Heads up, St. Louis bagel lovers. The Gateway City has just scored a culinary homerun with the arrival of authentic New York bagels from the legendary Ess-a-Bagel. These aren’t just New York-style bagels; they’re the real deal—crafted with the same precision and tradition that have made Ess-a-Bagel a Manhattan icon since 1976.
Thanks to “Fielder’s Choice,” the downtown hotspot that opened in 2024 at Ballpark Village, you can now enjoy these iconic bagels in St. Louis. Owned by Amy and Frank Lowery, the duo behind Festus-based Pine Mountain Country Coffee House & Mercantile, Fielder’s Choice is the first restaurant in Ballpark Village to serve bagels and breakfast.
Bringing the Ess-a-Bagel to St. Louis
For Amy Lowery, co-owner of Fielder’s Choice, it wasn’t enough to bring another bagel to St. Louis. She wanted the best. “I wanted to bring the best bagel to St. Louis,” she says. Her mission led her to Ess-a-Bagel, a brand voted the best in New York for decades. But the journey wasn’t easy.
“It actually took about a year to figure out how to make this happen,” Lowery explains. “They make the product fresh and wanted to ensure the process of getting here wouldn’t change the quality. It was also difficult finding a company to transport these to us.”
What is Ess-a-Bagel?
So, what makes Ess-a-Bagel so special? According to Lowery, it’s the clean, high-quality ingredients and the bagels’ unparalleled texture. “They are voted the best bagel. It’s a really good and clean quality product,” she shares. “The care that goes into crafting each bagel is evident from the first bite to the last.”
Customers have been raving, with many saying the bagels taste just as they remember from New York. “Most of them have been to Ess-a-Bagel and tell us they are just how they remember them,” said Lowery says.
The secret of “par-baked” bagels
These bagels arrive par-baked—a process that ensures each bagel is fresh and perfectly textured upon serving. “Once our trucking company confirms what day and time they can arrive to pick up our bagels, Ess-a-Bagel will make them right before they arrive,” Lowery explains.
So, what is par-baking? A par-baked bagel is one that has been partially baked—typically boiled and lightly baked in the oven—but not fully cooked. This allows the bagel to be frozen and then finished off at Fielder’s Choice. The bagels are baked to perfection onsite, achieving the golden-brown crust and chewy texture that defines an authentic New York bagel. The process ensures customers enjoy a fresh-baked experience with every bite.
From cream cheese to breakfast classics
Lowery and her team serve up the bagels in a variety of ways, from the classic cream cheese schmear to hearty breakfast sandwiches. “Our morning classic bacon, egg and cheddar is the most popular,” Lowery notes. As for her personal favorite? “An everything bagel with scallion cream cheese.”
Beyond individual servings, Fielder’s Choice offers catering services, making their legendary bagels an excellent option for gatherings, corporate events, or celebrations.
Fielder’s Choice
1 Cardinal Way
Ste. 110
314-256 1775
