Goldstein’s Bagel Bakery was started in 1989 by Michael and Bridget Agabra Goldstein. Goldstein’s was created because Michael got hooked on fresh bagels while working in Monterey California. Every morning he went to a bustling bagel shop and waited for hot bagels to come out of the oven. A cinnamon raisin bagel with cream cheese was his ritual. When Michael moved to the San Gabriel Valley in Southern California, he noticed that there was not even one place he could get his hot cinnamon raisin bagel right out of the oven. Seeing the opportunity to offer people a great product at a reasonable price, he set out to look for a mentor and the perfect location for a bagel store. Between 1988 and 1990 Michael and Bridget found that location, were trained in how to make bagels by that shop in Monterey, built their first bagel store in Old Town Pasadena, bought a house, and had their first child.
The first store was located in a dusty former wine shop at the corner of Colorado and Delacey in Old Pasadena. This was not the bustling retail center it is now, but an area in transition with lots of offices nearby and a movie theater across the street. Every day, people would say "Bagels?!? But there aren't any Jews in Pasadena." To which we'd reply "Doesn't everyone eat tacos or Chinese food?" Although the very first sale on the very first day was only a carton of milk, people became familiar with the hearty, chewy bagels that were made from scratch in the bakery and served as sandwiches or with cream cheese. Indeed Goldstein’s Bagel Bakery has been a huge success since opening in 1989. We are proud of the product we serve and the satisfaction we see in our very own customers. Now, our bagels are for many customers, their ritual.
Our traditional methods are time consuming, labor intensive and take a great deal of training and skill to perfect. From the very beginning, using only high gluten flour, malt, salt, yeast and water to make a plain bagel, every step requires craft to make a Goldstein's bagel. The moisture content of the wheat affects the water needed; the heat of the season impacts the rising time, each batch of bagels is unique, producing great taste and an individual appearance for each bagel. No supermarket bread dough circles here!
After rising, the bagels rest in a cool refrigerator overnight before kettling and baking. Kettling is done by boiling the bagels in a huge soup kettle of plain water. This step plumps the bagel, kills the yeast and makes the genuine shine you see on our bagels - no oil involved. The baker must know precisely when to remove the bagels from the water to avoid making huge baseballs or flat pancake bagels!
After kettling, the bagels are baked directly on the hearth stone of our ovens, providing a crunchy bottom that cannot be duplicated.
Sadly, the Pasadena store was demolished in 2005 to make way for multi-story retail space but it carried many memories with it. The store was open 24 hours each New Year's eve to feed the crowds waiting for the Rose Parade. Biggest sellers those nights were pizza bagels and hot chocolate. For the Doo Dah parade one year, KTLA commissioned us to made "Beer Nut Bagels" and if you look closely in "The Flintstones Movie" you will see our hand crafted prehistoric bagels!
After parking lot of the Pasadena store was turned into a retail complex, the idea for a drive through bagel bakery just seemed right (having a car with toddlers David and Matthew to transport made that a family need!) so a former dry cleaners in Arcadia became store #2. It opened with a Jewish deli counter (not much demand for smoked fish, alas) which became a smoothie counter and ultimately Goldstein's Grill with a wide range of hot sandwiches, breakfasts, Mexican food and our unique Bagel Burger! The City of Arcadia gave the store an award for the beautiful transformation of the building.
Not long after, the opportunity arose to acquire the last drive through permitted in the city of La Canada. Located next to a hospital and a movie theater, as well as a huge Park-n-Ride lot, it is the only store that was built from the ground up. The busiest store, it was transformed into a fast food restaurant for scenes from "The Odd Couple II".
Although many things have changed in the years since opening - the family structure has changed and expanded to include Laurie Williams Goldstein, those toddlers are now young men - the deep pleasure of bringing delicious food to our customers has not changed. Now serving children of our original customers, we look forward to many more years!
