Where to buy REAL bagels and lox in Austin? (how much, locations)

[10scoachrick]

Originally Posted by owlman

Does anyone know of some good low-sodium smoked wild salmon available around town? I like Whole Foods' Whole Catch Smoked Sockeye--runs around $12/8oz--but it's a bit salty for me, especially coupled with cream cheese or goat cheese. I think it's 630mg/2oz. Any other non-outrageously-expensive lower sodium varieties?

Hoo-yah! $24 a pound AND 1/4 your daily intake of sodium.

Nolikee is smart to be concerned about the origin of the salmon. Mayhaps it's time to do a little 'home smokin'

[OpenD]

Originally Posted by N. Olikee

I'm referring to the different choices in the cases (deli counters) at CM.....NOT the prepackaged stuff. There's Nova, but then there are two or three other choices. Do they all qualify as Lox?

Honestly, it doesn't matter to me because it ALL tastes great, but I was just wonderin'........esp. from our Northeastern folks.

Basically........what it comes down to is which of the salmon do I choose? Guess I need to ask the Deli counter people?

Ask the fish guys at Central Market , they're knowledgeable and will give you a taste of each if you're nice. But yea, lox means cured salmon. These are the main styles...

Regular lox (like you'd get on a NY bagel) is heavily brined and then cold smoked (never exceeds 85 degrees).

Nova lox is more lightly brined (less salty) and then cold smoked. Milder.

Gravlax is Scandanavian style, brined with sugar and salt and spices like dill and juniper and then pressed. This is the style served at Smorgasbord.

Scottish style is rubbed with dry spices and the later rinsed off and cold smoked.

Then, to complicate the equation, there are 5 kinds of salmon which can be cured in any of these styles, each with a different texture and color and flavor profile, and this is why you want to ask the fish guy to talk to you.

[OpenD]

Originally Posted by PJ1252

I'm having the same problem since my move to Delaware. My recommendation is to call H and H bagel in New York City, they will Fedex bagels to you. They have quite a few locations so you won't have any problems finding one.

Sorry to say, H&H is in bankruptcy and most of its locations are now closed. They just got evicted from the Upper West Side, but they vow to return.

Traditional bagels have a crunchy outside and a soft inside. The crunch is created by dropping the formed bagels into a big vat of boiling water for a couple of minutes, then allowing the dough to rise before baking. That creates the crispy, shiny surface.

For expediency, less traditional bakeries skip the boil, using steam cabinets to form the crust, which ends up softer. OK for the suburbs, but never gonna fool the city folks.

[OpenD]

One more thing... there is an authentic Glatt Kosher deli inside the Northwestern Hills HEB (near MoPac and Far West) where you can get a good pastrami sandwich, lox and bagels, etc.

[OpenD]

Originally Posted by OpenD

One more thing... there is an authentic Glatt Kosher deli inside the Northwestern Hills HEB (near MoPac and Far West) where you can get a good pastrami sandwich, lox and bagels, etc.

Update: Today that kosher deli had nice looking nova lox in prepacks for $14/lb. but they don't seem to be custom slicing or serving bagels mit lox now. But the pastrami sandwiches still look great.

But never fear, on the other side of the same shopping center, facing Far West, next to the Post Office, is Kneaded Pleasures, a great bakery/cafe. For $5.99 they'll make you a nice toasted bagel with a schmear, slice of tomato and red onion, capers, and tasty lox. Enjoy!

[N. Olikee]

Originally Posted by OpenD

Ask the fish guys at Central Market , they're knowledgeable and will give you a taste of each if you're nice. But yea, lox means cured salmon. These are the main styles...

Regular lox (like you'd get on a NY bagel) is heavily brined and then cold smoked (never exceeds 85 degrees).

Nova lox is more lightly brined (less salty) and then cold smoked. Milder.

Gravlax is Scandanavian style, brined with sugar and salt and spices like dill and juniper and then pressed. This is the style served at Smorgasbord.

Scottish style is rubbed with dry spices and the later rinsed off and cold smoked.

Then, to complicate the equation, there are 5 kinds of salmon which can be cured in any of these styles, each with a different texture and color and flavor profile, and this is why you want to ask the fish guy to talk to you.

Thanks, OpenD.........that's more of the answer I was looking for! However, the "fish guys" aren't really in charge of the lox.....it's in the same area as the hams, turkey breasts, etc., but I will ask for a sample or two.

Been to Kneaded Pleasures only for lunch and gelato on a couple of occasions, but didn't know they had the bagel, lox, schmear thing going. Will try it.

[eepstein]

Are there any?? Let me know because I would love a GOOD new york style bagel once in a while!

Originally Posted by In2Deep2

The frozen bagels don't cut it for me. Neither do the fresh baked in HEB or Randall's (too soft). So where does a bagel addict find a NY-style bagel in Austin? Onion bagels preferred. And for that matter, to go with that bagel...where to buy decent fresh lox, and not vacuum packed?

Desperate.

Thanks.

[NY2ATX]

I have found them. They are made by Bruegger's Bagels. They boil them and then bake them. They have that crust on the outside and are chewy on the inside. Delicious! And there salmon/lox sandwich is to die for. They put cream cheese, capers, tomatoes and red onion on it like I used to get in Brooklyn. Yum. There are two locations, one on South Lamar and the other is on Bee cave Rd. You gotta go man. Oh, and there are no preservatives so they get hard if you leave them in the bag overnight. I cut them and freeze um for the toaster in the morning.

[ksoviero]

I didn't read through the whole thread to see if this has been mentioned yet, but the bagels at the HEB bakery (the ones actually made in HEB) remind me the most of NY bagels I used to have.

They sell them in a pack of ~5, and they don't prepare them for you, you have to cut and add cream cheese (or butter) yourself.

[Cardiff Giant]

Originally Posted by NY2ATX

I have found them. They are made by Bruegger's Bagels. They boil them and then bake them. They have that crust on the outside and are chewy on the inside. Delicious! And there salmon/lox sandwich is to die for. They put cream cheese, capers, tomatoes and red onion on it like I used to get in Brooklyn. Yum. There are two locations, one on South Lamar and the other is on Bee cave Rd. You gotta go man. Oh, and there are no preservatives so they get hard if you leave them in the bag overnight. I cut them and freeze um for the toaster in the morning.

I agree, Bruegger's is my favorite bagel too even though they are a chain. I get them by the dozen and freeze them too.