It's the little things....

[bobobb.livejournal.com]

So Diesel no longer toasts bagels anymore :( and I'm just not crazy about untoasted bagels for some reason. Is there another place in the square (besides Dunkin Donuts) to get a bagel fix first thing in the morning?

Comments

[ron_newman]

Why don't they toast bagels?

[audioboy.livejournal.com]

Where did you hear this? I had a toasted bagel there earlier this week.

[bobobb.livejournal.com]

I went in this morning and was told that they no longer toast bagels (maybe starting today?). They were really nice though and toasted another type of bread for me and put cream cheese on it, but they were sort of bending the rules on that one.

The two reasons I was given were:

1. Toasting dries the bagels out and reduces their quality.
2. Toasting takes too much time and slows down their lines/work.

I'm guessing it is really the second reason, because who are they to say whether the customer should like a lower quality, drier bagel -- which apparently I do!

Anyhoo -- any other place to get a toasted bagel?

[closetalker11.livejournal.com]

It's a little out of Davis Square, but Magnificent Muffin in Teele Square has very good bagels and will definitely toast them for you. They're definitely my favorite bagel place in the area, by far.

[gruene.livejournal.com]

Seconded.

I live more in the Teele side of Davis Square anyway and they are absolutely wonderful there. My favorite quick breakfast place in the area.

[canedeparie.livejournal.com]

seconded. i miss that place.

[boblothrope.livejournal.com]

Katz's Bagels in Chelsea, which is one of the few real bagel bakeries in the area, also refuses to toast bagels, since they say toasted bagels are no good. But when bagels are still hot from the oven, as they often are there, it's not an issue.

[bobobb.livejournal.com]

I agree a high quality bagel does not need to be toasted.

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

They are often hot from the often? How many hours a day? (I'm asking seriously here. I've never known of any place in the Boston area where you could reliably get still-warm bagels anytime past crazy-early.)


(Also, speaking as a Broolyn-born and -bred Jewish bagel snob, I enjoy toasted bagels.)

[emcicle.livejournal.com]

i know other ABPs toast bagels, not sure if the one in the square does.

that being said, i like my bagels toasted as well. I also like my sandwiches made on toast, not bread.

[smoterh.livejournal.com]

In my opinion ABP has the best bagels EVAR. They are nice and little crispy on the outside, especially toasted, and soft and chewy on the inside.

[masswich.livejournal.com]

This raises the much bigger question of why there are no real bagel bakeries in Somerville (or Cambridge, unless you count Brueggers). I would think there is a market for something that wasn't trucked in from out of town.

Please, someone, open a bagel shop! Maybe Lyndells could add them to their list of confections?

bagel shop! squirrelly wrath!

[intuition-ist.livejournal.com]

http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/99362

[ron_newman]

not enough Jews on this side of the river?

Odd

[serious-noir.livejournal.com]

Sounds odd. Why would toasting a bagel take longer than toasting a piece of bread? Fwiw, I never thought the bagels they serve were very good but were certainly improved by toasting.

Maybe this isn't "policy" but one worker's preference?

Re: Odd

[lyonesse.livejournal.com]

bagels take longer to toast because they are denser and thicker.

that said, if i cared about the issue i'd ask to speak to an owner/manager and ask that they change the policy back. (i actually can't stand any of the baked mediocres at diesel, except the bread pudding, which hardly counts....)

[treacle-well.livejournal.com]

Well that sucks. I also have a strong preference for toasted bagels, and in case where my option is untoasted bagel or no bagel, I'll often choose no bagel.

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

Enough complaints and they'll change their policy back. Small businesses can (and often do) implement stupid ideas that don't fly with their customer base. They're probably already hearing about it!

Untoasted bagels are terrible

[nvidia99999.livejournal.com]

What are they thinking? The time it takes to toast the bagels is part of the deal, no? It would be like a restaurant saying that they will not cook the pasta anymore because it takes too long...

[bobobb.livejournal.com]

Wow, who would've guessed that toasted bagels would gain so much interest. Thanks for the ABP suggestion, I'll check it out!

[ron_newman]

More interest than most savings accounts these days...

[nafe.livejournal.com]

The Diesel lost my patronage years ago when they took chocolate egg-creams off the menu, and started giving me all sorts of attitude about the inconvenience of making them, when I ordered one anyway. This just seems to be another instance of them putting their own priorities ahead of their customers'.

Now I go across the street instead. Please don't hurt me!

[canongrrl.livejournal.com]

seconded. Though, oddly, I love Bloc 11 - super cool staff and the food and drink are way better. I don't get that at all.

also, if you are making the trek to brookline, Kupels is the best bagel in the area. Bagels by US isn't a bad second (over in Arlington). I personally don't like toasted bagels but diesel really isn't hip enough for those excuses not too. In fact I wonder if it was just a lame server?

[skexy.livejournal.com]

the only excuse they should be giving for not toasting a bagel fo you is that their toaster is broken

[delahk.livejournal.com]

oh, wah wah diesel. dunkies can toast my bagel and put butter on it when 30 people are in line at 8:30 in the morning and barely miss a beat.

[somertricky.livejournal.com]

Bravo.

Diesel *will* be toasting bagels again soon!

[tracelina.livejournal.com]

I went in this morning and asked about the toasting situation. Toasters keep breaking on them (apparently the outlet was wired improperly), and they were *temporarily* heating bagels up in the oven while the toaster got fixed. They've stopped heating up bagels in the *oven* because it dries them out.

Once the outlet is re-wired and their brand-new toaster gets installed, they will once again be toasting bagels!

Re: Diesel *will* be toasting bagels again soon!

[sparkgrrl658.livejournal.com]

wow! it's amazing they couldn't have just said that. go figure.

[obie119.livejournal.com]

Just in case you didn't know, Magnificent Muffin and Bagel gets their bagels from H&H - not Brooklyn, but Manhattan ain't too shabby :)

[apricot3.livejournal.com]

i'm sure all the issues are close to being solved by now, but i think that Blue Shirt has bagels and would probably toast or maybe press them on the grill for you. however i just want to go on record and say that their $2 muffins are absolutely The Suck.

besides the broken yolk further up, there's my favorite coffe shop in ball square, those guys are awesome- and so are their muffins. i went in recently, having had my wisdom teeth removed, and asked for a pile of scrambled eggs with cheese and they gave me a whole bowl full (and i was too sore to eat it so i had to take some home)!