There are few things that are necessary for survival in any town – knowing the location of a good bagel shop/deli should be among them. Having moved here over a decade ago from New Jersey, it wasn’t until a few months ago that I discovered, in the predominately Jewish enclave of Bexley, some of the best bagels I’ve had this side of New York City. Block’s has been my shop of choice, mostly out of necessity (it’s the only one open on Saturdays), with their authentic water bagels that have a density and texture that imposters like Panera don’t.
We finally were able to hit the “other” Jewish deli in town while running errands this afternoon – every time we had tried to go to Sammy’s before, they were closed for Sabbath. When we saw them open today, we made a point to stop. Even after typical lunch hours, the place was packed, with regular customers picking up Challah and Honey Cakes and other baked goods (I just realized that today is the beginning of Rosh Hashanah, so that explains it!)
We were greeted by the owner himself, an outgoing sort who seems to be genuinely friendly rather than as a facade, and his postive attitude was absolutely infectious. Because Sammy’s is completely kosher, there is no meat on the menu – but trust me, you don’t miss it. Eggs and lox can go a long way toward making me happy happy. We took a while to decide, and he encouraged us to try a couple of different salads, which was a nice touch.
Paul got an Lox, Onion and Egg sandwich on a garlic bagel ($4.59), which was piping hot scrambled eggs redolent with large chunks of very fresh lox and sauteed onions served on a toasted bagel. They definitely don’t skimp on the good stuff!
Paired with his sandwich, he had a side of Sammy’s very good deli-style potato salad – creamy and not sweet, potatoes with the just right amount of bite – we loved this simple salad so much that we got a pound of it to take home with us.
I went with Egg Salad Sandwich on an everything bagel ($4.59). I’m very particular about egg salad that I don’t make, but this was at least as good if not better than my own. The red onion and tomato did beautiful things for it – and the side of the bagel that had the everything toppings? ::swoon:: A perfect combination of flavors and texture.
By the way, I am SO not a pickle fan. I mean, I usually *tolerate* pickles if they’re on a sandwich I’m eating or in some type of salad, but I don’t actively go and seek them out. I don’t crave them. Sammy’s pickles are absolutely crave-worthy.
With my sandwich, I ordered a bowl of matzoh ball soup ($3.50), which was the best I’ve ever had outside of New Jersey. VERY flavorful broth with a good amount of schmaltz, nice tender matzoh balls which weren’t too salty. *This* is the Jewish penicillin of my childhood memories.
We ended up going back to the counter to get a couple of cakes, some bagels, and some salads for takeout. I think we spent more for take home stuff than we did for a sit down lunch. Now that we’ve discovered Sammy’s, I think we’re going to relegate Block’s to a backup place, if for nothing else than the awesome flagels (more about that this weekend!). There are places that you realize that you’ll be a regular at the second you step in – the combination of excellent food and very friendly service paired with reasonable prices guarantees that this will be a regular stop. Highly recommended!
If you’d like to go: Sammy’s New York Bagels, 40 N. James Rd, Columbus, OH. 614.246.0426. Closed Saturdays.
More reviews by swampkitty can be found online at ColumbusFoodie.com.