Wicker Park is a full-on bagel battlefield right now. Call Your Mother, a Montreal-style bagel chain from Washington, D.C., just moved into the former Dimo’s space. Nearby, a locally owned bagel shop is not having it.
Bro Bagel owner Bill Jacobs (who also owns Piece Pizza) slammed CYM’s private equity backing in an Instagram post that declared “shots fired.”
The post, which garnered thousands of likes, sparked a larger conversation about corporate versus independent businesses in Wicker Park. Both chains and small business ebb and flow in the pricey area that was once an artistic haven.
But let’s be honest, we really just want to know which bagel tastes better.
Bro Bagel
Around 8 a.m., Bro Bagel was empty save for a couple coffee runs — I could see why Jacobs might feel fired up. Manager Rosa seemed equally passionate and offered me all her recs as I ordered an Atomic Bagel Sandwich, plus a toasted sesame bagel with butter.
The sesame was fine, not seedy enough for me. I merely nibbled it to save room for the Atomic Bagel, which features delicious, fiery-hot sausage from Hot Doug’s.
The scrambled eggs were loose and bland. The bagel was nicely chewy but a tad salty. I didn’t care. I savored every bite of the hot links, subtly enhanced by melted pepperjack.
I’ll be back for that alone.
Total before tax and tip: $17.50
Bro Bagel’s Atomic Bagel Sandwich; Call Your Mother’s Bacon Sun City. (Emmi Mack / City Cast Chicago)
Call Your Mother
With ample colorful seating, Call Your Mother feels nothing like counter-only Bro Bagel. “It’s giving millennial ice cream shop,” my buddy RJ remarked.
People seemed into it. A line formed quickly behind me as I placed my order: one Bacon Sun City, plus my control, a toasted sesame bagel with butter.
The sandwich tasted like something from a solid New York City bodega. The everything bagel was deeply toasted; the American-cheddar blend, gooey and rich; the bacon was strong yet crunchy. The eggs, too, undoubtedly beat Bro Bagel’s, folded neatly and sunshine yellow. But unless you like a fruity kick, I’d skip the hot honey.
The sesame bagel, meanwhile, was seedier than Bro Bagel’s but totally under-toasted. And the house strawberry jam tasted more like fruit punch.
As for whether I’ll return … not for what I ordered. It simply wasn’t unique enough. (Although a tuna melt bagel did catch my eye.)
Total before tax and tip: $18.50
The Bagel Boom
We’ve documented Chicago’s bagel boom before — folks lined up for PopUp Bagels recently. And last year, when El Bagelero opened in Bucktown, it singlehandedly reintroduced bagels into my morning routines. (Yeah, yeah, I went to college in New York.)
TBH, El Bagelero’s chorizo El Machismo is the strongest breakfast sandwich in the area. But from Bodega Bay to Mindy’s Bakery to Helfeld’s Deli, there’s bagel competition around every corner — with and without private equity.
