Are these bagels chewy to the point of becoming rocks the following day?

This is the test of a true bagel.

The former Bagel Works on Lytton Avenue in downtown PA perfected the NY bagel.

All others have failed miserably as they are essentially bread with a hole in the center.

Most Palo Altans couldn't tell a good bagel from a doughnut.

> Most Palo Altans couldn't tell a good bagel from a doughnut.

well clearly it is of zero importance, or there would have been a replacement for them sometime in the last 22 years.

I too miss The Bagel Works. They closed awhile back after relocating from Lytton Avenue to a building near the now long-gone Blue Chalk Cafe across the street from City Hall.

"Most Palo Altans couldn't tell a good bagel from a doughnut."

^ This is because 75% of them either 'settle' for whatever is currently available or they have never had a real bagel.

I can't wait to try and over-priced West Coast bagel!!!
I bet it taste like gold.

I'm looking forward to trying Boichik; but hands down - Izzy's on California Ave is the best bagel I've ever tried east of Brooklyn.

• I can't wait to try and over-priced West Coast bagel!!!

A good bagel should never cost more than 75¢ - $1.00 at best.

Most run about $1.75+ apiece and are not authentically made.

"Izzy's on California Ave is the best bagel I've ever tried east of Brooklyn."

I have tried Izzy's bagels and they are similar to what another poster described as 'bread with a hole in the center.'

My Jewish neighbor once told me that the term 'Brooklyn style' is often misleading when used to describe west coast prepared Jewish food because most Palo Altans have never been to Brooklyn and wouldn't know the difference anyway.

The same can be said of California-inspired Philly Cheese Steak sandwiches. Outside of going to Philadelphia or its outskirts, a California-made Philly Cheesteak is an oxymoron.

The only exception might be Mexican food.

@Jessica Zhiang - I am Jewish :) and have spent quiet a lot of time on the East Coast... I am sorry you had a bad experience. I still stand by my statement :)

Feigels Bagels in Providence, Rhode Island. the bagels here are indeed bread with a hole in the middle.

On the subject of Izzy's Bagels: I am not an expert on bagel authenticity, but I'm pretty sure Izzy's is owned and run by a Jewish guy from Brooklyn. I go to Izzy's often (with great pleasure), and I see lots of customers that I'm pretty sure are Jewish. I haven't heard any complaints.

And let's not forget House of Bagels, in Edgewood Shopping Center, also a very fine bagel place, and also run by a very nice guy that I'm pretty sure is Jewish, if this matters, though possibly not from Brooklyn. You can ask him exactly how the bagels are made, as I have done, and he will describe it to you in great detail.

Have been looking forward to this opening. I like Izzy's, but if these are as good or better, T&C is closer for me. Should be fun doing a comparison test! Welcome Boichix

@CalAveLocal...your GPS has a problem! I'm pretty sure Izzy's is west of Brooklyn.

Looking forward to trying these out! Decades ago I used to go to a regular summer conference on Long Island and the local bagel shop there had a line stretching out toward the parking lot.

Gale it was a joke :) Sorry, not a very funny one.

A real bagel is hard to find in California let alone Palo Alto despite any embellished claims pertaining to their NY authenticity and/or owner ancestry.

Like San Francisco sourdough and the buns used in a genuine Philly Cheese Steak sandwich, the mineral content of the local water plays a key role in the overall texture of the dough.

As a result, you will rarely find truly good sourdough bread outside of the SF Bay Area and though the meat/cheese/pepper fillings may be the same, a Philly Cheese Steak sandwich made in California will never be the real deal, just ask anyone originally from Philly.

The key relationship between the local H20 mineral content and the dough itself also applies to the various geographic styles of pizza (i.e. New York, Chicago).

Anyone can vary the thickness or thinness of a pizza crust and call it whatever they want but the authentic 'local' texture will always be a bit off even if the same type of oven and yeast is used.

The only true California-style pizza is Round Table and Mountain Mike's and you can't go wrong with either one of them.

Trivia question...back to local sourdough bread, does anyone here remember the now defunct Paisano and Parisian brands? They were consistently good and Parisian was sold at SFO for travelers to bring home.

The water factor is a good point as it also affects the overall depth and flavor of former 'imported' beer brands now being produced in America.

Anyone who has had Kirin, Sapporo, Fosters, Heineken, Stella Artois etc. can easily tell that these American-made clones come nowhere near the original imported versions.

Everything is fake nowadays whether it be beer or bagels and most Americans could care less because they don't know any better.

I never liked bagels until I had one at H&H bagels in NYC. Now that was a bagel. I told my co-worker H&H were the only bagels for me. On her next trip to NYC, she brought back fresh H&H bagels. Has a Product Manager ever done so much for her engineers? Highly doubt it.

There's no real H&H in NYC anymore. There's other bagels were are enjoyable, but they are different.

That said, Boichik is a legit NYC-style bagel. Best you can find in California.

However, the best bagel in the world right now is a montreal-style bagel in Vancouver from Siegel's.

I'm another long-time fan of Izzy's, as are my Brooklyn-born parents. I look forward to trying Boichick.

If Boichik gives Izzy's a run for the money, maybe there will be a 'bagel war' where the two proprietors offer periodic discounts and promotions to increase their business revenues.

This would be good for Palo Alto as we will now have an additional retail outlet for bagels and a potential opportunity to experience a newly formed rivalry of sorts...similar to the old Dutch Goose VS The Oasis hamburger debate.

Promotional T-shirts are also in order but charging $3.00 for a bagel is kind of high.

Then again, many Palo Altans do not care what they spend on coffee or bagels because most of rhem do not know the value of a dollar.

Despite the pre-opening hyperbole, I don't see a rush to bagels at Boichik though it is only 11:45am at present.

If these are authentic NY bagels, they will not be edible by late tomorrow unless one has steel dental implants like that villain in the James Bond movie.

A bagel without a soft opening is a bialy...