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Henry Higgins Boiled Bagels is a small chain of bagel shops in Portland, Oregon, United States. The business was established by Leah Orndoff in 2013 and initially operated as a pop-up, at farmers' markets, and via wholesale. Since opening the first brick and mortar shop in Southeast Portland's Mt. Scott-Arleta neighborhood in 2013, Henry Higgins has expanded to four locations. The business also has shops in the Northeast Portland part of the Kerns neighborhood, in Southeast Portland's Sellwood-Moreland neighborhood, and in Northwest Portland's Northwest District.

Henry Higgins serves various varieties of New York-style bagels, as well as schmears, sandwiches, sides such as chopped liver and pickled herring, and baked goods such as bialys, knishes, and rugelach. The business has garnered a positive reception and was selected to represent Oregon in Eat This, Not That's 2022 list of the best bagels in each U.S. state.

Description

Henry Higgins Boiled Bagels is a small chain of bagel shops in Portland, Oregon; there are four locations,[1] in Southeast Portland's Mt. Scott-Arleta and Sellwood-Moreland neighborhoods, in the Northeast Portland part of the Kerns neighborhood, and in Northwest Portland's Northwest District. According to KOIN, the company's missions is to "provide Portland with a traditional NY style boiled bagel".[2] Among boiled bagel varieties are everything, onion, and pumpernickel.[3] Bagel toppings include such as schmears, cream cheese, and fish.[4]

The menu also has sandwiches (including hot and cold bagel sandwiches),[4] deli sides such as chopped liver and pickled herring, and baked goods such as bialys,[5] knishes, and rugelach.[1] Other sandwich ingredients include capers, dill, lox,[6] red onion, and tomato.[4] Drink options include coffee, tea, and hot chocolate.[7]

History

Leah Orndoff started the business in 2013,[8] initially operating as a pop-up, at farmers' markets, and via wholesale.[9][10] The first brick and mortar shop opened at the intersection of Foster Road and 64th Avenue in Mt. Scott-Arleta (near Foster-Powell) in May 2015.[11] The shop had a seating capacity of 14 people, rotating artwork as well as mugs by ceramicist Cooper Jeppesen, and served coffee from Mudd Works.[9][12]

Photograph of the exterior of a building
In Northwest Portland's Northwest District, Henry Higgins Boiled Bagels operates in the space that previously housed Kornblatt's Delicatessen (pictured in 2022).

Henry Higgins has also operated a bakery on Northeast 19th Avenue,[8] in Kerns. In 2018, the business announced plans to open a third location on Tacoma Street[13] in Sellwood-Moreland, in the space previously occupied by Feastworks Delicatessen.[8] The shop opened on March 17,[6][14] with a seating capacity of approximately 25 people.[7]

In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Henry Higgins operated via delivery services like bicycle-based CCC as well as Caviar and Grubhub. Henry Higgins also sold groceries using these services.[15] The business expanded weekend hours in mid 2021, hosting "After Hours with Henry Higgins".[16] In 2023, Henry Higgins purchased the space previously occupied by Kornblatt's Delicatessen in the Northwest District.[17][18] The shop opened on May 15.[19]

Dave Barile has been the head chef.[8][20] Henry Higgins has used flour from Shepard's Grain and flour and seeds from Bob's Red Mill.[21] The business has been a vendor at community events, such as a Hanukkah food pop-up in 2022 and the Hanukkah Night Market at Eastside Jewish Commons in 2023.[22][23]

Reception

Henry Higgins ranked second in the Best Bagel category of Willamette Week's annual readers' poll in 2020.[24] Tanya Edwards selected the business to represent Oregon in Eat This, Not That's 2022 overview of the best bagels in each U.S. state.[21] In a 2023 review of the smoked salmon bagel sandwich, Meira Gebel of Axios Portland wrote:

The smoked salmon was lovely and salty, complemented by the creaminess of a thick smear of cream cheese and the citrus of squeezed lemon. The herbs and veggies provided a hit of cool freshness... My only note is that the sandwich didn't want to stay together. It kept slipping, but I happily continued to compile the pieces into perfect bites.[4]

