National Bagel Day recovered memories from Trenton’s past as foodie capital
Happy National Bagel Day. Hopefully, yesterday’s celebration for this fantastic breakfast food did not escape your life. Bagels? Wow, with cream cheese and lox, especially on Sunday morning with a thick newspaper — those are the days when one believes they may have perished and headed to heaven.
Judy Musa, public relations director for National Today, sent along bagel wishes and some fun facts on Monday, an hour after a personal Trentonian departure. Still, writing about bagels and celebrating with a bag of them purchased from the Bagel Stop in Hamilton, made the workday fun.
Musa included some statistics and historical notifications about bagels, including 354 million bagels were sold in 2018 with Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Boston and Baltimore/Washington, DC holding the top five positions for bagel purchases. Thought New Yorkers would hold the top spot.
Top five flavors noted Plain as the favorite followed by Everything, Cinnamon Raisin, Blueberry and Onion. Developed a personal desire for Spinach and Sun-Dried Tomato although bagel experts swear that bagel nothingness is close to godliness.
The next item may be folklore or urban legend but bagels allegedly have holes because vendors would thread the bread onto dowels and sell them on street corners. Baking bagels with holes became the norm.
On average, a person eats about 11 bagels per year. Yes, it’s understood that many people, including numerous friends, eat about three times that amount during a calendar year.
Finally, most food historians agree that bagels originated in Krakow, Poland in 1610. Maybe. Some Trenton residents swear bagels were first produced in New Jersey’s capital city.
Jewish bakeries and delicatessens produced world-famous products, especially beginning in the 1920s at Kohn’s Bakery located at Market and Broad streets; Ben’s Delicatessen followed on Lamberton St. while Kramer’s produced the most famous bagels.
Tom Glover’s Hamilton Township Scrapbook which takes historical peeks into the area’s past, included street credibility about Kramer’s in an October 2012 recollection.
A Glover’s Scrapbook contributor wrote “Kramer’s bakery relocated to Lexington St. between John Fitch Way, and Lamberton St. from their original bakery on Union St. Kramer’s was famous for its bagels, and with the expansion of John Fitch Way, they relocated again to Hudson St. between Greenwood, and Hamilton. When things really deteriorated in Trenton, and George retired, his son Paul the local politician, took the bakery to the ShopRite Shopping center on Nottingham way near Klockner. Saturday night at Kramer’s on Lexington St. was like a reunion.
I would pick up the NY Mirror from Mousy the newsie in front of the Railroad Station. Could not afford the NY Times, and bagels too,” wrote Mike Kuzma in the Glover production.
Historical notes identified Ozzie Zuckerman, a Trenton deli owner who stopped daily at Kramer’s before dawn to purchase several hundred bagels. Kramer’s eventually closed while only a few places remain to buy a decent bagel in the city. Trenton Bagel Shop located at 17 South Broad St. delivers while a few hole in the wall restaurants offer the popular item.
A coworker inquired about pancakes. Is there a National Pancakes Day?
You bet there is as Tuesday, March 5 offers a celebration for the breakfast and occasional dinner item. By the way, IHOP offers a free short stack of pancakes.
The restaurant asks that patrons leave a donation of any amount to go toward charities like Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and Shriners Hospital for Children.