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If you've ever watched Seinfeld and wondered whether Cosmo Kramer really worked at H&H Bagels or found yourself craving Carrie Bradshaw's New York breakfast order after Sex and the City, Chicago just got a little more Big Apple.
H&H Bagels, one of New York City's most recognizable bagel institutions, officially opened its first Chicago location today in Fulton Market, bringing its famed kettle-boiled bagels (and plenty of East Coast nostalgia) to 164 N. Peoria Street.
Founded on Manhattan's Upper West Side in 1972, H&H has become almost as famous for its pop-culture cameos as for its breakfast sandwiches. The shop appeared in Seinfeld as Kramer's workplace and has also been featured in Sex and the City, The Office and countless New York-set productions, cementing its status as one of the city's quintessential food landmarks. Now it's hoping to earn a place in Chicago's fiercely competitive breakfast scene.
The menu will look immediately familiar to anyone who's stood in line at one of H&H's New York locations: signature sandwiches include the classic bacon, egg and cheese and the Nova Salmon with "the works"—cream cheese, tomato, onion and capers—along with a full lineup of bagels ranging from plain and everything to blueberry, egg and jalapeno cheddar. Customers can also choose from a wide selection of cream cheeses, smoked fish and specialty sandwiches.
What separates H&H from many bagel chains, the company says, is its commitment to the traditional New York water-bagel method. The dough is proofed, kettle-boiled and baked using the brand's longtime recipe, producing the chewy interior and crisp crust that bagel devotees insist can't be replicated any other way.
The Chicago opening is also a milestone for the company. While H&H has expanded into markets including Florida, California, North Carolina, Tennessee and Washington, D.C., the Fulton Market shop is the company's first corporate-owned location outside New York City.
"Opening in Chicago is a major milestone for us," CEO Jay Rushin said in a statement. "There's such an incredible food culture in the city, and we're excited to join that community by bringing our classic New York City bagels to Fulton Market. We look forward to serving the neighborhood this summer and beyond."
The new H&H Bagels is now open daily from 6 am to 3 pm. Whether lifelong New Yorkers give it their blessing is another question—but Chicagoans no longer have to book a flight to JFK just to satisfy a craving for one of the city's most famous bagels.