IN
There are bagels and then there are Best Ugly bagels - made fresh, hand-rolled and toasted in a specially made stone oven fuelled by manuka hardwood (the name describes the product "not perfect circles, but perfectly tasty"). Al Brown's Best Ugly bagels specialise in Montreal-style bagels - chewier and sweeter than their New York cousins, that sweetness comes from simmering them in honey water. They have branches in the City Works depot and Newmarket. They do Uber Eats.
OUT
If you're new to Uber Eats it's easy - just download the app add your delivery address and order. Or do takeaways the old-fashioned way and save on the delivery fee - head in and order and get them to package to go (they don't do regular phone orders). While you wait you get to watch the bagels being made by an ever-changing hipster staff as a retro playlist plays through the sound system.
THE TAKEAWAY
I went for the Yodi ($13) house recipe pastrami, habanero mustard, grilled Swiss cheese, topped with a pickle - and added extra pastrami ($5) for good measure.
A tasty lunch with the extra pastrami, a snack without it. There's plenty of choice, topping-wise - whether it be sweet - the King Kong - caramelised banana cream cheese whip, topped with toasted almonds and chocolate sauce on a chocolate bagel ($9) or vegetarian - the White Rabbit - Zany Zeus cream cheese, tomato, basil, lemon fennel olive oil ($9). The bagels are topped while you wait and served hot, best eaten immediately, but are fine in the car if you're taking home.
Brown makes a point of using good quality local ingredients by artisan producers - Pic's peanut butter from Nelson, Havana coffee from Wellington, Marsh's Clover Honey from Central Otago, etc ... so while these may not be the cheapest bagels in town they are the best.
