Alex Manley Wants to Bring Bagels to Austin

Bagels are the word in Austin, now with chef Alex Manley looking to open her own bagel shop in the city. While she doesn’t have a location set for Manley’s Bagels just yet, she’s been testing out her bagels with ongoing pop-ups.

“I’m good with dough,” Manley explained, “and I want to play to my strengths.” She noted the growing bagel scene in the city, but added, “there’s room for more.” She’s been playing around with bialys and babkas, too.

Her bagel approach: what she calls the “hole-centric method,” where she rolls the dough up into a ball, pokes a hole into the sphere, and then stretches it out. Then it’s boiled and baked in a wood oven. When it’s all ready, it’s paired with assorted accoutrement and sides, e.g. cream cheese, lox, capers, etc.

She’s currently looking for a space, ideally somewhere in central Austin, but she’ll take whatever address feels right. In the meantime, she’s been hosting pop-ups at various Austin restaurants, including Olamaie.

Manley held her first bagel pop-up at Bufalina, where she was the executive chef of both locations (the other being Bufalina Due), then she left the pizzeria delve deeper into bagels. Before that, she was the chef of Josephine House, as well as the pastry chef for McGuire Moorman and Hospitality.

Her next pop-up will take place at the Hightower on Memorial Day, Monday, May 29, from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.. She shared the potential preview menu, which is subject to change (especially if she gets those bialys and babkas ready in time). Take a peek below.

Bagels are a growing hot commodity in Austin. Currently in pop-up form, Rosen’s Bagels is also looking for a prime location for its New York-style goods. Then there’s Jewish-style deli Biderman’s, which is making bagels on a regular basis now.

Nicholas Eubank

Alex Manley’s Bagel Pop-Up Menu at the Hightower

Figure 8 Coffee
Espresso - $3
Americano - $3
Macchiato - $3.75
Cappuccino - $4
Drip - $3

Plates
Classic: cream cheese, tomato, cucumber, red onion, radish, caper - $7
Hot smoked salmon: cream cheese, cucumber, red onion, radish, caper - $15
Nova lox: cream cheese, cucumber, red onion, radish, caper - $15
Whitefish salad: cucumber, red onion, radish, caper - $14
Salmon roe: cream cheese, cucumber, red onion, radish, pickled cauliflower and carrot - $18

Platters
Pickled & smoked: cream cheese, cucumber, red onion, radish, caper - $28
Fish & roe: cream cheese, cucumber, red onion, radish, caper - $30
All in: cream cheese, cucumber, red onion, radish, caper, pickled cauliflower and carrot - $60

Sides
Mixed green salad - $8
Castelvetrano olives, lemon vinaigrette, house-made pickles - $3

• Manley’s Bagels [Instagram]