On a Roll: Mountain Lakes Bagel and Deli

Eddie Murphy. Howard Stern. Barbara Streisand. That’s quite the A-list lineup and all regulars at Mountain Lakes Bagel and Deli, where they keep good company on the sandwich menu alongside Clint Eastwood and John Travolta.

“The younger generations may not know some of these names, but they still order them,” says Dawn Imbert, who owns and manages the store in concert with her husband, “Bagel” Bob.

A labor of love indeed. Imbert checks her titles at the door and is just as comfortable taking orders the old-fashioned way (pencil and paper) as she is catching up with the regulars on a first-name basis. As of this year, the Laker establishment is celebrating three decades of serving up fresh, hand-rolled bagels, assorted homemade shmears, wraps, and an assortment of baked goods that are on the ready for sampling atop the counter.

Whimsical names just add that much more homegrown flavor to what puts Jersey’s reputation for bagels on the map, right up there with the forever Taylor ham v. Pork Roll feud. (In these parts it’s Taylor ham, hands down).

While ingredients, technique, and passion are paramount, the success of a bagel is also as good as the water that brings it to life. And on that front, Jersey water delivers.

So, says manager Paul Singh. He is one of a handful of between 12 to 15 employees that keeps the bagels boiling, the baked goods rising and the sandwiches fresh. Speaking of fresh, try the “Will Smith Slap,” named for the star’s infamous hand-swipe at Chris Rock during the 2022 Academy Awards. But hey, tradition is what keeps the lights on and ovens warm.

In keeping traditions of our own, we headed over to the Laker’s bagel hot spot to research the recipe and secrets for their success. While the recipe remains classified, Imbert did dish on the priority one status of top-shelf ingredients.

So, why the bagel business?

I worked in a bagel shop throughout high school. My husband has been in the restaurant industry forever. He owned a bunch of pizzerias and Blimpies. This is his eighteenth store.

What sets your bagels apart from nearby competitors?

Each bagel is hand-rolled and kettle-boiled. Everything is fresh: from the tuna, chicken and egg salad to our cream cheeses. It’s all made in house. Plus, the fact that we’re family owned makes us more personal.

How does one make cream cheese?

I can’t tell you that! What I can tell you is that we use only the finest ingredients and never cut corners. Everything is made-to-order on the spot; there are no warmers here.

How many bagels are produced on a daily basis, and how does that work in terms of possibly too many cooks in the kitchen.

We have five shelves of bagels that hold three dozen per shelf, so a total of 15 dozen bagels. Phil, the roller, comes in around 3:30 a.m. to get it all started. We have a separate baker, too.

What’s the most popular and how many flavors do you offer?

Plain and “the blitz,” which is an everything bagel. (There are 22 flavors including essentials such as onion, cinnamon raisin and the ever-beloved rainbow bagel. Chocolate chip and Black Russian are also in the mix here.)

So, what exactly constitutes, say, a John Travolta?

Hard genoa salami, Provolone, hot and sweet peppers, and oil and vinegar.

Do you collaborate with area businesses or organizations?

We partner with The Oaks in Denville, The Rockaway River Country Club, churches. We also partner with The Mansion and The Embassy Suites in Parsippany. We provide bagel breakfasts to the bridal party getting ready (at The Mansion) and the groomsmen (at Embassy Suites.) We also do Bat Mitvahs.

In our short time here, we’ve seen a few customers who seem to know everyone behind the counter.

We do have our regulars, but people come from all over. We actually had customers from Germany. And when kids from college come home, they’ll come directly here.

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Tell us about flagels, and can you also provide insight as to whether there’s a bagel version of the munchkin or donut hole?

Flagels are just flattened bagels and while we haven’t offered bagel holes, I believe that one of the chain coffee shops offered them stuffed with cream cheese.

What do you see as the future of bagels?

We’re not going anywhere.

Mountain Lakes Bagels is located at 350 Route 46 East.

For more information, call 973-627-4999 or visit www.mountainlakesbagel.com.