That incredible aroma. Is it freshly baked bread? It’s the Georgetown Bagelry. Right here on this very street.
The Georgetown Bagelry isn’t just a bakery. It’s a Washington DC institution. Since 1981 it’s been crafting artisan bagels using 400-year-old traditions. Fresh ingredients are key. The owner Mary Beall Adler joined the family in 1985. She learned the art of bagel making. This bakery is famous. It’s widely considered the best bagel bakery south of New York City. The Washington D C City Paper even voted it “Best Bagel” in 2009 and 2011.
The story of Georgetown Bagelry is fascinating. It began with Erik Koefoed. He was only 27. He dropped out of Cornell University. He opened the Georgetown Bagelry. Back then there were only two bakeries in the whole Washington D C area. He chose to make New York style bagels. He learned the craft in Ithaca New York. He even studied music at night.
But the business struggled in the late 1980s. Mary Beall Adler stepped in. She took over the bakery. She moved it to River Road. She’s been the owner since 1991. She’s kept the tradition alive. She even wrote a book about her experiences. It’s called Who Scooped My Bagel? It’s a memoir of sorts. It tells the story of love loss and success. In 2014 Mashable named Georgetown Bagelry one of the 32 small businesses killing it on social media.
Making these bagels isn’t easy. It’s an art. The New York style involves boiling the dough for 15 to 40 seconds. This gives the bagels that signature shiny glaze. The dough is prepared the night before. The yeast helps it rise. It’s a process that cannot be rushed. Mary believes in nurturing the old traditions. She’s brought her artistic passion to every bagel. Bagels were once considered a delicacy. Poor people in Eastern Europe only ate black bread. Their round shape was seen as lucky. The circle represents perfection. It has no beginning and no end. Mary sees parallels between baking and art. Form function consistency and aesthetics matter. She wants her customers to experience the true tradition of artisan bagel baking.
So next time you’re in the area. Stop by the Georgetown Bagelry. Smell those fresh bagels. Taste that chewy crunchiness. It’s an experience. It’s more than just a bagel. It’s a story. It’s a taste of history. It’s a true DC treasure.