When does a food trend evolve into a local fixture? It dawned on me that this has happened with bagels in New Orleans during a recent trip to New York City. For once, in the American heartland of bagels, I felt no need to have one. I knew my cravings were well handled back home in New Orleans, and that’s new.
Bagels have been booming from coast to coast, often driven by large brands expanding. But in New Orleans, it’s been a largely homegrown ascent as people who yearned for a proper bagel set out to fill a void.
A city fiercely proud of its own food tradition has been more openly embracing those from elsewhere, and throwing its food zeal into them. That’s led to a range of bagels in different styles with a baseline of high quality, mirroring the city’s recent good fortune of fine pizza.
Today, New Orleans has its own artisan bagels and grocery store bagels, bagels at the farmers market and on campus, late-night bagels and hangover helpers, bagels for the parade route and platters for holidays and house guests…