All That and a Bag of (Bagel) Chips

In the four years since Band and his wife, Rebecca, moved to Humboldt — two since taking over as the new owners of Frankie’s NY Bagels — they’ve put down already far-reaching roots, thanks to their focus on community engagement. Band’s friendly face is seen each week on social media with his much-anticipated Taste Test Thursday videos, where he walks around Redwood Acres and gives a review of whichever newly concocted recipe captures his fancy; his enthusiasm and sincerity is enough to drag you out of your house for a trek across the safety corridor to savor in some of that bagel-y goodness. Bagelpalooza, for the Bands, was an obvious choice — a celebration to give thanks to the community that keeps their business thriving, complete with kids’ activities, contests, a raffle, live music and, of course, delicious samples.

When first walking into the bustling cafe, the array of sweet and savory delights makes it almost impossible to single out a selection; every bagel here and donut there draws you in with its unique siren song. Band recommends starting with a bagel sandwich — even if you have to tap into the phases of the stars and the moon to narrow down your order. Start with a signature bagel sandwich, like the Turkey Pesto Club: turkey and crisp bacon piled on a toasted bagel (of your choice), with melted Swiss, tomato and Nona Lena’s pesto. If you’re not frozen by a sea of choices, go with a Build-Your-Own bagel sandwich, with a choice of bagel, customized to your preferred level of toastiness, with a light or heavy schmear of cream cheese (are you really living if you don’t go heavy?), and a smorgasbord of proteins, veggies, sauces and spreads.

The bagels are texturally magnificent. A soft interior balanced between airy and delightfully chewy is featured in all the usual suspects, including everything bagels, poppyseed, sesame seed, garlic, onion, cheddar jalapeño and more. Speciality bagels, like the pizza bagel, make appearances, too, so there’s always something new to try. And for those of us who lament the odd forgotten bagel you couldn’t quite scarf down in time, the team at Frankie’s has started cranking out bags of bagel chips, sliced and toasted to perfection to extend the shelf-life of your favorites. Options range from traditional to barbecue, sea salt and vinegar to sweet options like rainbow sprinkles and cinnamon and sugar. There’s a bag to suit every mood and every palate.

Pro-tip: To get a taste of the most coveted items, come early. The donuts made at Frankie’s NY Bagels are next level so they fly off the shelves. Band recommends taking “at least two so you don’t have to share,” and he’s not wrong. One bite of the crème brulée donut — which is fully vegan (as are the majority of the bagels and donuts at Frankie’s, unless otherwise marked) — and you’ll be fighting off your most significant of others if they come even a single step closer. The pillowy dough, the exterior of which sparkles with sugar crystals, is made that much better by its custardy filling torched to perfection on top.

The gratification you feel after indulging in the goodies whipped up at Frankie’s NY Bagels is only matched by knowing your dollars were spent at a company that truly embodies the essence of paying it forward to the community. Before bagel life kicked into high gear for Band, his previous work life was heavily geared toward advising on campaigns for workers’ rights. Band says, “One thing that attracted me to opening the business here was the prospect of putting into practice the concepts I spent decades extolling. It’s possible to pay a fair wage, treat people with respect and run a fair business.”

With nine employees on the team now, Band has found a way to provide stability through the economic turmoil facing many food businesses in Humboldt. This is done, in part, by producing the core of their offerings in-house, thus relying less and less on the big-dollar ingredients with skyrocketing price-points being shipped in through the Redwood Curtain. This, coupled with sourcing as many ingredients and products as possible from local makers, keeps consistency up, prices down and local dollars local. Band has developed partnerships with Huck’s Humboldt Hotties (chef Huck Perry now works full time at Frankie’s, gracing the menu with his signature bold flavors and his love of heat) and other makers from Redwood Acres, like Nonna Lena’s pesto and Ghee Well Butter. You can also find locally grown produce from Humboldt’s many farms, along with It’s Alive! Kombucha and cookies from Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate.

Providing a fulfilling workplace for his employees and sourcing local is just the start, though. As seasonal fires rage on each summer and fall, Redwood Acres periodically shuts down to the public to function as a command post for CalFire. While the closure certainly impacts Band’s business by giving his customers a forced hiatus from their bagels of choice, CalFire has partnered with Frankie’s to provide meals for fire crews who battle the seasonal blazes. Keeping his staff working while keeping firefighters fed is a win-win, as far as Band is concerned. On top of all of this, Band says, “We never waste a single scrap of food. We donate to local homeless shelters and organizations doing things like beach cleanups, and to events like the Mad River Enduro race so participants can load up on carbs.”

At the end of the day, though, it all comes back to the basics. As Band puts it, “Everything flows from the deliciousness of the food; all the employee stuff and advertising and community engagement is worthless without the best bagels, so that’s my goal.” He encourages all bagel lovers to follow Frankie’s on social media and stay tuned for future announcements. Get hyped for expanded hours, more days open during the week, and new offerings on the horizon.