Thursday, March 28, 2019

The Best Thing Since Sliced...Bagels?

In the last 24 hours, any Internet search you do for bagels offers up results for a St. Louis controversy. It all started when Alek Krautmann, a St. Louis native, tweeted a photo of a box of bread sliced Panera bagels he had brought into the office. The caption for the photo said that he had introduced his co-workers to the "St. Louis secret".


Years ago, the St. Louis Bread Company (AKA Panera outside the metropolitan area) started offering the option of running their bagels through the bread slicing machine to make thin slices. The unconventional method has a lot of advantages. The smaller pieces are easy to dip in your preferred topping. It's easier to eat just part of a bagel, or grab small pieces with one hand while you're on the go. If you're sharing the treat with a friend, it's more sanitary.

Personally, I prefer a real New York style bagel to anything that comes from a chain. However, there are no traditional New York-style bagelries in my neighborhood, so if I want one BreadCo is the next best thing. The crust may not be as crunchy and chewy, but it's acceptable.

What about you? Do you like bagels? Had you heard about bread slicing one before yesterday? Would you consider trying one that way?

Five years ago today: There Are No Accidents...

16 comments:

  1. Oh, dear. There is nothing I like about Panera. My granddaughters were led to believe every morsel was made from scratch behind the swinging doors. I told them it was all delivered by Sysco Foods and sent through the microwave. We cut through a shopping center, behind a Panera sometimes. Imagine the chagrin when a huge food truck was being off loaded as we went by.
    Just imagine a real New York bagel in bread slices. Heaven.

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    1. I think every large chain relies on shipped-in ingredients-that's how the maintain continuity from location to location.

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  2. Yeah, I'm no fan of Panera. No fan of bread-sliced bagels either. Seems to negate the idea of a bagel. Wouldn't want my biscuit sliced like bread, either.

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    1. I don't eat many bread-ish products, and bagels are pretty far down on the list of things I do.

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  3. Haven't heard of bread sliced bagels till now.

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    1. It's nice to know the to-do hasn't spread to Canada.

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  4. I read about the bagel controversy just this morning. Slicing like bread is something I've never seen. Looked like a good idea, so going to try it.

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  5. I'd love that since I can't eat too much bread. I LOVE bagels, with all sorts of things on them. I make my own pumpkin seed butter spread that is great on a toasted bagel. But there's nothing like a bagel with cream cheese, or light peanut butter and jam, or honey, or sandwich fillings of all sort, including a coleslaw sandwich I like with bagels only.

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    1. Homemade pumpkin seed butter? That sounds fascinating!

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  6. A controversy over how one chooses to have their bagel sliced?? Such a first world problem. The 'right' way to slice a bagel... any darn way you want to! Love their asiago cheese bagel and orange scones.

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    1. I hadn't thought about the whole kerfuffle that way, but you're right. I'm partial to the asiago ones, too. Try to stay away from the scones; they're TOO good :-)

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  7. What about me? Yes I like bagels, haven't had any for a good while though. No I had not heard about bread slicing one until I read about it here. This is good information, thank you for sharing it.

    Wishing you a Happy Sunday!

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    1. You're welcome! Hope you had a great day, too.

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