Bagel Palace Deli & Bakery: Toco Hills
posted on October 14, 2008 at 2:58 pm
Whenever I mention deli, people inevitably bring up Bagel Palace. I have honestly never been crazy about it. Well, I went back after a few years away to see if I was missing something. We were lucky and got there right before the lines started forming. It only took a brief exchange with our waiter to realize he was in over his head. He ran off to tend to another table while we decided on our order. Ordering was bit frustrating and troublesome because it took him 3 tries for him to write down our order of latkes, matzoh ball soup and a corned beef and pastrami sandwich on untoasted rye. I thought to myself that they must be short-staffed and brushed it off. But the worry turned to dread as soon as I saw the looks on my neighbors’ faces. I was having brunch in the middle of one big clusterf**k.
After a good 15 minutes, our soup arrived. Moon had no silverware and tried to flag down our server, but got up after five minutes to ask a waitress who handed him a teaspoon. As I was eating what has to be the blandest and saddest matzo ball soup I have had in a long time, I spied a food runner come out with our order, which our server nervously sent back. My heart sank. That food was officially on its way to reheatville and its homecoming was not going to be a joyous occasion. After clearing our soup bowls, the waiter brought out a plate of latkes that were burned around the edges and our sandwich, which was on toasted white bread–not rye. We sent it back because no self-respecting Jew and New Yorker would ever eat pastrami on white bread. The hockey pucks, I mean, latkes were dry and gummy, but we ate them to tide ourselves over and contemplated making a meal out of the promising cookies from the bakery case.
Our sandwich finally arrived and it was not good, people. Stiff pieces of toasted rye resembling rice cakes and dry pastrami and corned beef that tasted more like salami. We attempted to salvage it with a lot of mustard, but it quickly became clear that it was beyond repair. We abandoned all hope, begrudgingly paid the $35 bill without the slightest glance at formerly tempting bakery case and fled to Buford Highway for guaranteed salvation.
After a good 15 minutes, our soup arrived. Moon had no silverware and tried to flag down our server, but got up after five minutes to ask a waitress who handed him a teaspoon. As I was eating what has to be the blandest and saddest matzo ball soup I have had in a long time, I spied a food runner come out with our order, which our server nervously sent back. My heart sank. That food was officially on its way to reheatville and its homecoming was not going to be a joyous occasion. After clearing our soup bowls, the waiter brought out a plate of latkes that were burned around the edges and our sandwich, which was on toasted white bread–not rye. We sent it back because no self-respecting Jew and New Yorker would ever eat pastrami on white bread. The hockey pucks, I mean, latkes were dry and gummy, but we ate them to tide ourselves over and contemplated making a meal out of the promising cookies from the bakery case.
Our sandwich finally arrived and it was not good, people. Stiff pieces of toasted rye resembling rice cakes and dry pastrami and corned beef that tasted more like salami. We attempted to salvage it with a lot of mustard, but it quickly became clear that it was beyond repair. We abandoned all hope, begrudgingly paid the $35 bill without the slightest glance at formerly tempting bakery case and fled to Buford Highway for guaranteed salvation.
INFORMATION:
Address: 2869 N. Druid Hills Rd., 30329
Phone: 404-315-9016
Ya know, I never even thought of them as a deli. I’ve always had a great bagel there. I think they have gone down hill a bit, though. In the mid nineties, those bagels seemed fantastic.
I can’t speak for the deli, but the bagels are top notch, especially for Atlanta. Then again, it’s hard screw up a toasted everything with veggie cream cheese.
Though Belly doesn’t carry New York type bagels, their bagels are fabulous! Oh and never order matzah ball soup at American Roadhouse. It was the saltiest soup ever and you couldn’t taste the matzah ball for the saltiness. One more thing never get matzah ball soup from whole foods either, they are like hockey pucks. The sad thing is that I always try to find places with good MB soup in the A since the only other time I get to eat the soup homeade is at Passover, but I have come to the realization that good matzah balls can not be found in Atlanta.
Toasting a bagel makes a mediocre bagel taste better.
No self respecting New Yorker would ever ask for a bagel to be toasted.
Every bagel in this city needs toasting.
Hi there! Just wanted to let you know how much I enjoy your blog. I've found many great recommendations here after having just moved to Atlanta this year.
As a former New Yorker myself I was lucky enough to find a deli that had a decent Pastrami sandwich, not to mention a good onion bagel.
Check out New York City Deli & Bagels
(770) 521-2211
10995 State Bridge Rd
Alpharetta, GA 30022
Bagels = YES. Food = NO. The bakery goods are decent, too. Now I want me some black & white cookies! FWIW – I'm a self-respecting New Yorker and I toast my bagels (so does the 2nd Ave Deli), unless it happens to be "still hot" fresh when I buy it. Mmmm… salt bagels, garlic bagels… And lastly – nobody from the old world ever heard of an "asiago cheese and sun-dried tomato bagel" 😉
– Derekj
This is the problem with kosher restaurants in Atlanta. Myself, a Jew, have eaten at them all (except for Bagel Palace, ironically). The demand for kosher food, which is way more expensive than treif, is small in Atlanta. Lack of competition also leads to high prices, poor quality, and poor service. They punish people that keep kosher. The only decent dining experience I have ever had in Atlanta is at Off Broadway, and it is very expensive. With regard to a decent bagel in Atlanta, Quality Kosher Emporium is where to go, if you go at the right time…they are actually delicious.
Blissful, Please disregard the comment I just submitted. “Bagel Break” is the kosher place…”Bagel Palace” is not kosher. My message, though very true about the state of kosher food in Atlanta, does not apply at all to Bagel Break…
Gotta say, I have enjoyed the Bagel Palace every 3 times I have dined there.
I recently moved back to Atlanta
and am living on the Jewishly
starved southside, but somewhere,
I heard about Bagelicious on Johnson Ferry Road. I’ve been there several times now and I find
it really quite good. The bagels
are good, the sablefish is perfect,
and the chicken liver quite good as
well. J Don