By Gus Saltonstall
A popular Upper West Side bagel shop was closed by the New York City Health Department last week, according to the city agency.
Bagel Talk, at 368 Amsterdam Avenue near West 78th Street, was temporarily shuttered on Thursday for a variety of health violations, according to a report referred by a spokesperson from the Health Department to West Side Rag.
The eatery is still closed as of Monday afternoon.
A Health Department inspector found the following violations within the Upper West Side bagel place on Thursday, the report shows.
- Flies
- Evidence of mice
- Evidence of rats
- Smoked or processed fish, raw eggs, and other food not held at the proper temperatures.
The Health Department can close a restaurant in New York City if it receives more than 28 violation points. Bagel Talk received 76 points worth of violations during its Thursday inspection.
You can see the full report, which includes other violations — HERE.
Bagel Talk has not responded to multiple calls and requests for comment from West Side Rag, but there is a chalkboard sign outside of the eatery as of Monday afternoon that says, “Temp Closed For Work.” There is also a yellow notice sign on the door that indicates Bagel Talk has been closed by the Health Department.
Bagel Talk can reopen once it fixes the violations.
The eatery is one of the more popular bagel spots on the Upper West Side, and routinely is recognized by rankings as one of the best in the neighborhood.
We will update this story if we hear back from Bagel Talk or see that it reopens.
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I tried to go there yesterday and came across the yellow sign. Very unfortunate. They have great bagels but likely could use a little cleaning up. Hopefully they will be back open soon and will learn their lesson.
Giving a whole new meaning to the term “everything bagel!”
That’s not good!
I stopped going to Bagel Talk many years ago because it was so filthy. And I’m not even talking about anything in the purview of a health inspector or that goes beyond where I can see as a customer.
EW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wait, so those weren’t poppy seeds???
Hah!
…ew.
What does it take to clean, properly store food, and prevent vermin? It’s an essential part of preparing and selling food. Shame on the owners.
I live a block away and Bagel Talk has always looked suspect to me, which is why I didn’t patronize it. It seems my instincts served me well.
Years ago, every Sunday in the NYTimes, we could read about restaurant violations and closings by the Health Department. They should start that column again. It may sell papers. It is our right as consumers and tax payers to know.
It’s not your right as a taxpayer. That implies that non-taxpayers don’t have the same rights as other consumers.
If my taxes are paying for health inspections, it is one of my rights to know what is fit to eat or not. It is public health.
That is your interpretation, which you are more than welcome to share, correct or not.
“Restaurateurs looking to operate in New York city are subject to a number of permits and licenses, most of which come with their own fees. For example, New York’s Food Service Establishment Permit can cost upwards of $280, and a Food Protection Certificate is approximately $25.
A more extensive list of certificates, licenses and permits are as follows: Food Protection Certificate, Food Service Establishment Permit, Gas Authorization – Restaurant Equipment, Portable Fire Extinguisher Requirements, Grease Interceptor Information, Range Hoods, Recycling and Waste Removal, Required Posters and Signs (hand washing, no smoking, recycling, etc), Resuscitation Equipment for Restaurants.”
I would guess that restaurants are contributing a significant amount to the cost of health inspections.
Anyone know of Bagel Talk recently changed hands? The workers I have recognized for years don’t seem to be there anymore.
And Ill be back when they reopen. Which is why I’m not using my name.
And I’d heard such good things! But whew – thank you for the story and the link to the report. Not minor considerations. They had better be beyond spotless when they re-open, with kitchen tours. Hope they do re-open.
Bagel Talk got 76 violation points. When you have 28 you have to put big “C” in the window. One other thing . Look at the chalk sign that is in front of the store. It does not look to me like the people who did that care too much about small details.
“Small details” like mice, rats, cleanliness, 76 violations? Perhaps the customers are gettin what they deserve because they dont know better? For those who do walk up BWY and Amsterdam where there are some GREAT Bagel shops..
People who wouldn’t tolerate filth in their own kitchen think it’s perfectly OK to serve it up to consumers.
Could have been worse: no mention of roaches 🙂
When Tal Bagel closed and was replaced by this, we stopped going. The bagels and spreads were meh. I’d walk the extra blocks to Zabars.
