H&H couldn't make money at $1.40 a bagel

Lines out the door and $1.40 a bagel. Something is fishy.

The legendary bagel manufacturer, which ships bagels across the world, has faced its share of problems in recent years. Last year, owner Helmer Toro pleaded guilty to three felony charges for pocketing $369,000 in taxes owed to the state. He was sentenced to 50 weekends in jail and restitution, according to his attorney, Aaron Wallenstein.

According to authorities, Mr. Toro took deductions from his employees' paychecks but failed to pay sales and other taxes. They said he also manipulated the unemployment-insurance tax system, using shell companies to transfer employees from one business to another in order to receive a lower rate.

In February the company behind H&H—Garden Operation Realty LP—filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy-court protection. Filings cited the economic downturn and expensive litigation.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303936704576400052601088480.html

I'm more of an Ess-a-Bagel guy, hope they have more dough.

Yeah, I don't get H&H either. Nor Zabar's. You put a decent place on the UWS, and the provincial UWSers blab on and on about how it's the best in the universe. Not even close. You want the best, you head to the LES and hit Kossar's and then Russ & Daughters. Hell, hit the Pickle Guys and make it a trifecta.

I bet 90% of these "oh, H&H is the best" posers don't even know what Kossar's is. They came off a bus from Kansas.

Bring it, UWSers!

Absolute, baby -- lox not quite as good as R&D (what is?) but def. the best bagels in the city.

ali r.

H&H would still be thriving if Ben Barnanke worked there.

Ess-a-Bagel definitely blows these away; one of the few things for which I will go out of my way.

Blaming the "economic downturn" for the failure of a famously popular bagel store is a joke. So is the fact that this fellow pled guilty to three felonies and spent a few weekends in "jail." If he was a Wall Street type that "forgot" to pay uncle sam a half million, people would have had him tarred and feathered.

Been a long time since Ive had a bagel (no carbing 6 months now) but never understood the fascination with H&H. Murray's is overated too.

Russ and Daughter's comes to mind.
Also that place on 1st ave and the low 50s whose name escapes me.
It's got that old school jewish deli neon light sign and all the standard shmears.

The UWS H&H had excellent bagels until the mid-80s, when they changed the recipe to one that can satisfy the appetites of white bread everywhere. And they were ten cents apiece.

kossar's does rock, at leat for bialys. Nobody seems to know what a bialy is these days.

Anyone been to Bagel Basket on Amsterdam and 90th? It's a schlep but now I'll have to try it, I guess.

They really had a number of holes in their accounting and the books were cooked. The end result- not enough dough to continue. Horrible, yes, I know- but it had to be done.

Long time UWS'r here and I never understood the fascination with H&H either. I much preferred Manhattan Bagel on Amsterdam around 66th st. (with the yiddish speaking african american behind the counter).

Yes, I bought H&H, but only because walking home from the bars in the early 90's it was open, the bagels were hot, and it was $0.65. I would buy them by the dozen from Barzini's for $0.35.

I don't get Barney Greengrass either. It is good, but WAY overpriced, and they serve H&H, with I think is a crime for a quality establishment.

Good riddance. H&H was rubbish.

Not a huge, huge fan of NYC bagels.

Montreal bagels rule - I love the tougher, denser texture, the sweeter taste and it's much further from whitebread than its American cousin.

In the depths of the early 90s recession, bagels were 15cents each in midtown Montreal.

"I love the tougher, denser texture, the sweeter taste" ... EXACTLY what made H&H famous when they used the old recipe.

I'll wander away from bagels for a minute, and head toward croissants.

Best in the city, fresh made every day, Angela's rock n roll deli on 6th avenue. Between 59th and 58th, right by the park. Owner claims he makes them himself, but I'm not sure I believe that.

I lost all taste for bagels when I found these on the way to work. They do make you fat, though.

truths, I think you're thinking of Tal. There's one on the UWS too.

And the size - bagels shouldn't be the size of my head. Small, chewy, a little (a hint) of sweetness. Bagels <> bread.

I (and kids) are now converts to Ben's cream cheese. Gave my kids generic cream cheese one day when we ran out of Ben's and they were asking why the cc tasted so strange.

My last batch of Zabar's lox was sub-standard. Sliced too thickly and too salty, much like its Fway cousin.

Montreal Bagels?? Last time I had a bagel (2006) in Montreal I wanted to run on foot all the way back to NYC.

Ali that's the one. Their bagels are excellent,the right amount of crisp on the surface.

"I love the tougher, denser texture, the sweeter taste"

Sounds like a challah to me :)

Tougher? Denser? How is that like a challah? BTW, my criticism of many challahs (including Zaydie's) - way TOO sweet.

