Ess-a-Bagel

Ess-a-Bagel at 831 3rd Avenue in Midtown East, Manhattan, is a bagel shop known for large, hand-rolled bagels and house-made cream cheeses. The cuisine is classic New York bagel-shop fare: bagels boiled and baked with a chewy interior and shiny crust, served plain or with spreads and toppings. The everything bagel with scallion cream cheese is the emblematic order, and the bagel with lox, the egg sandwich and other sandwiches are the main alternatives. Flavoured cream cheeses, whitefish salad and smoked fish are available by the pound for takeaway. The shop is a busy counter operation with limited seating, and most customers order at the counter or place an order ahead online at peak hours before collecting it. The atmosphere is fast, informal and noisy with orders being called, and there is no dress code. Beverages are limited to coffee, tea and soft drinks, and there is no wine or cocktail programme. Ess-a-Bagel does not take reservations, and the practical planning issue is the morning queue, which is longest on weekend mornings and around the weekday breakfast rush. Ordering ahead online is the usual way to avoid waiting. It is generally open daily for breakfast and lunch, typically from about 6AM to 4PM, and hours should be confirmed. Prices are moderate for Manhattan, with a bagel with cream cheese costing a few dollars and a lox sandwich noticeably more, and the large size makes a sandwich filling. The Midtown East address is convenient for visitors staying near Grand Central, the United Nations and the East Side hotels in New York City, and the shop is a simple, dependable breakfast option before a day of sightseeing.