Here’s the UWS Dish: Kossar’s BLT on a Bialy

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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