New Daily Bagel a morning oasis for hungry downtowners

By GABRIELLE LAWRENCE

I write this column having just inhaled a No. 7 from one of my favorite downtown Lansing lunch spots: The New Daily Bagel. I could tell you that it was research for this month’s article, and while that’s technically true, it was also my third No. 7 of the week. The bagel shop (which most people, including myself, just call “The Daily Bagel”) is next door to my office, and there are few things I love more than enjoying a quick, easy lunch and being able to get right back into the swing of lawyering.

I’ve been hanging around downtown Lansing for a long time. As a Cooley student, my favorite haunts included Brannigan Brothers, Byblos and Decker’s, which had a frosted brownie that was to die for. The common theme is that all of those businesses are now shuttered. The Daily Bagel, however, seems to be part of the triptych of lunch spots that have survived the pandemic and beyond. When paired with Sultan’s Express and Jalapeños, both mainstays of Washington Square, a hungry person is sure to find something that can scratch whatever kind of itch they have.

When I was a kid, my mom would occasionally buy croissants for the family. They probably came in a multipack from the grocery store, but I was convinced I was the fanciest 9-year-old on the block, with the most discerning of palates. But, like most kids, I didn’t appreciate textural differences in my food and can distinctly remember peeling off the outside layer of croissant before eating the soft, pillowy center only. (Don’t worry. I’ve changed. During our recent trip to France, I ate my favorite croissant aux amandes every morning because I couldn’t get enough of the buttery pastry filled with rich, nutty almond paste. Vive la France.)

These memories came flooding back to me last week as I ate my croissant, egg and cheese breakfast sandwich ($4.14), which I grabbed from The Daily Bagel on my way into the office. The croissant’s texture was perfect, with just the smallest amount of crispiness. As the sandwich melted in my mouth, I remembered my other weird childhood food behaviors, like trying to eat chili without ingesting any beans and only eating the chocolate part of Neapolitan ice cream.

The No. 7 ($9.35), a turkey Reuben, is my favorite sandwich at The Daily Bagel. While I like it with corned beef, I prefer it with turkey. On paper, the combination of your choice of protein, Russian dressing, sauerkraut and Swiss cheese likely sounds weird. This combination shouldn’t necessarily work together. But that briny sauerkraut alongside the tangy, creamy dressing and the richness of the meat just makes flavor sense. It’s imperative that the bread is grilled because not only does the structural integrity of the sandwich rely on having something to hold it together, but the light crunch is an important part of the No. 7 enjoyment.

I gravitate toward the grilled and hot sandwiches because I feel like a heated sandwich is worthy of buying in a restaurant. If it’s just a normal cold sandwich, I can much more easily talk myself into making my own at home because even if I have no bread, meat or cheese in our house, I can scrounge something up. My runner-up is the No. 14 ($9.31), the grilled chicken club, because although I will frequently discard the third slice in a club sandwich, I do love the combination of multiple proteins and the hearty amount of mayo.

I would be remiss if I didn’t bring to the forefront the chocolate chip bundt cake for sale by the slice ($3.73). If downtown Lansing had a most valuable player award, this cake should be the recipient. It’s the moistest cake I’ve ever had, and the crispy outer layer tells me that it’s prepared with plenty of butter. When asked for my lunch order for a work meeting, I’ve repeatedly risked humiliation by ordering my sandwich along with a piece of the cake. I don’t care if the boxed lunch is also coming with chips and a cookie; I’m getting my cake, and you should, too.

By BRYAN BEVERLY

My father is a New Yorker, and I’ve always cherished times in the city with him and my late grandparents. Some of my earliest memories are of a slice of pie, sprinkled with extra parmesan, and taking in a real ball game. (Full transparency, I’m a Yankees fan. Sorry, Tigers peeps.)

Of course, NYC is famous for many other delicacies, but chief among them are its bagels. New Yorkers take their bagels seriously, whether from a storefront or a street cart. They better be fresh, doughy inside and slightly crispy outside. Often served with a cup of joe in the famous Greek-themed “we are happy to serve you” cup, bagels can be eaten plain, buttered, schmeared with cream cheese, stuffed with egg or meat, or topped with lox, red onion and capers.

But where does one go in Greater Lansing for authentic bagels? And can I even get a cup of coffee downtown anymore? These are real-life questions I faced recently as I had to serve jury duty. The latter query came about last Monday as my jury pool was finally given reprieve for lunch and set loose on downtown Lansing. I never thought the day would come when downtown Mason’s courthouse would have more walkable coffee options than the Ingham County Courthouse on Kalamazoo Street.

Enter the lifesaver that is The New Daily Bagel and its assortments of bagels, customized cream cheeses, hot and cold sandwiches and, yes, coffee. After walking several blocks to try to cure my caffeine headache, I stumbled upon this shop and was greeted ever so graciously by Basil, who assured me that they had coffee. His soccer jersey let me know he was a fan of the beautiful game, but I enlightened him that he should root for Chelsea FC (2025 Club World Cup champs). On my return visits, I was helped by Joseph, who was knowledgeable about the menu and kind. Michael Mahdi, who has run the business since 2005, has clearly created a family atmosphere among his staff and even still makes sandwiches himself.

What was necessary

I’m a two-cup-a-day kind of coffee drinker. So, when the judge finally let our jury pool out for lunch well after noon, I went full-on Indiana Jones searching for an antidote to my hankering. The iced latte with oat milk and caramel was perfectly timed for a summer afternoon and a several-block walk back to my return destination. At first, I was disappointed when a small, 12-ounce cup was the only option, but the coffee was deep and punchy. The caramel was sweet enough not to require additional sweeteners, and the oat milk proved just creamy enough to make for a lush treat.

What was really good

The bagels … honestly. I ordered several variations to get a wider perspective on what New Daily has to offer. First, the Cinnamon Crunch bagel with apple cinnamon cream cheese ($4.29) was very enjoyable. Sweet, but not overpowering with the added bliss of the crunchy topping, this bagel was pleasing.

The same can be said for the nova lox on a garlic bagel ($11.99). Creamy cheese and scallions joined slices of cold-smoked salmon, red onion and capers. New Daily Bagel also serves it with the devil’s fruit (raw tomatoes), but I politely set that aside. The garlic bagel offered a nuanced flavor profile, and the lox was slightly sweet, which was perfect with the crunch from the onion and capers.

I’m a big fan of breakfast sandwiches. On most weekends, I can be found constructing them in my own kitchen. New Daily Bagel offers a choice of meat on its breakfast sammies. I opted for a cheddar bagel stuffed with fried eggs, bacon and cheddar cheese ($4.19). The bagel’s own cheddar had a nice pungency to it that elevated the sandwich overall. It was nearly better than my own, thanks to the light veggie cream cheese, which brought fresh, earthy flavors to the mix.

Best bite

The onion roll that accompanied The Journal ($9.35) was incredible. The specialty sandwich was packed with seasoned corned beef and mustard, but the combo of mozzarella and cheddar cheese was the star. The melty mix pulled apart like pizza in a TV commercial, and the yum that followed was superb.