About 2 days into living in Denver, I had a depressing realization — those little Mom and Pop delis that are a dime a dozen in the Northeast are much harder to find here (especially as a freshman without a car). I found myself unfortunately craving a New York bagel in Denver.
Though Einstein’s and Bruegger’s get the carb-loading job done, they simply do not compare to the fresh, soft, and salty taste of a New York (or even a New England) bagel. As someone who was on a two bagel per day diet in high school, this was a major bummer.
Last year, something wonderful happened — I learned that I was not the only person in Denver who was bummed about the bagel game. Joshua Pollack, Jersey native and owner of Rosenberg’s Bagels and Delicatessen in Five Points, noticed the bagel sized void that existed in Denver and decided to fill it.
Pollack filed the void in the most innovative way imaginable: he replicated New York City water chemistry and used it to start turning out the most authentic New York bagels west of the Mississippi. The bagels that they serve are so fresh that there isn’t a single toaster to be found in the building (and they will remind you of this fact if you accidentally make the faux pas of asking for your bagel toasted)!
If the fact that this rad guy is literally creating New York City water out of the ether isn’t enough to sell you on Rosenberg’s, there’s a never ending list of other things to love about it. For example, on top of their range of cream cheese spreads from classic, to hatch chili, to lox, they serve hummus (pictured below) and a vegan tofu cream cheese option to cater to the dynamic Denver demographic.
They also sell a huge variety of Jewish baked goods, such as Rugelach and Kugel, which tempt your palate even at 8 in the morning (so realistically you should just go back and grab a deli sandwich for lunch and a pastry for dessert).
The best part is that despite the fact that Rosenberg’s is in Five Points, you don’t need a car to get to it. Hop the H line at the DU station, switch to the D line at Colfax & Auraria, and hop off at 27th and Welton in front of the store (pictured below). If you make the journey on a weekend, you’ll undoubtedly be waiting in a store-length line of fellow bagel enthusiasts — while enjoying tantalizing free samples.
DU East Coast kids, your finest hour has arrived. Next time your Colorado-Native roommate wakes up and suggests walking over to one of the bagel chains around campus, throw their RTD pass at them, grab a New York bagel in Denver, and show them what they (and you) have been missing.