2 Astoria Bagel Shops Named Among Best In NYC

ASTORIA, QUEENS — In a city that prides itself on boiling and baking, two bagel joints in Astoria have received a new honor: they're among the best bagel shops citywide, according to a new list.

The 22-bagel shop list, which was published by Eater, ranks boiled and baked (never steamed!) bagels from shops across the city, as judged by the site's staff.

To Laiko, located at 29-29 23 Street, and Brooklyn Bagel & Coffee Company, which, despite what the name suggests, is a Manhattan and Queens-based chain with a popular outpost at 35-05 Broadway in Astoria, both landed on the list — two of three Queens spots to make the cut, along dozens of other from the Bronx, Manhattan, and Brooklyn. No Staten Island bagel shops are on the list.

Eater describes To Laiko as a "microscopic but lively Greek bakery in Astoria," which is well known for its made-to-order donuts, but also has an "especially good" bagel-like-pastry known as the koulouri.

The bread ring is a "sesame-seeded precursor to the bagel," according to Eater, which the sitre recommends eating with cream cheese.

At Brooklyn Bagel, Eater recommends eating one of the many "gigantic, airy bagels," which people are known to wait in long lines for. Standouts include the shop's "fringe specials" like seven grain and sundried tomato bagels.

When it comes to cream cheeses there's a "robust selection," which also includes wacky flavors, like toasted almond cream cheese and gingerbread — both of which Eater recommends.

If you prefer New York City's other unofficial favorite food more than bagels, there's an Astoria pizza shop ranked among the city's best, too.

Read the full Eater list here.