Also, shape. I like the thinner Montreal bagels and the fact that they're not perfectly circular because they're hand rolled. You can see the twist.

Challah is supposed to be a little sweet, which is kind of a funny complaint 10023 considering Montreal bagels and have honey added.

Challah, is of course, supposed to be a little sweet. But I find Zaydie's sickly sweet and sticky - is challah supposed to be sticky? I don't eat challah straight, use it only for Fr. toast.

Montreal bagels only a little sweet. Cover your ears, children. Excellent with super crunch peanut butter & strawberry jam.

Easy tiger, I was half joking, but only half joking.
If you had to describe to someone who never saw or tasted challah bread, would you not say it is "tougher, denser, sweeter, chewier, and yellower than regular bread."

I'd just say it's Greek sweet bread, which it is.

I've never had (nor heard of) Zaydie's, but a lot of the cookies and cakes from kosher factory-bakeries are disgustingly, inedibly cloying, which they really shouldn't be. And I like my sidecars on the sweeter side (or less smoky, anyway), so it's not as if I have a total aversion to that taste.

"Montreal Bagels?? Last time I had a bagel (2006) in Montreal I wanted to run on foot all the way back to NYC."

Totally agree- NY bagels 1000x better. And dont get me started on Montreal challah. Yuck.

Alan, Im sure you have a historical factoid to prove me wrong but isnt challah a jewish original?
I know it's in every greek diner that ever existed but I always thought they were catering to the large jewish clientele.

ah sorry, meant fact....factoid implies a false fact

As a lifelong challah eater I have to say that I love the transition to the much more "cakey" challahs we have today (Zamickes, etc.). I liked but never loved the challahs of yore, which were much less eggy, more like bread.

As an aside, I also love the bagel "twists" from A-L-A Bagels in Riverdale (on 235th st.). I can understand why it isn't so popular for the bagel places, lots of labor. But yummy.

Also a fan of Manhattan Bagel in Fair Lawn, NJ. (You just have to guess how I find all these places.)

I just had to look this up because Challah is most certainly not Greek.

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1645/whats-the-origin-of-the-jewish-bread-challah

I think NY challah-style french toast is just because it is one of the breads prevalently available in NY. Certainly more so than brioche or some other ethnic breads.

A new theory I just had is that diners were able to get Challahs pretty cheap on late Friday afternoon/early Sunday morning since the kosher bakeries probably couldn't sell much of what is left over after the last of the Friday sales. Ever notice that Kosher marketplace has a 2 for 1 chicken sale on Sunday? Must be what was left over from Friday, something still good but it won't make it through the week.

The same, but 2-4-1 lambs instead: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsoureki

"A new theory I just had is that diners were able to get Challahs pretty cheap on late Friday afternoon/early Sunday morning since the kosher bakeries probably couldn't sell much of what is left over after the last of the Friday sales."

I don't know about the greeks (or the jews), but I intentionally leave the slices of challah out overnight to slightly stale the bread for french toast in the morning. It holds together and absorbs the egg better. And, after all, the idea of egg infused toast was intended to be a way to dispense with stale bread.

Hmm so I wonder how many jews go to diners thinking they are keeping kosher by thinking they are eating milkless challah with their meat when they are eating milked tsoureki....whoops.

And btw, my mom keeps a kosher home but indulges on occasion outside or chinese food on paper plates so as a smart ass kid I told her we are still going to hell but your dishes will be in heaven.

That whole heaven/hell thing is pretty inconsequential in Judaism.

Jews who care/know about keeping kosher are quite aware when they aren't.

Leaving challah to go stale? A CRIME! (I love fresh challah.)

I would like to add that we found something on which ALL Streeteasy posters can agree!

H&H bagels just ain't the greatest thing out there since sliced bread.

My ideal challah is not THAT sweet and not too fluffy, with a firmish crust.

What about Ukrainian "egg bread"? That was my first encounter with challah-like breads. Paska.

Av: how very perspicacious of you.

> I would like to add that we found something on which ALL Streeteasy posters can agree!

Before I opine, what do columbiacounty and aboutready think?

We haven't heard much from columbiacounty. Is he hosting Aboutready during her vacation? Wackawacka!

If you're being observant, there are two loaves of Challah at the Friday evening meal -- I think Sunday morning French toast is simply a reasonably way to use up the extra bread.

I slice and stale mine too, but only (only in New York!) after a Chinese friend taught me to.

ali r.

So the kosher Jews are out eating Chinese food and the Chinese are teaching how to make french toast out of Challah.

I love New York! (ok, the older NY of which there are still vestiges, not the one filled with Ohioans who graduated HBS or Brazilians who are parlaying their agricultural fortunes into Investment Banking jobs for their kids, though they have a place too I guess).