H&H Bagels, 601 K St., NW.
The question “Who makes the best bagel in New York?” has always been a matter of debate, but for years, H&H Bagels was the most obvious answer—like Katz’s for pastrami or Russ & Daughters for lox. The grubby little Upper West Side shop even played itself on TV: in one episode of Seinfeld, Kramer works at H&H Bagels, and the place gets name-dropped on Sex and the City.
Now, H&H—or at least a version of it—is coming to DC. For two years now, a revived, franchised iteration of H&H has been teasing an expansion to our area. That day will finally come on Thursday, June 12, when the first DC outpost opens in Mount Vernon Triangle.
“It is the New York City bagel experience made possible in Washington, DC,” says Jesse Stein, the bagel chain’s director of marketing.
At H&H, the main attraction is the bagel itself: everything, sesame, poppy, pumpernickel, or cinnamon raisin, they will be will be kettle-boiled in New York City tap water, parbaked, and flash frozen in Queens before being shipped in frozen trucks to the DC franchise, where they will be baked each day.
“New York City is known for having a water that works well for baked goods,” Stein says. “It creates an environment within the dough that gives you that perfect crust on the outside and chewy inside, whether it’s pizza or bagels.”
Myth or not, that sentiment is gospel for plenty of New Yorkers—and a major selling point for the franchise’s locations outside the city.
The original H&H sold only bagels, but here, the schmear options will be extensive: an array of plain and flavored cream cheeses, nova, plus the makings of your typical bodega breakfasts like bacon-egg-and-cheese.
H&H, founded at 80th Street and Broadway in 1972 by Helmer Toro and Hector Hernandez, built up a reputation as the holy grail of New York bagels, before breaking apart into various franchises and going bankrupt in 2011. In 2014, it was revived by current CEO Jay Rushin, who boosted up its shipping and wholesale business, and opened a series of locations, including in Penn Station, and later, Boca Raton and Santa Monica. More franchises in Florida—and the DC area—are on the way.
The new iteration of H&H Bagels doesn’t have the same cachet as the Seinfeld-era store: some of its New York locations have rather poor reviews. But only a taste test will tell if H&H can stand up to DC’s much-improved local bagel scene.
