By Abigael T. Sidi
One of the most rewarding (and occasionally deeply humbling) parts of my job as a food columnist for the Rag is the comments section. Over the past year, readers have not only helped me grow as a writer but have provided many tips on places/dishes to discover. A recent example was Trumpinator, who reacted to Rag Radio’s coverage of my tasting of the Smith Burger by providing the following advice:
“Go to Kossar’s and get the BLT on a toasted bialy. The best BLT I have ever had. Perfect shredded lettuce. Perfect bacon. Mayo. So fresh. Yummy!!!”
Such high praise caught my attention – I’ve always considered the BLT (short for bacon, lettuce and tomato) as part of my Mount Rushmore of American sandwich creations, alongside the burger, tuna melt, and Reuben. Sure, some claim that the BLT is a direct descendant of the English tea sandwich, but “The BLT Cookbook” author Michele A. Jordan and many others trace the sandwich’s true origins to the American club sandwich, with the first explicit mention of the BLT in a 1903 Ladies Home Journal magazine article, and the first known BLT recipe found in James Beard’s 1923 “The Breakfast Book.”
Kossar’s version, which can be found at the UWS location at the corner of West 72nd Street and West End Avenue, can be had on a bagel or, as Trumpinator suggested, a bialy. Bagels and bialys use the same yeast dough, but while bagels are boiled prior to baking, bialys are directly baked in the oven. This results in a lighter, more airy and crunchy texture as compared to their chewy boiled counterparts. Bialys also boast a small pocket of caramelized onions in the center, reflective of the bread’s Polish Ashkenazi origins (the name is short for Bialystock, from the town where the roll originated.) For a detailed review of Kossar’s bialy as well as an interview with owner Marom Unger, please check out Ava Stryker-Robbins’s Here’s The Dish column dedicated to it, here.
I trusted Trumpinator and ordered my BLT on a bialy. Because of the roll’s flatness and relatively small size, the sandwich is generous but far from insurmountable. It includes two to three layers of double-smoked bacon, a single layer of sliced tomatoes (which, in line with the recipe, are not too thin but not too thick), and shredded green leaf lettuce. The mayo, spread on both sides, is of the lighter type, provided in reasonable amount. An easy, compact, well-structured sandwich.
My first bite into it was when I understood Trumpinator’s reverence for the bialy BLT: The bread’s muffiny/pizza-ish, slightly crunchy and chewy texture and yeasty undertones, is the perfect vessel for the sandwich’s celebrated flavor profile. It is just sturdy enough to retain its texture (as opposed to traditional white bread or sourdough toasts) and light enough that it doesn’t interfere with the crispy yet meaty bacon and juicy sweet tomato (as opposed to bagels). The shredded lettuce is ideal because it provides nice, consistent freshness to every bite. Lastly, the mayo is definitely there to deliver on the creaminess and fattiness essential to the sandwich’s greatness, but it never steals the show from the main protagonists. Yes, in many ways, this is the perfect BLT.
Kossar’s UWS location, which opened a little over a year ago, has grown a loyal following and is always busy. Last weekend was completely over the top because it was packed with Marathon runners all looking for a well-deserved high-calorie snack. (Did I feel shameful feasting on my BLT in front of these exhausted, starving athletes? Yes. Do I regret it? No.) Still, the place is a highly efficient, well-oiled machine that will get your order ready in minutes, whether you’re on the go or stick around in their nice, open, glass-windowed space. Kossar’s is open every day from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day (5 p.m. on Sundays), with pickup and delivery available at these times.
The Dish: BLT on a Bialy ($12.00)
The Restaurant: Kossar’s Bagels and Bialys, 270 West 72nd Street (corner of West End Avenue).
Read all Here’s the UWS Dish columns here.
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Bacon? On a bagel? A shanda!
And toasting a freshly-made bagel is a rookie move at best. That’s something that basic suburbanites do in NJ, LI and CT.
Oh please. People are too worried about perceived purity.
My father grew up on the Lower East Side speaking Yiddish. In his later years he loved toasted bagels.
Mine did too…but not with bacon!!
I had bacon on a bagel yesterday. The mayo, now that’s a shanda.
LOL!
They have regular bacon and turkey bacon.
Even on a bialy
oxymoron
When I was growing up, Kossars was THE place for a bialy.
