That campfire note is emanating from a small, glowing pile of white oak that lights up the left corner of "Liza," the gas-assisted oven that dominates the restaurant's wide-open kitchen.
Um, Liza? The gigantic oven's exterior is covered in small, shiny tiles. "We thought of a disco ball," said chef/co-owner Adam Eaton with a laugh. "And the next thought was Liza. Liza Minnelli."
Meyvn (it's pronounced may-ven, and it's Yiddish for connoisseur or expert, a highly applicable name) is the work of Eaton, Laurel Elm and Tim Niver, three of the outsized talents behind Saint Dinette in Lowertown.
Eaton and his crew bake their dense, chewy, deeply golden, hand-formed bagels on planks in Liza's intense heat, starting them on the left – close to that burning oak – and, as they bake, sliding them to the right.
There are six varieties: plain, poppy seed, sesame seed, brown sugar, garlic-onion and "Everything," and they go for $2 a pop. (That's the sesame bagel, pictured, above, with pastrami and hummus, a highly appealing combination).
The generously schmeared cream cheese schmears ($3) range from plain to versions packed with green onions or smoked whitefish. There's a hearty hummus, too. Proteins include a crisp-edged pastrami ($6) silky and sumptuous Nova lox ($9), corned beef ($5), bacon ($3) and an egg ($3). (That's the plain bagel with Nova lox and green onion cream cheese, pictured, above, and it's spectacular).
Those accustomed to Bruegger's or Einstein Bros. might raise an eyebrow to these prices. But think about it this way: what Eaton is doing with bagels is no different than his approach to his glorious double-patty cheeseburger at Saint Dinette vis-à-vis McDonald's Quarter Pounder with Cheese; they're both cheeseburgers, but they're worlds apart in terms of quality, execution and craftsmanship.