Gebel also said, "Boiled bagels are a classic New York tradition, and at Henry Higgins, you can grab one without getting on a plane."[4] In the first Portland Bagel-Off organized by Jacob & Sons Deli in 2023, Henry Higgins won the People's Choice award.[25][26] Daniel Barnett, Brooke Jackson-Glidden, and Nathan Williams included the business in Eater Portland's 2024 list of ten "real-deal" bagel shops in the city.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c Barnett, Daniel (2016-02-17). "10 Real-Deal Bagel Shops in Portland". Eater Portland. Vox Media. Archived from the original on 2021-10-29. Retrieved 2024-07-04.
  2. ^ Pettigrew, Jashayla (October 26, 2022). "Boiled, baked & perfectly shaped: Try these Portland bagels". KOIN. Archived from the original on December 3, 2022. Retrieved July 4, 2024.
  3. ^ Fodor's Inside Portland. Fodor's. 2020-04-07. ISBN 978-1-64097-251-3. Archived from the original on 2024-07-04. Retrieved 2024-07-04.
  4. ^ a b c d e Gebel, Meira (October 31, 2023). "Bite Club: Smoked salmon at Henry Higgins Boiled Bagels". Axios Portland. Cox Enterprises. Archived from the original on July 4, 2024. Retrieved July 4, 2024.
  5. ^ "Searching Portland for Bialys, the Onion-Flecked Polish Cousin of the Bagel". Portland Monthly. ISSN 1546-2765. Archived from the original on 2024-06-21. Retrieved 2024-07-04.
  6. ^ a b Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (2018-03-23). "More Doughnuts and Bagels Come to Portland". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2021-12-15. Retrieved 2024-07-04.
  7. ^ a b Leonard, Rita A. (2018-03-02). "'Henry Higgins Bagels', a Foster Road fixture, adding Sellwood location". The Bee. Pamplin Media Group. OCLC 55663345. Archived from the original on 2024-07-04. Retrieved 2024-07-04.
  8. ^ a b c d Forster, Tim (2018-01-04). "Henry Higgins Bagels to Set Up Shop in Sellwood". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2023-10-01. Retrieved 2024-07-04.
  9. ^ a b Centoni, Danielle (2014-12-18). "Henry Higgins Bagels Launching Retail Shop in Foster-Powell". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2023-12-06. Retrieved 2024-07-04.
  10. ^ "Bagel Wars: The Front Line". Portland Monthly. Archived from the original on 2023-03-24. Retrieved 2024-07-04.
  11. ^ Waterhouse, Ben (2015-06-09). "A new round of bagel shops keeps Portland schmeared". The Oregonian. Advance Publications. ISSN 8750-1317. OCLC 985410693. Archived from the original on 2024-07-04. Retrieved 2024-07-04.
  12. ^ Centoni, Danielle (2015-05-29). "Henry Higgins Boiled Bagels Opens Retail Cafe". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2023-12-01. Retrieved 2024-07-04.
  13. ^ Vithayathil, Joe (2022-01-25). "On the Go with Joe at Henry Higgins Boiled Bagels". KPTV. Archived from the original on 2022-05-29. Retrieved 2024-07-04.
  14. ^ Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (2018-05-02). "This Knockout Bagel Shop Just Opened on N Russell". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2019-12-08. Retrieved 2024-07-04.
  15. ^ Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (2020-04-09). "Where to Get Breakfast and Brunch for Delivery or Takeout in Portland". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2021-12-24. Retrieved 2024-07-04.
  16. ^ "Henry Higgins to Start Staying Open Late and Selling Fresh Baked Bagels Straight Out of the Oven". Willamette Week. 2021-06-07. Archived from the original on 2021-06-18. Retrieved 2024-07-04.
  17. ^ "Portland's oldest Jewish deli, Kornblatt's, closes by end of March". KGW. 2023-03-21. Archived from the original on 2023-04-17. Retrieved 2024-07-04.
  18. ^ Young, Jenny (March 21, 2023). "Post-pandemic restaurant recovery slowed by inflation, crime". KOIN. Archived from the original on May 31, 2023. Retrieved July 4, 2024.
  19. ^ "A Guide to Portland's Latest Restaurant Openings". Eater Portland. 2021-01-27. Archived from the original on 2021-04-29. Retrieved 2024-07-04.
  20. ^ "Every Boiled Bagel in Portland, Ranked". Willamette Week. 2017-02-21. Archived from the original on 2021-12-15. Retrieved 2024-07-04.
  21. ^ a b Edwards, Tanya (2022-04-03). "The Best Bagel in Every State". Eat This, Not That. ISBN 1-59486-854-9. OCLC 177062677. Archived from the original on 2024-02-24. Retrieved 2024-07-04.
  22. ^ Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (2021-11-22). "Where to Find Hanukkah Fixings Across Portland in 2022". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2021-12-01. Retrieved 2024-07-04.
  23. ^ Harris, Emily (December 6, 2023). "Where to celebrate Hanukkah around Portland". Axios Portland. Archived from the original on June 16, 2024. Retrieved July 4, 2024.
  24. ^ "Food, Drink, Restaurants". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on 2020-11-15. Retrieved 2024-07-04.
  25. ^ "Jacob & Sons Deli Organized Its First-Ever Portland Bagel-Off". Willamette Week. 2023-08-07. Archived from the original on 2024-07-04. Retrieved 2024-07-04.
  26. ^ Smith, Suzette. "The Inaugural Portland Bagel-Off: Is the Bagel War Over?". Portland Mercury. Archived from the original on 2024-02-20. Retrieved 2024-07-04.
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