What Is an LA Bagel? Exploring the Rise and Flavor of California’s Iconic Bread
The humble bagel—boiled, baked, and beloved—has long been associated with the classic New York bagel shop. But as the bagel renaissance sweeps across the country, the West Coast, and particularly Los Angeles, is carving out its own unique identity. At BagelFest West, Rabbi Joel Nickerson welcomed Emily Winston and Eric Greenspan to discuss how the LA bagel is coming into its own: blending tradition and innovation, forging new culinary territory, and reflecting the dynamic food culture of California.
The Bagel Journey
For both Emily Winston and Eric Greenspan, bagels are deeply tied to personal history. As Emily Winston recalls, growing up in Central New Jersey meant Sunday mornings filled with fresh bagels, lox, and family gatherings—a ritual synonymous with her Jewish upbringing. But moving to the Bay Area in 2010 revealed a void: “There was just no good bagels. And I was very sad about that.”
Her longing set off a journey: obsessively recreating the bagels she craved, eventually birthing Boichik Bagels, a nod to her roots and a playful, Yiddish-tinged branding inspired by her grandmother.
Eric Greenspan also came from a Jersey bagel tradition, fueled by fond memories but little baking experience. His own westward adventure brought him face-to-face with the challenge (and opportunity) of crafting a bagel in California’s context: “I have no idea why I’m up here… I don’t make bagels. I eat bagels. But I’m about to start making bagels.” Inspired by a trip to Montreal and a wood-fired oven, he decided to blend techniques and flavors from other traditions, setting the stage for what would become a uniquely LA approach.
Is There an LA or California Bagel Style?
The million-dollar question: does a distinct LA bagel exist? According to Eric Greenspan, the answer is yes… and no. “If you want to talk about something that is a specific style, that is the California bagel, it is evolving. Unless you kind of take a step back and realize that... the California bagel will always be evolving, because that’s what a California bagel is to me.”
Historically, the West Coast lagged far behind the East—good bagels simply weren’t part of the culinary landscape. But now, California’s spirit of innovation is impacting bagel culture just as it has with so much else. Artisanal approaches, chef-driven energy, and bold flavor experiments are now the norm.
Emily Winston notes that the California “wave” centers around creativity, especially thanks to chefs incorporating local produce, unique fermentation, and new forms. Where New York reveres tradition, LA and the West are about pushing boundaries and making room for diversity, even as that spirit starts to influence New York bagelmakers in return.
The Sourdough Difference
One critical divide between traditional bagels and California’s new crop is the use of longer fermentation and sourdough techniques. Emily Winston describes how sourdough starters can impart unique flavors, textures, and even a degree of local character to breads. While commercial yeast brings control and uniformity, sourdough allows for complexity that reflects its environment, and California bakers are harnessing this to distinguish their products.
But as Eric Greenspan points out, these changes aren’t just technical. They reflect larger cultural trends: the “unburdening” from strict tradition opens doors to experiment with flavor, boil infusions, and even presentation, so long as the result still honors the essence of a bagel (which, to him, means still boiling the dough).
The Open-Faced Revolution
Another difference on the West Coast is the heightened attention to visuals. The open-faced bagel, lavishly topped and Instagram-ready, is now as much about beauty as flavor. Emily Winston links this to both chef culture and social media: “Open face lets you be much more like Chef-y and pretty… Instagram has really pushed it in a big way.”
For Eric Greenspan, presentation is about elevating the entire sensory experience. Yet there’s playful debate: purists bemoan the sandwich-style or flashy arrangements, but the LA style prioritizes both taste and visual appeal, inspiring new ways for bagel shops to tell their story.
The Future of the LA Bagel
So, what is an LA bagel, now and in the years to come? The consensus: it’s a work in progress, a product of place, people, and possibility. As Emily Winston puts it, “May a thousand bagels bloom… I think our common enemy is the really crappy bagels. The, you know, sad bagels.”
In LA and beyond, the bagel’s meaning is expanding, telling a story of adaptation, reinvention, and creative pride. Together, West Coast bagel makers are fighting blandness and mediocrity, using both tradition and innovation to redefine what a bagel can be.
As the movement grows, so too does the invitation: to taste, to experiment, and to savor the evolution of bagels, LA style.
Check out Boichik Bagels and Mish Deli.