Family-Run Shop Serves Delicious and Thoughtfully Curated Bagels With Love
By Dolores Quintana
A little more than a year since opening its doors, Uncle Stevey’s Bagels has quickly made a name for itself on the Westside, offering East Coast-style bagels with a gourmet twist. The owners, Tom and Tiffany Levy, have lovingly created a comfortable space with delicious baked goods and coffee where you can feel at home on the westernmost edge of the South Bay.
The shop is named after Uncle Stevey, the family’s late favorite uncle, who is fondly remembered. They carry on his legacy through the shop. The shop’s logo is a muralist’s painting of a photo of the young Stevey smiling.
Located in El Segundo, the shop prides itself on a meticulous two-day process to craft each bagel, resulting in chewy, flavorful bagels that pay homage to the East Coast’s traditions. The menu features elevated takes on classic flavors, including black and white sesame, which resembles a black and white cookie and is made with black and white sesame seeds, za’atar, and cinnamon crangerine.
The cinnamon crangerine came into being because raisins were not a favorite among the Levys, so instead they substituted dried cranberries, which adds to their own style. If you aren’t a fan of raisins like this writer, this is your chance to have a sweet bagel without them.
Another one of their innovative bagels is the rosemary and olive oil bagel, which has a memorable yet not overpowering taste. This was the bagel that I taste-tested during my visit, and it was heavenly. The subtle flavors, combined with the crisp outer shell of the bagel, which provided a satisfying crunch, and creamy whipped cream cheese, was just what I needed.
It’s one of the best bagels I’ve ever tasted, and I’ve been to New York and tried most of Southern California’s best bagels.
For those of us who have always had trouble with everything bagels, which are never truly “everything” and usually come with garlic and onion pieces that resemble charcoal. Uncle Stevey’s secret is that they bake the garlic and onion separately and add them after the bagels are baked. They also add fennel seed in a quest to be closer to the elusive everything bagel.
The attention to detail extends to the sandwich offerings, which feature premium ingredients sourced from reputable providers. The pastrami comes from the same supplier used by legendary deli Langer’s, while the lox is flown in from Brooklyn’s Acme Smoked Fish, a longtime staple in the New York smoked seafood scene.
Uncle Stevey’s does have beverages, including drip and cold brew coffee. Their coffee beans are sourced from another local shop, The Coffee Bar. One cool addition they’ve come up with is a sugar simple syrup that contains coffee, providing an extra coffee flavor and caffeine boost.
They are located in a lovely section of El Segundo that resembles a small town, with numerous independent shops, and are just a stone’s throw from Dockweiler Beach.
Uncle Stevey’s is a very special place, with its peaceful and inviting atmosphere, its stellar bagels, and tasty coffee. It’s a nice trip to take when you just need peace of mind and great bagels.
