Kossar's Bialys

Lower East Side
367 Grand St.
between Essex/Norfolk Sts.

P: 212.473.4810

A lower east side kosher bakery that has been making bialys, bagels, and babkas since 1936.  They call themselves the oldest bialy bakery in the U.S. and why would we doubt that this is true.  Many also say they're the best.

There are two primary differences between a bagel and a bialy: First, a bialy is made with only 4 ingredients -- flour, water, salt and yeast, whereas a bagel also has a little sugar and malt in its dough which unlike a bialy, has to rest before it's cooked. And second, a bagel is boiled before it's baked, whereas a bialy is just baked.

What's great:
No fancy flavors but all the traditional ones like onion, garlic and poppy seed.

They ship nationwide.

What to know:
They also have a catering business that mostly offers breakfast foods. 

On Sunday mornings the Lower East Side store is very busy so plan ahead.