The long wait is almost over. Bagel and Slice, which signed its lease almost two years ago, is getting ready to open in Highland Park, at 4751 York Blvd.
The restaurant initially landed in its location back in 2019 but was forced to remain closed because of the pandemic, permit issues, and construction delays. Now, owner Bradford Kent is nearing completion of the project and hopes to open the doors in October 2021. The new restaurant will feature fresh bagels in the morning (all day) and New York-style pizza in the afternoon and night. Kent has spent the past two years perfecting the recipes of these two main entrees.
“I designed a pizza-slash-bagel oven from the ground up at my house for R&D,” Kent told Eater LA. “I knew that I had to nail it when I opened; there’s way too many great bagels in LA. And now there’s great pizza in LA. I have to be able to open really, really strong.”
This is nowhere near Kent’s first rodeo with pizza. He is also the owner of Olio, a Neapolitan pizzeria within Downtown’s Grand Central Market. Before that, Kent co-founded the national pizza chain Blaze, which has over 300 locations across the country. His new restaurant will be one of two tenants occupying the public space owned by Occidental College. The location is intended to unite local and regional artists with the college community.
On top of prioritizing the well-being of his staff, Kent has promised to cap the restaurant’s profits at 15 percent, when most cap it around 20-25 percent. He will use the surplus of money to focus on ingredient sourcing, environmental impact, and benefits for the staff. On top of that, the restaurant will maintain a triple-bottom-line approach, which prioritizes profit, people, and the planet.
What’s also important, however, is the delicious food Kent hopes to serve at Bagel and Slice. Starting at 7 am, the restaurant will start selling hand-rolled, kettle-boiled, and plank-baked organic bagels with various flavors. Customers can expect the usual flavors, but Kent says his favorite is made with rosemary, cracked pepper, and sea salt.
Then, around lunchtime, the restaurant will begin firing 16-inch New York-style pizza with a crust that will crack when folded but not break. These pies will be available either as slices or whole until the restaurant closes at 10 pm. To add a little more variety to the menu, Bagel and Slice will also sell salads and Jewish baked goods, such as babka, rugelach, and mandelbrot.
