In 2020, we all became baking experts. So it makes sense that carbs would be at the center of many of our subsequent holier than thou debates. NYT: “West Coast bakers are driving a great bagel boom, producing some of the most delicious versions around and finding ways to expand during the pandemic.” The Best Bagels Are in California (Sorry, New York). The sad truth is that many boulangerists poke a hole in a piece of white bread and call it a bagel. I’ve consumed enough bagels to be on the cover of Carb Aficianado, and I can confirm that NYC has grown as lethargic with its bagels as it has with its pickles. I trace it all back to the moment that people started calling the Lower East Side the L.E.S. One bagelry left out of this article is Barton’s Bagels in Marin. Their product is rock solid. (In terms of quality, not consistency.)