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44 | SEPTEMBER 3 • 2020
“Bread has always been something
that’
s interested me because there is so
much science behind it. It involves the
manipulation of time, temperature and
humidity. I wanted to create my own
bagel, not replicate a certain style,” Sam
said, sounding like a scientist in his own
bagel laboratory.
To that end he began experimenting,
formulating his own recipes by tinkering
with ingredients and using sourdough
yeast instead of the typically used com-
mercial brand.
His crispy on the outside, chewy on the
inside bagels made their Traverse City
debut at the Sara Hardy’
s Farmer’
s Market
in June of 2019. He would set up at 6:30
a.m. and be sold out by 8 or 9 a.m. The
bagel fressing (feeding) frenzy was on. He
continued to sell out for weeks on end
and realized there was enough “dough” in
his bagel biz to support a storefront.
“The really cool thing about Traverse
City,” Sam said, “is it actually reminds
me of the Jewish community in Detroit.
Everyone kind of knows everyone and
there’
s just a lot of love and support.”
That support that Sam is a benefi-
ciary of in Traverse City extends to the
close-knit food community as well. He
has great friends in the local farming
community, who play a major role in sup-
plying him with the produce to create his
wide variety of fresh, homemade cream
cheeses.
Even before founding Bubbie’
s Bagels,
it wasn’
t unusual for Sam’
s grandmother’
s
influence and his love for his Jewish
upbringing to show up in his work. I
tongue-in-cheek inquired if that meant
he catered his own bar mitzvah at Adat
Shalom in 2004. Not exactly that far back,
he confirmed. But it was at a catered
event in Traverse City in 2018 that his
pride in his Jewish heritage showed up.
It was just before Rosh Hashanah. Sam,
in the role of corporate chef for Fustini’
s,
had been charged with presenting and
describing each course in a prepared
multi-course dinner for a gathering at
Bowers Harbor Vineyards.
The only dessert featured that night
was Bubbie Esther’
s honey cake, which
Sam purposely prepared in honor of the
Jewish High Holiday.
To the mostly non-Jewish diners, Sam
explained the significance of the ingredients
of apple and honey in the cake. “With Rosh
Hashanah approaching, I wanted everyone
to know that the ingredients were symbolic
of my wishes for a sweet year,
” he said.
Sam’
s parents were in attendance that
night and proudly witnessed what they
described was “an incredibly proud and
heartwarming scene.
”
He’
s earned quite the reputation for
bagels. “I’
ve gotten a lot of messages on
Instagram and Facebook from other bagel
shops around the country talking about
expansion and different ideas,
” Sam said.
He also gives tremendous credit to Ben
Newman of Downtown’
s Detroit Institute of
Bagels, whom he describes as “an awesome
resource, amazing.
”
Today, Bubbie’
s Bagels also features
incredible bagel sandwiches, plus all the
must-have accoutrements that accompany
a legitimate bagel meal — Nova lox, tuna,
whitefish and egg salad (sold by the pound)
and add-ons like homemade pickled red
onion and capers.
Sam’
s journey has been a labor of love
— for his Bubbie, his culinary career and
his Traverse City community. It’
s also been,
well, a lot of labor — nine employees and
five days of prep required for one batch of
bagels, made to perfection using age-old
fermenting, boiling and baking techniques,
which are the hallmark of a truly great
bagel.
While it does sound like Bubbie’
s Bagels
is destined for expansion, Sam said, “I’
m
just taking it day by day, focusing on the
bagels, making sure everything is consis-
tent. I want to keep the quality as high as
possible because that’
s absolutely the most
important thing.
”
It’
s what his Bubbie Esther would want,
too.
Bagels Galore
Bubbie’
s Bagels has it all: plain, sesa-
me, poppy, onion, Everything, cinnamon
raisin, black pepper parmesan, caraway
rye, salt stick … The biggest seller is the
“Everything” bagel.
According to Sam, “The Caraway bagel
is one that’
s really near and dear to
our hearts. It’
s probably the one we’
ve
worked the hardest on. We use a locally
milled rye flour. In essence, it’
s a pumper-
nickel bagel without the dark appearance
because we don’
t use food coloring like
other bagel shops.”
Bagels can be enjoyed with the store’
s
own signature coffee affectionately
named and packaged as “Bubbie’
s
Blend.” Plus, Bubbie’
s Bagels is also
supplied with extraordinary tea blends
harvested by a local flower farm.
Nosh
eats | drinks | sweets