The Boston Bagel Challenge

Great bagels in Boston? To a born and bred New Yorker who has made the Greater Boston area her home for the last decade, this used to sound like an oxymoron. But after years of searching I've finally found some bagels that make this outer-borough girl proud.

The bagel ratings begin.

Let's start by getting the chains out of the way. While Finagle a Bagel is headquartered just outside of Boston, I cannot give thumbs up to our local son. The reason: big doughy bagels that lack the crispy crust of a good New York bagel.

I do sometimes crave a chunky vegetable Finagle a Bagel but this is more about craving the flavor than craving an exceptional bagel. Still, Finagle a Bagel is pervasive in Boston with 20 locations, making its unique take on bagels accessible to everyone.

Bruegger's Bagels also makes bagels for the masses with 259 locations nationwide and more than 20 in Massachusetts. While these are closer to the "water" bagels I yearn for, and the texture is significantly more enjoyable than a bagel that's been "finagled", Bruegger's lacks something in the flavor.

The pumpernickel and plain bagels taste pretty similar and the garlic and onion varieties don't have enough oomph. Bruegger's also disappointed me when they discontinued their sun dried tomato bagel. This rather tasty concoction was a welcome alternative to strawberry and blueberry bagels that bagel purists abhor.

Best Boston Bagel Runner up: You know that the bagels in Brookline are going to be good and Kupel's does not disappoint. There are at least a dozen varieties with some great traditions like rye bagels and terrific salt bagels. Still, while the outside is nice and crisp, I find the inside just a little dry for my taste. And, prepare to wait if you want your bagel fix on a Friday or Sunday morning as Kupel's closes down Friday after sundown and does not reopen until Sunday. You'll find a line out the door at 421 Harvard Street.