I am loving this Great Downtown Bagel Resurgence. We have the stalwarts (Zucker’s, Pick-a-Bagel, Leo’s, and to some extent Black Seed), and coming soon is Apollo and Popup. I have yet to stop by Nala’s, but will. And now there’s the Eastside OG, Ess-a-Bagel, which has taken a spot just south of Zuccotti Park.

The 48-year-old family-owned institution is open at 115 Broadway at Thames (I think it was a former Starbucks?) and is serving a big array of specialty sandwiches — not something I remember from the one on First Avenue and 19th (though my order was always toasted pumpernickel with butter, so maybe I just was not paying attention). The space is mod — bright white with green accents. No real seating, but great spots to lean in the windows.

The one above is the NYC BLTA: $11.80 for bacon, avocado, lettuce and tomato — I got it toasted with Russian dressing. Highly recommend.

The first bakery was founded by Florence and Gene Wilpon and Florence’s brother Aaron Wenzelberg, who all came from an Austrian baking family. In 1993, Florence expanded to a second location, at Third Avenue and 50th Street.

When Florence died in 2013, her sister Muriel and her niece Melanie took over the operation. And in 2015, the original First Avenue location closed, and the company opened across the street at 324 First Ave. In 2019, they opened on 32nd Street. Fidi is the fifth, along with one in the Time Out Market in Brooklyn and Newark Airport. Perfect plane food…

Ess-a-Bagel
115 Broadway at Thames
Seven days, 6:30a to 5p
646-475-0675