With a heavy heart I bid adieu to The Bagel Club which used to reside in this location. However, in its place a new owner and business that promises to keep my bagel fix alive has sprung up from the bagel haven that once was. This review will unfairly compare this new business to the old business that existed there but it’s hard for me to not make comparisons w/the baseline that was — so this review is perhaps most useful for an old customer of The Bagel Club. The all new Crane Bagel and Deli brings several familiar offerings with some new welcome additions. Let’s first start w/the newly renovated space. Clean and bright and devoid of the postcard clutter that used to decorate the walls of the old establishment. I always liked the personal feel of seeing postcards from loyal customers around the world — but what one person might call«cozy and personal» another might call«dusty» so I think it is confidence inspiring to new customers to see the spic-and-span appearance of the new café. The big handwritten chalk menus and small café area in the back evoke a small coffee shop feel versus the old place’s pizza-shop-dive feel. I think these are positive changes and what I think is a nod to the former owner I see some pieces of the art from the old shop on the walls, perhaps in a more neatly decorated fashion. The weather is a bit cold now but I hope that the outdoor tables and umbrellas would be continued to be offered. There are just a few bagel offerings(plain, sesame, ET, poppy) and I didn’t see any donuts when I was in there. I didn’t see any rye or pumpernickel offerings and I hope eventually to see some more variety. There were about a dozen specials listed on the wall menu and I got what I think was the«CC Special.» I need to double check that name and edit this review — but basically it bowls down to a lox bagel w/capers, onion, tomato and lettuce w/a slightly tangy sauce. I had this on a lightly toasted sesame bagel. I thought this was executed very well overall. The vegetables were crisp and fresh and not soggy at all. More importantly the lox tasted fresh and I enjoyed the slight tang of the special sauce whatever it might have been. The prices I observed seemed a little bit higher than the old place but I still judged them to be reasonable. I enjoyed what I got and I will be coming back to try something else soon. That leaves me w/one thing to mention about customer service. This made-to-order food can sometimes take a little bit and you’re ultimately just standing there for a while in a confined space. For this reason many people know the owner of the last business Jerome by name and we really enjoyed coming to the shop and just chatting with him and getting a coffee while waiting for a bagel. He was very charismatic and upbeat and I really enjoyed the food there but ultimately it was a positive customer service experience that kept me coming back over the years. I felt like the exchanges at my recent visit were a little awkward while I was in there. I wasn’t been chatty at all and simply just ordered a bagel but in that short span I was told by the cashier«I hate lox,»(I didn’t ask you) and was asked«Are you in a hurry?»(No not really). I wasn’t offended or anything but it gave me the feeling that the cashier was a little green and I was a little worried my food would come out poorly. The food ended up great so no love lost and that’s really the most important thing. I recommend this place for a great bagel although I would personally like to see a tiny bit more bagel variety so I can get my lox on rye next time. I really like the renovations that were made and I think great things are to come. To the owners I wish the best in their new business endeavor and welcome them to the neighborhood.
