Phat Bagel, the former pop-up known for big, house-made bagels and customizable spreads, has moved into its first brick-and-mortar spot — bringing its schmear campaign to permanent digs in Bloomfield.
Add Phat Bagel in Bloomfield to Your Morning Commute
It is a next-level step for Dexter Edwards, who honed his bagel-making chops with a New York-based mentor and became a fixture at venues such as the Bloomfield Saturday Market and Trace Brewing. With newly acquired partners Anna Carley and Tom Hermanowski, Edwards put down roots late last year.
“What differentiates us is our mix-ins,” says Edwards, who offers customers a cream cheese, ricotta, Tofutti or peanut butter base and dozens of options for jazzing up the flavor, from Calabrian chili to lox and capers to macerated dates with cinnamon.
“You can go as wild as you want,” he says, noting that savory-sweet combos are often in demand; one more-adventurous request came in for a green olive and blueberry schmear.
Handmade is Simply Better
Bagels are hand-rolled, cold-proofed for two days, and then boiled and baked to maximize texture and taste. “We control the gluten content of our bagels to make them chewy but still soft enough that, when you bite into them, you can tear away and not bring the whole sandwich,” Edwards says. “And we make them big — 6.5 ounces and 5 inches across — so there’s more surface area for our yummy spreads.”
The shop opens before sunrise on weekdays so early birds can start their morning with a built-to-order breakfast sandwich.
“Our sausage, egg and sharp cheddar with candied jalapeno cream cheese is a big seller,” Edwards says. “We also offer a vegan variety.”
Phat Bagel occupies the space formerly filled by Baby Loves Tacos (now next door), where Edwards held his first pop-up. He spent a year on renovations, choosing a forest green and black palette to complement the checkered floor and graffitiing the shop with signature lightning bolts and hearts.
Having fixed quarters gives Edwards room to continue growing his menu and his team, and he’s already eyeing a second location. “That’s been the goal from the start,” he says.
Story by Deborah Weisberg
Photography by Dave Bryce