Celebrating Bagels and Community

An interview with Scott Spellman, co-owner of Utopia Bagels in Queens.

Sunday was National Bagel Day, and I know bagels are not the staple for every Jew (hellooo Ashkenormativity), but I live in New York, and when there’s a National Kubbeh Day, come talk to me!

In this week’s drop, I interview bagel expert Scott Spellman aka King of the Viral Pizza Bagel aka co-owner of Utopia Bagels in Queens. Now, you’re probably thinking, “Why is this bagel shop different from all other bagels shops?” This is a Jewish blog after all, so a featured bagel shop here has got to be good! Well, coming from a bagel snob who has been disappointed by many a chewy, over-hyped bagel in NYC, these bagels have the perfect ratio of crispy outside to soft inside, come in lots of fun flavors (if you’re into that like I am) from cheddar jalapeño to caraway seed, and the co-owner, Scott Spellman, represents New York in all the best ways - he’s gregarious, community-oriented, and loves feeding people. Enjoy this interview and don’t get too hungry!

What’s your background?

I grew up in Brooklyn, in Canarsie, across from the Glenwood projects in an era where the whole block played together. I grew up Jewish but wasn’t brought up religious, but every summer, we’d visit a bungalow colony in the Catskills in Monticello.

I didn’t go to Hebrew school - my bar mitzvah portion was in English - but I respect religion. I have friends that are rabbis and it’s important for me to show respect for religion. Sometimes growing up, you’d know you’re Jewish and you’re around Italians and don’t want it to be known you’re Jewish, but as I got older, I felt cheated because we didn’t we do more [Jewish] things. But religion is within you. At times, I put on tefillin and I’ve been in a minyan, but what’s important is [in your heart]. Always give respect and never expect it back.

How did you start making bagels?

My best friend’s father owned a bagel store in Howard Beach where I started working at 14 years old. This was back when you had one kind of bagel with butter, before everything bagels were a thing! I ended up here in Queens because my wife grew up in this neighborhood. My friend whose father owned a shop worked here. Eventually Fresh Direct asked his partner to make frozen bagels. I was managing a restaurant at time in Astoria but did Fresh Direct, making nine different frozen bagel flavors, which sold millions of dollars in frozen bagels a year. My friend owned this shop since 1981 and I became a partner in 2015.

How do you know what makes a good bagel?

A few things: crispiness of the outside and that softness on the inside. We do it the old-fashioned way: hand-rolled, kettle boiled. My bagels are also made in a 1947 Middleby Marshall oven, whereas a lot of bagels tend to be doughy, made in steam ovens, a whole rack at a time, and most places bake early and shut their ovens off by 11. We also use an ingredient a lot of places don’t, and that is liquid malt in place for sugar. We don’t cut corners! And my hand rollers have been here 22-27 years. One of them is the Michael Jordan of rolling.

What does the bagel mean to you?

NYC makes two things better than any state: pizza and bagels, because we’ve been doing it longer. Here at Utopia, our bagel stands out more than other places because we serve four generations. Someone can have same experience his great-grandfather felt. To me, my whole life, the bagel means feeding people and I love feeding people, I love leading them on a food journey, especially kids. I give kids cookies because when I was little, my dad took me to get penny candy and they used to give me a bag with a free piece of candy and I never forgot that. The other day, a woman told me I gave her son cookies whenever he would come into the shop, and that made him feel special and he doesn’t always feel special. That felt nice to hear.

“Who ordered a sesame bagel?!”

How did you do during Covid?

We were one of the only places that stayed open. I was here every single day during the pandemic and we fed 50 local families. We kept the community going. And I look out for my employees, too. Here, we have Mexican workers, Dominican, Venezuelan. Some customers are racist and I don’t stand for that. I look out for my employees.

Do you think your location, being far from Manhattan, is a hindrance to business?

If I was in the city, I would have been listed as the best bagel place 20-30 years ago. It took my perseverance to get us into Food & Wine and New York Magazine, being compared to Russ & Daughters. I can’t say it’s a hindrance. We’re special because we’re here, and I have a great parking lot! If you have that special product and person, the location doesn’t matter.

And lastly, because this is a Shabbat-themed newsletter, what are you doing this Shabbat?

On Fridays I love to cook for my family and I love to break bread with people. My second daughter taught in Israel for a year, and every once in a while her friends from Israel come and we get together for Shabbat. We have challah and rugelach and special hamantaschen [at Utopia], and make sure we have enough for Friday. Those things make you stand taller and give you pride. I have a strong sense of family - my son, my brother, and my wife work here. Honoring Shabbat and doing something every Friday is tradition and tradition is important.

When your bagel, an egg everything with lox spread, matches your sweater!

Hi. Miranda again. 👋 It took me two trains and a Lyft ride to get to Utopia. On the way there, I said I better enjoy this bagel because it will be my last Utopia bagel I ever eat because of the trek. But as soon as I took a bite of their fresh, steaming, straight-outta-the-oven bagel, I said, “When can I come back?” And I will be back… for that giant pizza bagel! Who’s with me?!

What’s your favorite bagel place, whether you’re in NYC or somewhere else in the world? And more importantly… what are you doing for Shabbat? xx