What I Got: Bagels, Jalapeno Cream Cheese

Price: $$$

Location: NYC and CT

Review:

I am a bagel snob without a doubt.  Before trying Pop Up Bagels, the only bagels I was happy eating were from Ess-a-Bagel.  I personally think Ess-a-Bagel is absolute bagel perfection, but Pop Up Bagels are a close second!  Pop Up Bagels churns out fresh bagels straight from the oven all day long.  When I visited, they were out of poppy seed bagels.  I said I was okay with sesame instead, but before I knew it there were poppy seed bagels pulled straight out of the oven and dropped into my bag!

Bagels – The most important thing that makes a bagel not just any ordinary bread is the texture.  These bagels have an extraordinary texture that is fluffy and airy with a satisfying chew.  The exterior is crisp and golden brown, serving as the perfect contrast to the pillowy interior.  They have some of the best subtly sweet flavor I’ve ever tasted in a bagel.  I got the everything bagel and the poppy seed bagel.  Both bagels are generously encrusted with seasoning, including a touch of flaky salt.  The bagels are perfect aside from one complaint, the bagels are very small.  I need to eat at least one and a half bagels for it to be more than a snack sized portion.  The bagels and spreads are so delicious that this one problem won’t stop me from getting them.  If you want a true bagel, I believe the only place to go is Ess-a-Bagel or Pop Up Bagels.

Jalapeno Cream Cheese – Pop Up Bagels has a special cream cheese and butter available each week.  The week I visited’s Jalapeno Cream Cheese was fantastic.  The cream cheese is creamy and rich with the perfect tangy fermented flavor.  A savory Jalapeno seasoning is mixed throughout the cream cheese as well as thin slices of crisp jalapeno.  The delicious peppery flavor comes through nicely with a very light spiciness (I wouldn’t have minded if it was a bit spicier).  Any jalapeno lover would enjoy this cream cheese.  I can’t wait to try more of their flavored butters and cream cheeses!