The Best Bialy In South Florida
***** The Best Bialy In South Florida *****
You can do the formal- research…for our puposes let’s describe a bialy as—a round chewey baked flat yeast roll with a depressed center filled with chopped onion.
If you check…over the years, I’ve “given” you guys-loads of joints that make terrific bagels. To be perfectly honest with you, up until 5 days ago, I hadn’t found a “GREAT” bialy down here in old South Florida. For sure, joints like Sage (Hallandale Beach), Bagel City (Boca Raton), Gramercy Bagels (Delray Beach) make a “nice” bialy but not a “GREAT” one. Anyway…like I said, 5 days ago I found a great-bialy.
Here goes…
The best bialy in South Florida (to date) can be found at The Boys Farmers Market, 14378 Military Trail, Delray Beach, Florida 33484 (561) 496-8123— You can read my May 6, 2009 writeup about this grocery-market for background info on this joint.
Now, you and I know that a bialy has to be toasted. The Boys sells a 6-pack of bialys in its bakery area for $2.89. I am telling you, that at first-glance they (the bialys) don’t look too impressive…but when you get home and pop one of these suckers (I squashed mine- so that they fit right into my toaster without cutting them) into the toaster, the bialy that pops out is absolutely sensational. They are as delicious as any bialy I can recall ever eating.
Now you know…
Ever try Bagel Bar West in Pembroke Pines, on the corner of Taft & Hiatus?
jeff, my wife and i have been shopping at The Boys for years. You are right those bialys are great. We have a sneaking suspicion that The Boys buy them elsewhere and have them packaged with their name on it. same goes for the great onion pockets they sell. they are great. The Boys has one of the best bakery departments in the Boca-Delray-Boynton area. Great selection.
Mike: Just had a chance to read your post.
Haven’t been to Bagel Bar West? Now have it on “to try” list.
Thanks for reading…
I have never seen a real fresh bialy in the state of Florida, including the Boys. I buy REAL frozen bialys, from Ray’s New York bagels from Publix and they are the real deal. If you bought bialys from a New York bagel shop, that knows how to make bialys, and froze them, that would be exactly what Ray’s sells. Nothing in this state has that crusty oniony center
HerbK: Herb just had a chance to read your post.
When you get a chance buy that 6 pack of fresh bialys that I mentioned at The Boys. Throw one in the toaster and let me know what you think.
Thanks for reading…
The best heat and eat Bialy’s are Bells from Brooklyn, I buy them at the kosher market in Delray. Bells Is an old fashioned authentic Bialy bakery and sells their Bialys all over the world.
Jeff, I know you know your food but I know baked goods. When I was growing up my father brought home fresh bread and goodies from a great bakery 365 days a year. I ran the best bakery, at the time, in Miami, Andalusia Bake, shop for years. I then opened up my own bakery and had it for 8 years before opening a chain of restaurants. The local shopping center where I grew up had a hot bialy store that only sold bialys and onion boards. So I know a thing or 2 about bialys.
I got my 6 pack from the Boys just to see if they had changed. They do toast up well but I don’t consider them to really be bialys. They are too spongy to the touch, bialys are kind of stiff. They have corn meal on the bottom, bialys are dusted with flour. A real bialy almost feels like fine sandpaper on the outside, these don’t feel like that. The dough in a bialy is dense compared to the Boys version, which is comparatively fluffy. I stand by my statement that I have never seen a real fresh baked bialy in the state of Florida. Ray’s Bialy’s, which are hand made and then frozen in Brooklyn, can be found next to the frozen bagels in Publix. They come in a box that is predominately blue and yellow and it says “What’s A Bialy” on the outside. If you get them and open the box you will immediately know you are looking at the real deal.
The only REAL bialy I have had in SoFla has been from Bagels And (Boynton Bagel) on Jog and Boynton Beach Blvd. in Boynton Beach. I grew up in Brooklyn and my parents owned one of the largest (and best) appetizing stores. Suffice it to say that I know smoked fish AND bialys. The dough is perfect … great bialy taste … with just the right amount of onion in the middle. You really have to try this one.
jeff, i know that you like bagel & which has 2 stores in delray-boynton area. the owner years ago was known as the bialy king of ny. they make a good bialy. this morning i went to the boys and bought the bialys that you mentioned. they were as soft and fresh as can be and like you said really didnt look like a bialy but more like a roll. when i got home i “squashed” the bialy and it just fit into one side of toaster which i put on 6 which is the highest. a crispy bialy popped out a few minutes later. folks here may not believe but it was sensational and i do mean sensational. crispy outside, soft inside and a great oniony taste to the whole bialy. did a drop of butter and strawberry jam on it and i cant wait for the next one. by the way the bialy was better than the ones i have had at bagel & made by the baily king.
i highly recommend that folks here try this bialy.
one final thought. do the boys make this bialy or do they buy it packaged from an outside source. i dont know but i would bet that someone else in fla is making these great bialys for the boys so that means that you can probably get them elsewhere.