If this is your spot, give Broad Nosh at 86th & Bway a try. The most underrated bagels on the UWS. Clean, friendly, and efficient.
A big yes on Broad Nosh — my family loves it. Also Bagels & Co. on Amsterdam between 78 and 79 (though it’s kosher, so they’re not open on Saturdays and there’s no bacon etc.).
That last infraction os the most concerning. Not maintaining perishable food at the proper temperatures is scary!
It seems a pleasant enough spot, aside from all the vermin. But then that’s a problem cropping up more and more these days….
This was my place and now it will be hard to return unless he does a complete overhaul. Another neighborhood spot bites the dust. Remember there is an “acceptable allowance” when it comes to vermin in a commercial kitchen. So if it gets to this point, it is really bad. Yuck yuck yuck.
Not saying it’s in any way an excuse but bakeries of all sorts and or places that deal with grain of any sort long have had issues with rodents. Rodents like eating seeds and or grains of all sorts, something many bakeries have stored in abundance. All those sacks of poppy seeds and so forth not just stored on premises but invariably are scattered during making of product.
Ironically H&H bagels on UES was shut down by DOH earlier this year for pretty much same reasons as this UWS bagel spot.
https://patch.com/new-york/upper-east-side-nyc/ues-h-h-bagels-store-closed-due-sanitation-violations-report
Eric wrote:
“What does it take to clean, properly store food, and prevent vermin? It’s an essential part of preparing and selling food. Shame on the owners.”
Huge part of issue is NYC’s old to ancient housing stock means many basements and sub-basements aren’t vermin proof, this despite ever how much a LL may try.
Rats only need a hole size of a quarter to gain entry, while for mice it’s a dime. Either way if a mouse or rat can get it’s head through a hole it will pull rest of body through.
Not helping matters there is a vast array of pipes and other things that enter or lead to a building below grade level. You also have areas in basements of sub-basements perhaps long abandoned or disused (such as coal storage, wells, coal chutes, root cellars etc…) that can provide harborage areas for vermin.
Finally there is NYC subways system which is infested with rodents. Buildings along Broadway and CPW (8th avenue) have long waged war to keep rodents from invading from both above and below grade level.
Why did everyone defend the Emerald Inn when they were closed by the board of health (https://www.westsiderag.com/2024/10/10/longtime-uws-bar-may-shutter-permanently-following-health-dept-closure-it-is-killing-us) yet now vilify Bagel Talk for the same issue?
You can look up the health grade for NYC restaurants here:
https://a816-health.nyc.gov/ABCEatsRestaurants/#!/Search
Grade Pending means that a place got a B or C and is awaiting a “do-over” to try to get an A before they need to post an actual letter grade. Places that get an A and then later get a B or C are permitted to keep the A sign on display while awaiting a re-inspection. So even places with an A sometimes have a large number of violations.
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The Health Department said they had 6 different kinds of flies. This is quality work on behalf of DOH. To me, all flies look alike.
Used to see the Zabars van outside picking up bagels.. Fabulous bagels.
The most surprising health dept shutdown i’ve seen on the UWS was Popovers (about 10 -12 years). It was crazy popular and seemed fine. they re-opened after addressing the issues, but never fully recovered. it closed about a year later, IIRC.
Speak with any exterminator in city and they will tell you (off record of course) that if you knew half of what went on in shops, restaurants, supermarkets… anyplace that sells or stores food you’d never eat out again. This and or likely not shop in tons of stores ranging from corner delis or bodegas to DR/CVS/Walgreens types up to supermarkets.
If you know where or when to look stores throw away tons of rodent damaged foods. Entire shelves of baked goods, potato chips, cereals, pet foods… Then there are paper goods like TP, paper towels and so forth that rodents chew up to make nests.
What exterminators will also tell is that many if not majority of buildings in large areas of city have at least mice in below grade areas (basements, sub-basements). How far rodents venture above ground floor usually depends upon level of infestation below along with ways to travel and access other areas.
Nearly all old housing stock in NYC relies upon hot water or steam heating. Those pipes travel from below grade up through building and make nice pathways for rodents to move about. Then you also have plumbing system for hot/cold water.