> Be careful, Jesse. You don't want to sound like one of those old
> codgers who go on about how things used to be so much
> better...especially food in the US, which is a million times better
> today than it was 30-35 years ago.
I think an argument could be made that the Atkin's diet really torpedoed bagel and pizza joints for a few years there. I know I was concerned because I really love pizza and bagels.
Incidentally, Kansas City was once characterized by some professional athlete as the "most pizza-eatingist town I've ever visited."
When I was in NYC for the 2004 RNC protests, I found a good source for bagels at some place in Queens. I don't remember which street it was on, but it was several blocks south of La Guardia. For pizza in NYC I really like that place in Manhattan which is around the corner from the "Peace Pentagon". You know, where the Muste Room is located.
Bagels and pizza were going out of style when I was living in Washington. I was pretty miffed when the Whatsa Bagel chain closed. I really liked their bagels, which were the dense, doughy variety. They also made some excellent thin crust pizza, which was a lifesaver for this vegetarian who worked in downtown DC. College Park, Maryland has the excellent Bagel Place, which got lots of my money over the years.
One of my favorite bagel places of all time was the Madison Bagel Company, which sold those dense bagels in Madison, Wisconsin. Madison also has Bagels Forever, which produces some decent frozen bagels. I also have good memories for Edwardo's pizza in Madison and Milwaukee, which introduced me to pesto pizza. My friends in KC know that I make a kick ass pesto pizza. My garden is dominated by pesto, tomato and hot pepper plants.
I haven't found a bagel in Kansas City that excites me. Bagels here are dominated by Einstein Brothers and Panera. So I settle for boring corporate Poppyseed, Sesame, Everything and Potato bagels. I wouldn't be surprised if I eventually discover a barbecue-flavored bagel in this city...
Chuck