New York Style Bagels Available at Farmers' Market

Yes, folks, there are real bagels in Champaign-Urbana. The area's best, in our humble opinion. A fellow who lives in Mahomet makes them, and they're for sale at the Urbana farmers' market every other Saturday. Who knew?

Well, actually, I've known for a couple of months, I guess. Several people wrote to tell me about them and I'd seen them mentioned on other blogs and stuff. But honestly, when I heard about these bagels, my first reaction was "eh." Because, you know, so many round, roll-like products are called bagels nowadays that the word has all but lost its meaning. So I did not allow myself to get my hopes up. To my great joy, this morning I found out that these bagels are the real thing. Crispy and chewy on the outside, dense and soft on the inside. Golden-brown orbs of delight.

Doing the Atkins diet? Fuggetaboudit. You only live once. Buy these bagels and eat them, right away. You can afford to, because unlike some of the monstrous rolls that are known as bagels, these gems are small—only around 4 ounces each. So after you've eaten one, you don't feel bloated and carb-loaded, just extremely satisfied and happy. I'm telling you, I had a toasted bagel topped with cream cheese, a thin slice of a juicy, ripe Blue Moon Farm tomato, an even thinner slice of a Meyer Produce red onion, and a sprinkling of fleur de sel, and it was heaven on earth.Stewart uses quality ingredients in his bagels, including the all-important malt syrup, which, I've read, is partly what gives bagels their unique flavor. I purchased plain bagels, but there are a few varieties you can get (he'd had sesame ones earlier this morning, but they were gone by the time I got there). If you like, say, onion, or poppyseed, or salt bagels, my guess is that Stewart would fulfill your request.But, you say, wringing your hands, I don't make it to farmers' market on a regular basis. Or, I go to the market, but I can't keep track of which Saturday the bagel people are there, it's all so confusing. And, the market will be closing soon, anyway—what then?!?!

Have no fear.

• One: There are still two more weeks of the outdoor market left. I got bagels today, which means that the bagels will be there again on November 8 (you'll find them in the fourth row).
• Furthermore, after the market moves inside Lincoln Square (on November 15), the bagel makers will be there every week through December 20.
• Finally: You can call or e-mail Stewart and order them from him directly—throughout the winter.

You can do it! You can have the bagels of your dreams!

I should mention also that Stewart makes not only bagels but a variety of other bakery products. Some of the many offerings include white or wheat sourdough bread, rye sourdough, olive-rosemary bread, chipotle-artichoke sourdough, English muffin bread, cinnamon rolls, and pecan sticky buns. And fruit bars. And pies. And tarts. And so on. And so forth.

Stewart's Artisan Breads and Desserts
1404 Caro Court
Mahomet, IL 61853
Phone: 217-586-7816
E-mail: pequigno@msn.com

This post is dedicated to Ms. LBOTP, self-professed bagel snob. LBOTP, I hope you are well, I wish you all the best, and I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that I think even you might love these bagels.