I used to frequent the Brick Lane Market of a Sunday morning, in east London. We'd get off the tube at Whitechapel, walk down the road to Grodzinski's bakery and get bagels fresh out of the oven. The lady would slice them and slap in so much butter it was running down your arm before you got to the beginning of the market. I remember them as being soft and chewy, with a yeasty flavour that was only enhanced by the pound or so of melted butter. Two would last half the length of the market and discourage me from buying more tutt than strictly necessary. Taking money out of my purse would have meant putting the bagel down, something I was very loth to do!

Alas, Grodzinski's is no more and I've never had a bagel that good since.

LTS