Bullfrog Bagels, which has gained a carby cult-like following since popping up last summer, has joined forces with the Tryst Restaurant Group. As of Monday, January 12, you’ll find the local, New York-style bagels at all five of the group’s cafes: Tryst in Adams Morgan and at the Phillips Gallery, the Coupe, and Open City‘s Woodley and National Cathedral branches.
The boiled rounds come courtesy of Jeremiah Cohen, a native Washingtonian who grew up working with his father at the Tabard Inn. Unlike bagels from Union Market’s Buffalo & Bergen, made with New York water to try to recreate a Big Apple taste, Cohen prides himself on sourcing the key bagel ingredients—yeast and H2O—locally. The dough is then rolled, boiled, and baked with the intent of achieving a perfect balance of pillow and chew, crisp crust and depth of flavor. Based on the long lines the bagels have attracted, we’re guessing he’s pretty close to that goal.
Bullfrog currently operates a shop out of H Street’s Star & Shamrock during the day, serving bagels by the bag, egg sandwiches, and lunch specials. You’ll find a similar variety at the Tryst Group, where the rounds will be offered in several preparations on the menus as well as sold individually or by the dozen until they’re gone. Which could be quickly.
Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.
