The Brooklyn Water Bagel Crew!
Sous Chef Mike and Prep Cook Harrison from Runyons judging the Bagels. Both are graduates of the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) .
The Winner of The Dan I Cook Best Bagels of Coral Springs is Brooklyn Water Bagels!
First off, I want to thank Lynne and Howard Martzall for helping me set up this event. You guys are aces! I want to thank my judges….the brave men and women of the Coral Springs Police and Fire Departments. Thank you for keeping us safe!
Lynne Martzall from the Coral Springs Police Department filling out the Bagel Ballot.
For all my other judges; Coral Springs City Attorney JJ Hearns, Dr. Ron Wechsel of Wechsel Pain and Rehab, Prep Cook Harrison K. from Runyons, Sous Chef Michael B. from Runyons, Bartender Dawn from Sicilian Oven, Carol Anne S. and Tracie G. from Darby Dental, Jeff R. from Coral Springs Foodie, Jenny K. 6th grade teacher at Sawgrass Middle School, John Arnold from The Taste of Coral Springs, Mike Devita the Executive Officer of the BSO Parkland District and his daughter Jordan, Servers Mattie and Felicia from Big Bear Brewery and lastly my photographer Nickolette. A big thank you for getting up early to participate!
All bagels were placed in Luckys Market bags.
This is how it went down. I picked Brooklyn Water Bagel, Rob’s Bageland, and Bagels and a Whole Lot More as the establishments that would provide the bagels for judging. In my mind these are the top three places that make (on premises) and serve bagels in Coral Springs. I bought plain and whole wheat bagels from each joint. Not one judge knew where I bought the bagels from. Bag A was Brooklyn Water Bagels, Bag B was Rob’s Bageland, Bag C was Bagels and a Whole Lot More.
Bagel connoisseur Jeff from Facebook Page Coral Springs Foodie trying to figure out a winner.
Each judge was given a scoring sheet and was instructed to explain why they thought the #1 Bagel was their favorite. Some of the comments were very detailed.
Sous Chef Mike B. broke his judging into categories. Smell, Crust, Crumb, and Flavor. He picked Bag A because ” Smell-yeasty, sweet and malty. Crust- firm, crisp, golden, properly boiled. Crumb- tight, consistent, firm. Flavor- Malty, yeast, very chewy.”
Left to Right: Carol Ann and Tracie from Darby Dental in Coral Springs.
Carol Ann S. said she picked Bag B because, ” Still warm, soft but not gummy. Taste is awesome. Just enough chew. I would eat it plain.”
Officer Ray K. Said he picked Bag C because, ” this was difficult because they were all delicious! All had unique qualities all of which I liked. Bag A had a great flavor and was a classic bagel consistently wise. Bag B was unique with a soft texture with nooks and crannies for butter. I picked C because it has a combination of both texture and flavor.”
Coral Springs Police Officer Ray Kerner trying to find a winner.
The Verdict
I had 26 judges. 12 voted for Brooklyn Water Bagels, 10 voted for Rob’s Bageland, and 4 voted for Bagels and A Whole Lot More. To make it fair I provided regular butter, Publix Cream Cheese, and Publix Grape Jelly. What I found interesting is only one person toasted their bagels. I was impressed with the judges choice with not using the toaster. I would have done the same thing.
The Dan I Cook Bloody Mary Mix. You need this when having a bagel LOL
As he was sampling each bagel, my good friend Dr. Ron Wechsel told me he made bagels as a boy in NYC . He said choosing one as the winner was gonna be tough. When I hear a Jewish man from NYC who made bagels say something like that you know all three places are making a good product! Dr. Wechsel picked Bag A and said, “Good density, taste, and consistency. All were very good! Passes the NY Boy test.”
THE Talent with Coral Springs Police Officer Vander Faircloth.
For the record, I didn’t judge. I will say Bagels And A Whole Lot More is my favorite bagel joint. They came in 3rd place BUT they are #1 in my heart!
Congratulations to Brooklyn Water Bagels! Lastly, I recommend you do your own bagel contest at home and see who comes out on top…Stay Hungry!
Brooklyn Water Bagel – Coral Springs
2554 N University Drive
Coral Spring, FL 33065
(754) 484-7991
Left to Right: Mattie, THE Talent, and Felicia. Both ladies are servers from Big Bear Brewing Company. Thank you GW owner of Big Bear for sending them!
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I finally got to try Brooklyn Water Bagels. Since I was on vacation I had time to pick up a dozen assorted bagels and some of their spreads to bring home. Being from the Northeast (NJ). I believe I know what a good bagel is. I know that many of the bagel bakeries in the area receive half cooked frozen bagels and then thaw, top and then bake them. The result is ok but usually very airy with no substance. I know that if there is no vat of boiling water on premise, you’re not going to get a “great” bagel. As I walked into the entrance, I saw that there was a vat so I had promise.
The bagels and the spreads were excellent. they had substance and a little bit of heft to them. They were soft yet had a little bit of chewy crunch to the bottom crust as should be. Overall, I would agree that they deserve the Dan I Cook distinction of Coral Springs best Bagel.
Thank you for your response! All three make a great product but Brooklyn won out. I haven’t heard one person say they didn’t deserve the Best Of Plaque. Thanks again and Stay Hungry!