Not anymore. The bialys bear no resemblance to what used to come out of Kossar’s oven.
But, what are we to expect. Since the effective demise of the bagel union, aside from Mark’s Off Madison, you can’t get a decent bagel in Manhattan.
The bagel union workers made a simple bagel. It wasn’t on steroids. The crust was firm. The crumb was dense. Today, that bagel doesn’t exist.
What do you think of Tal Bagel’s bialy? Just curious! (I usually get mine at the East 86th St. location, but I think our UWS branch has them, too.) I think they’re fantastic — but I am no bialy maven.
Fluff.
Absolutely agree. The bialys from Kossar’s on the lower eastside bear little resemblance to those on 72nd st.
Agree. If you can’t risk breaking a tooth on a bagel, it’s just a fluffy roll with a hole. Back in undergraduate days, I belonged to an organization that plotted revolution in a room above the offices of the bagel bakers’ union. IIRC, they spelled it “beigel”. The perverted modern spelling, which really should be pronounced “baah-gel” is a sad symbol of the downfall of this mighty bread.
“If you can’t risk breaking a tooth on a bagel, it’s just a fluffy roll with a hole”
Perfect!
Agreed, kossar’s bialys were an institution back in the day. I’m sure the BLT is good but I can tell from the pic this is not the bialy of old
This sandwich is layered wrong. Should be bacon on the bottom, then lettuce on top of that, then tomato. They’re called toppings for a reason. It may seem trivial, but the order makes a huge difference on how a BLT, or any sandwich, eats.
I was thinking, hold it inverted, but even that wouldn’t work. What’s the deal with having the lettuce between the bacon and tomatoes?
You, sir, are a true BLT maven.
Love having Kossar’s on my corner, but wish they would carry flat bagels. I know they have them at other locations. I will definitely have to try a BLT on a Bialy!! Sounds amazing!!!!
Abigael,
Thank you for your great reviews!
As for BLTs, we are fans of the yummy BLT and fries at Fairway Cafe.
Subway
I really like BLT at Fairway.
I live on 75/Broadway.
A notch below Kossar’s one..which is perfect.
Trumpinator.
BLT on a bagel–oy vey. Back in the day, you couldn’t even buy a bagel during Passover–in fact, the bagel stores were closed. It’s nice that the bagel has gone mainstream, I guess, but a BLT on a bagel is a bridge too far.
In 1971, when I was a 6th grader at a school in Greenwich, CT, we took a field trip into the city to visit the Metropolitan Museum. As the bus pulled up in front of the museum, one of my classmates looked out the window at one of the hot dog/pretzel vendors and exclaimed, “Look, bagels.” When I noted that those were pretzels, not bagels, he seemed to think this was a highly technical distinction that did not invalidate his identification.
I always leave Kossar’s with a smile on my face because the staff are unfailingly friendly.
But the bagels aren’t especially good, it’s partly sub par flour to blame, so I can’t imagine the bialys are excellent.
Agree about the bagels, but their chocolate babka is to die for. Haven’t tried the cinnamon. I’ve brought it to friends’ houses for brunch and they are now hooked also.
Okay, a different category.
Try bagels from Liberty Bagels, there are 2 locations in the Garment Dist. Excellent flour, baked correctly.
Yes‼️
The Kossar’s BLT is deliciousness‼️
Also try the Bacon, Egg & Cheese Sandwich (Two scrambled Eggs & American Cheese two strips Indina Bacon Served on your Choice of bagel).
Yum yum (try it tomorrow morning when it’s freezing outside with your hot cup of coffee) – DoorDash or GrubHub
PLT or PEC on a bialy! Kossar’s pastrami is yummy, and you can leave the cheese off the PEC if you want kosher-style.
Yipes, and here I thought Kossar’s was kosher! (Not that I am, but I agree, bacon on a bialy is a travesty!)
Myself, I splurge on whitefish salad on a bialy when I’m at Kossar’s… Yum.
Kossar’s on the corner has been a godsend, can’t wait for them to get more seating.
My favorite bagel shop in the neighborhood. Their onion bagel with whitefish & tomato is my go to.
Next time I’ll think twice going back. I bought crumb cake and warmed it up at home in the toaster oven and I came back in three minutes and it was melted….. Never had melted crumb cake before……👎 so strange. 🤮