butter bagel sandwich from the only West Coast bagel shop on the list. Know of any West Coast or Midwest bagel concoctions we haven’t covered? Let us know!
