What is it that makes bagels the tastier cousin to your run-of-the-mill bun or piece of toast? Is it the hole in the middle? Or perhaps the ability to hold up to a delicious schmear of cream cheese when toasted?
Schmucks founder Jeremy Marmur has brought the bagel game to the city, drawing on his Jewish upbringing to bring city dwellers bagels with a distinct Polski bent. Spotting a "hole in the market" (pun intended), Marmur collaborated with hospo guns Tommy McIntosh and Ben Avramides, both of whom co-owned Ripponlea's Hawk and Hunter and Brighton's Little Ox, deciding to do away with tradition (to an extent) to set up a bagel shop that will change the game on what can be scheamered on bagels.
The Schmucks house speciality is the Vegemite bagel, a bagel that conveniently does half the work for you (great for the mornings when you've snoozed one too many times – just add butter!). For slightly more substantial meals, the Schmucks crew will freshly whip up sandwiches from an assembly line that features whole McClure's pickles from way across the pond in Brooklyn. If you're after a more traditional offering, there's the salmon lox on rye, a reuben bagel sandwich with plenty of sauerkraut and salt beef, but take a chance on the more left-of-field combos. The vegan Hippie Slicker with spiced roast cauliflower is a notable vego pick, while the Miso Schmick bagel riffs on the usual smoked salmon number with Japanese flavours.