These 2 Queens Bagel Shops Were Named Among America's Best

FRESH MEADOWS, QUEENS — Two Northeast Queens bagel shops are among the nation's best, according to a new ranking by the magazine Food & Wine.

Bagel Oasis on the Horace Harding Expressway and Utopia Bagels on Utopia Parkway were named among the 50 best bagel stores in the United States, according to the magazine.

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This is what Food & Wine had to say about Bagel Oasis:

You could easily spend at least another hour (or more!) on the Long Island Expressway in search of the best of suburban New York bagel culture, or you could cut your trip short and immerse yourself in the 24/7 world of one of the most treasured bagel shops in Queens, in business since the 1960s. Little about the bagels has changed since, which is already something to celebrate. These buxom (but not too-too-big) beauties are made from the simplest of recipes, offering a beautiful note of malt in every bite. Grab a carton of Tropicana, or a bottle of Yoohoo, and don't forget to play the lotto on your way out.

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And here's what the magazine wrote about Utopia Bagels:

When people talk about the way New York has changed, they're usually leaving out neighborhoods like Whitestone, a far-flung enclave that often seems content to let time pass on by. Is it any wonder that one of the city's very best bagel emporiums thrives here? Serving the neighborhood since 1980, Utopia Bagels has a modern vibe, but back behind the counter, where it matters, everything here is done the old way, the correct way, from a longer ferment than most New York bagel makers, to the oven on premises, a remarkable 1940s relic. What you get: correctly-sized, hand-rolled bagels, crackling between your fingers like a pond at spring thaw. A rare feat, Utopia consistently knocks it out of the park with their unseededs—plain, egg, and cinnamon raisin in particular. Service will range from mildly distracted to downright dismissive, but you're not here to make friends—you're here for some of the last truly great bagels to be found in the five boroughs.

Bagel Oasis and Utopia Bagels were two of 10 New York City bagel stores that made the list.

Nonetheless, the list's author, New York native David Landsel, argued that the New York City bagel scene is losing its excellence.

"Then things took a turn somehow, and your average New York bagel started to look more like a pale, over-inflated tire," Landsel wrote.

Click here to check out Food & Wine's full list.