Fantzye Bagels — Restaurant in City of Kingston

I don't mean to sound critical but the other reviews here hardly do justice to Fantzye Bagels. A longer review is deserved.

A co-worker's recommendation drove me to try Fantzye. As a man born and bred in the Bronx, with Italian and Jewish forbears, good bread is in my blood. And, when I can't find it, I live up to my moniker: Cranky.

Since moving from the Bronx I have tried many bakery, bread, & bagel joints and have been dissatisfied at each and every one. I began to think that to get a REAL bagel I would need to make trips to the remaining few ethnic-majority areas of NYC known for bagels. I am absolutely delighted to say this is not the case. Fantzye's Bagels are the REAL thing - the kind you cannot easily bite into if you wear dentures (if you are a bagel lover you will realize that is a compliment and not a slight)!

My personal favorite is the Rosemary Salt. No, the Cinnamon Raisin. No, wait - okay, I give up. I love them all (even the Everything Bagel - one that I have refused to eat up till now because I always found the 'everything' overwhelming, gritty, or just smelly). Fantzye's Everything Bagels are topped with flavorings that enhance the bagel, not overpower the palate. And, if you like bagels buttered or with a 'schmear' know that only a small amount is needed on a Fantzye's bagel. Any topping will enhance the flavor of the Fantzye bagel; there is no need to overwhelm the bagel - and, trust me, with these bagels, you don't want to. You will want to taste the bagel. These are simply delightful!

Real bagels require extra care, time, effort, and cost to produce. This isn't flour and water stirred together and popped into an oven. You can do your own research into how bagels are made but know that no other 'bagel' place I've found actually makes bagels - including some well-known places in Rockland and Orange Counties! As you might think, these bagels cost more - as well they should! Real bagels are, in effect, cooked twice (a gross oversimplification), so paying a higher price is only correct.

Finally, remember, "You don't get what you don't pay for." You won't get a real bagel if you aren't willing to pay for it. I have no issue paying the price for these bagels. I see it as my way of thanking Fantzye for providing me with real bagels. Moreover, the people who make these little pieces of joy deserve to be properly compensated for their work.

You want to eat a round piece of bread with a hole in the middle? Go somewhere else. But if you want a bagel, come to Fantzye! As for me, fortunately, my office is in Kingston so I look forward to these bagels...

A bagel costs 3 dollars. To slap on creamcheese costs 6 dollars. This is the most outrageous price for bagels I've seen a 100 mile radius. The airport has cheaper bagels.

Let's break down the cost. Assuming a bagel has 150g of dough with a 60% hydration has 93 grams of flour, salt, some malt syrup or diastic malt syrup. 93 grams of flour with a 14% gluten content is 8.50 for 10 lbs bag. There cost per bagel for raw materials assuming a cost of 17 cents for flour 3 cents for salt(high) And 5 cents for either the dmp, malt syrup or whatever they decide.(high) Lets say they boil the bagels with baking soda to raise the ph and use a sugar solution with honey or malt syrup, maybe another 5 cents in raw material cost. Explain to me how a 30 cent raw material cost and maybe another 5 in oven overhead costs 3 dollars. 35 cents for the raw materials. I'm talking about making these bagels on a small batch scale with consumer prices. This is outrageous to have a raw material cost of 35 cents and sell for 3 dollars.

An normal restraunt can operate on a 20-30 percent food cost, so being conservative a bagel should cost 1.50 at maximum.

Don't forget the 20 percent tip they'll ask for. The only reason these prices would be acceptable is 30 dollar base wage with 401k match and health insurance which you clearly don't have.

Let's not talk about 4.50 for bacon. Which buys you an entire pack at aldis 3 dollars for a fried egg which is the cost of half a dozen at whole foods. 3 dollars for creamcheese when a pack costs 2 dollars at aldis.

Look this place is scamming you. The only reason you should come is to watch when it fails in a year. The bagels are mid at best nothing you couldn't buy from the reputable establishments in kingston ny. Or make at home for 10 percent the cost...

Fantzye Bagels recently opened to much hype and gossip within the local community.

With that said, the extensive renovations to the space & the significant amounts of money invested to bring this vision to life do not go unnoticed. The space boasts a minimalistic look with carefully curated additions on the walls and a bright, inviting interior.

A straightforward menu showcases the handful of offerings that the venue does exceptionally well. The sour dough bagels are the perfect blend of chewy & crunchy (I got sesame and poppy seed). Also, at $3/bagel, this feels like a steal given the extensive renovations, the labor costs and material costs associated.

While I admit to not enjoying cream cheese at all, I do recognize that the options for various cream cheese flavors are diverse & unique to the area. If nothing else, Fantzye is a wonderful new addition to the Midtown Kingston community and more importantly to the Foxhall corridor where so many other wonderful businesses thrive but rarely get recognized.

If you're in the area either staying at an Air BnB or happen to be a local Kingstonian, this spot is worth the stop at least once. The staff are warm and welcoming and I sincerely hope for a long and prosperous tenure here for the team at...