The three times I’ve been to New York City, there’s always one meal I have to order: a New York bagel with lox.
So, when my friend Danielle told me there’s now a New York-style bagel shop inside the Verandah shopping center near the corner of Wheeler Road and Walton Way Extension, I was there the very next week.
The “Hot Bagels” sign made me grin as I hopped out of the car. The shop itself, with its attractive black-and-white signage, is tucked into a corner of the shopping center. And as soon as I opened the door, the warm scent of fresh bagels invited me in.
Owner Steve greeted me with a smile. A veteran, Steve said he’s from the Midwest but got a taste for New York-style bagels during his various stations. When he got to Augusta and couldn’t find the iconic bagel anywhere, he decided to start making his own. He and his wife, Abbey, began selling them through Augusta Locally Grown and the downtown market, and that success led them to open a storefront in October, just after Hurricane Helene.
On Saturdays, the line is sometimes out the door, says Steve, but today at 7:30 on a Thursday, it was quiet. Behind Steve were baskets of plump hand-rolled bagels baked that morning: salt, onion, garlic, cinnamon raisin, blueberry, pumpernickel rye, plain, white sesame, black sesame, everything and poppy—with other baskets waiting to be filled. A row of bagel bites, ready to dip into your choice of Elemy’s homemade cream cheeses, jams or butters, lined the top of the case, waiting to be filled with fresh cinnamon crunch muffins, chocolate chip muffins and Persian rolls.
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The Persian rolls caught my eye. They’re a Midwest specialty—a deep-fried (not baked) cinnamon roll topped with Elemy’s homemade cream cheese icing. According to Steve, a long-ago donut shop wanted to honor World War I General John Pershing when he was visiting the area by naming the creation after him—but didn’t get the spelling quite right!
Unfortunately, the Persian rolls were still “proofing” (rising) that morning, so I didn’t get to order one. But that still wasn’t the end of the menu. Elemy’s also has breakfast sandwiches. You can go traditional (sausage or bacon, egg and cheddar cheese) or go for something like the Steakhouse Sunrise with pairs breakfast steak with egg and fresh herb cream cheese or the decadent French Toast Twist, mini Persian rolls (without the icing!) sandwiching bacon or sausage, egg and cheddar. The one non-bagel offering is their house-made biscuit, which you can order topped with sausage gravy.
If getting up early for breakfast isn’t your thing, there’s a lunch menu with cold and hot sandwiches, plus kids’ options (a pizza bagel or PBJ bagel). I could definitely go for the Triple Threat (corned beef, turkey and bacon piled high with cheese, lettuce, pickled onion and tomato) or a Spicy Club (turkey, bacon, lettuce, tomato with spicy chipotle cream cheese) or the Elemy’s takes on the classic Reuben and Philly cheese steak.
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But that would have to wait. Steve suggested the everything bagel as the best option for the lox sandwich, and as he handed me the brown paper bag with its delicious smells, I knew I’d made the right decision. While there is a cozy rustic wood counter with chairs or outdoor tables for dining in, I couldn’t wait to snuggle on my couch to enjoy my meal.
As soon as I took out the bagel, immediately I enjoyed the scent of the fresh dill. The sandwich features lox nestled on a bed of fresh cream cheese, topped with pickled red onions and a scattering of capers. My first bite was an incredible balance of flavors and textures: the creamy mild cheese, the garlic and onion and other seasonings in the bagel, the sharpness of the capers, the tang of the onion and the sweetness of the salmon. But above all was the bagel itself: perfectly tender inside, with a nice chewy crust on the outside. It was—as my friend Danielle had said—“the real deal.”
When it comes to bagels, I’m no connoisseur. I do eat one pretty much every day for breakfast, but it’s just a supermarket bagel. So, if like me, you may never have had a fresh bagel, visit Elemy’s. You’ll taste the difference immediately. My only problem now? How can I ever go back now that I’ve tasted the real thing?
Make Your Reservation
Elemy’s Bagels
3604 Verandah Dr., Suite E
Cost: $3.95 to $13.95. Bagels also come by the dozen or half-dozen.
