Boichik Bagels and Hella Bagels have a few things in common. First, the owners of both, Emily Winston and Blake Hunter, respectively, have deep family roots in New Jersey, where delis rule. So often we hear about New York delis, but this time-honored Jewish cuisine is also sacred in the Garden State.
Second, both Boichik Bagels and Hella Bagels have a cult-like following, and for good reason. Their food is off-the-charts good. As in best in the nation, at least that is what The New York Times declared about Boichik in 2021. The year prior, Berkeleyside reported that Hella Bagels’ first batches sold out literally in seconds.
Third, both have ties to the LGBTQ community. Winston, at a recent business networking event presented by the San Francisco Business Times at KQED, was said to be “the most eligible lesbian in the Bay Area.” Who are we to argue with that? The charismatic Winston lights up any room and is fast becoming one of the region’s most successful entrepreneurs. In addition to her flagship location on College Avenue in Berkeley, she has the Berkeley Bagel Factory at 1225 6th Street, and a location in Palo Alto’s Town & Country Shopping Center.
Hunter, who launched his business as a pop-up during the COVID-19 pandemic, donated all of his initial profits to nonprofits, including to racial justice and LGBTQ causes. Both he and Winston are beloved by many, such that when a member of the San Francisco Bay Times team recently went to a Hella Bagels pop-up at Charlie May Coffee (a gem of a place tucked away at 11200 Golf Links Road just up from the Oakland Zoo), a few people greeted Hunter with, “I love you,” before buying enough bagels to feed a small army.
Both Winston and Hunter are passionate about their culinary creations, and are not shy about rolling up their sleeves to tackle hard problems. Winston, on the day of the evet at KQED, fixed some machinery herself. Hunter, with his trusty assistant Wendy, tackles nearly every work task.
And we have some news to report! Winston will be attending the September 29 Divas & Drinks @ The Academy SF, so come and meet this rising culinary star. In early 2024, Hunter will be opening his first brick and mortar bagel shop in Berkeley near Albany—an area that, already with Albany’s Delirama, is gaining a reputation for high-quality deli fare. In October on Fridays, Charlie May Coffee will start featuring pop-up brunches from another rising culinary star (the name’s a secret for now).
Boichik Bagels (which ships nationwide, but make the trip to the East Bay!)
https://boichikbagels.com/
Hella Bagels (next pop-up at Oaklandish on September 23)
https://www.instagram.com/hellabagels/
Charlie May Coffee
https://www.charliemaycoffee.com/
Published on September 21, 2023
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