The Boys bialys are good, Bells bialys are the real deal, hard to find but worth the effort. Go to their website for info on where to find.
Jeff,
I have gotten bialys from The Boys for years. You are 100% correct that in the package they (the bialys) look more like soft rolls than bialys. Like you I put them in the toaster and walla out comes a hot crusty delicious bialy. They are really excellent.
I love a good bialy and find that the bialys at Bagels & are very good. I will tell you that they are not as good as the toasted ones that I make from The Boys’ bialys.
I am going to buy some of those Bells and Rays bialys that others here mentioned and see if they are any good.
Keep up the great finds.
CS
I work in the Delray center where Bagel Twins is. The bagels are decent enough but the bialys stink. From what I am reading here, they should get their bialys from an outside source. Thanks.
As a former NY’er, I KNOW what a great bialy is and I can’t believe I’m recommending a frozen bialy found in Publix called “What’s a Bialy”. Amazing! Problem is, a lot of other people obviously agree and it’s all but impossible to find them. But if you do, pop ‘em in the toaster, close your eyes and and you’ll see Brooklyn again.
Jeff, bought those bialys yesterday at The Boys. Just popped into the toaster and you are right one of the best bialy I’ve had in a really long time. You are also right they don’t look like “bialys” in the package. The toaster works a miracle on these things. Thanks for the tip.
I would suggest trying the bialys at Way beyond Bagels on Jog across from Morikami Gardens. Te best bagels and bialys I have had since moving south. I’ll put them against any of the others down here. The right texture, the right amount of onions and poppy seeds, just perfect. Brooklyn guys, try ‘em!
The bialys at Bagel Twins in Delray Beach stink.
You can get good ones at Bagels &.
Neverr would have figured this one. Got em and tried em. You are right, toasted they are sensational. Great call.
I JUST TRIED BOYS BIALYS AND WAS TOTALLY DISAPOINTED. I QUESS IT DEPENDS ON WHAT YOU LIKE AND IT IS OBVIOUS EVERY ONE HAS DIFFERENT TASTES.
I LOVE NEW YORK BIALYS AND THE ONLY PLACE I KNOW YOU CAN GET THEM IN SOUTH FLORIDA IS AT POPPIES DELI COUNTER, IF STILL AVAILABLE? OR AT PUBLIXS FREEZER SECTION CALLED RAYS BIALYS. BOYS JUST DONT CUT IT FOR ME NOT ENOUGH ONIONS AND THE DOUGH IS TO FLUFFY AND DRY.
Like almost everyone else on here I’m a CENTRAL Floridian, originally from Canarsie,Bklyn/Staten Island! I have been looking for Bialeys since I moved down here (6yrs ago) and just recently, a neighbor of mine also from Brooklyn, told me about Ray’s Bialeys in Publix!!!
Just had one sliced & toasted w/cream cheese & lox! It was ok, not enough onions but tasty enough! Guess “BELL” bialey really spoiled me after all these years but it will have to do!
Does anyone know the address for Bell’s here in Florida-was on the website but couldn’t get info!
HAPPY EATING TO EVERYONE!!!
got bagels from westside in boca, bad news.
Sorry to tell you Rays Bialys are made by Bell Bialys of Canarsie. I live in oviedo and on sand lake and turkey lake there is Delish Bakery they have bialys that are very good
A couple weeks back I was getting a tire fixed over at Tire Kingdom on 441 in Boca. While I was waiting I stopped in Westside which has a store in the same center. I had a simple black cup of coffee and everything with cream cheese. If this is what Westside thinks a bagel is all about they have no idea what a good bagel is suppose to be. The one that I had was soft on the outside as well as the outside. Glad I only get a flat every few years. What a piece of junk.
Was in the Boys on Sunday. Bought 6 bialys. Toasted one up today. Delicious. Don’t know if I agree or not on it being the “best” but it was delicious.
bialy is excellent. same goes for boy’s onion pkts.
I grew up on Bell Bialy’s and was thankful to find the Rays Frozen “Bell” at Publix. Growing up in Canarsie I can tell you what everyone else who has knows… Bell is the only Bialy in S. Florida. Everything else is a glorified roll ; )
bell bialys there is no better
Bells,sells their bialys in brooklyn for $5. a dozen, which is a great price. Just bought several packages at Glick’s in delray,on special for $2. a 6 pack.They are the absolute best.BTW Glick’s is also doing Hand Sliced Acme Nova for $4.99 1/4 lb.. Must say, the best food comes from Brooklyn.
Bought a bag of 6 yesterday. They are good when taosted, but not the best Ive eaten.