When I say “bagel”, what is the first place that comes to mind? Panera Bread, maybe? Bruegger’s Bagels perhaps? Or if you are an old school Cincinnatian, Skolniks? The first words that should come out of your mouth are “Marx Bagels”. Even if you have never heard of them, Marx is a Cincinnati institution, first opening in Roselawn in 1969 in what was, at the time, a predominant Jewish neighborhood. Marx expanded, topping out with four locations including the original Roselawn shop as well as stores in Springdale, Crescent Springs and Blue Ash. All but the Blue Ash Store have faded into memory, but it is well worth the drive to the Kenwood Road location not too far north of the Ronald Reagan Highway to get your bagel fix.

If your idea of what passes as a good bagel comes from Panera, or god forbid, Lenders from the frozen food case at Kroger, then you desperately need to experience the goodness of Marx. The Marx bagel, which comes in over 30 varieties, is the classic New York bagel, slightly crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. Since Marx keeps Kosher, don’t plan on a Turkey Sriracha melt or anything of the kind. For those of you not in the know, kosher refers to a set of Jewish dietary laws that govern what foods can and cannot be eaten as well as a set of guidelines on how they must be prepared. Thus, there are no meat products at Marx. Prepare to get your protein from eggs, tuna or lox. I like to order mine with peanut butter on a chocolate chip bagel, but their cheese melts are great as well. (I like mozzarella on an combo bagel.) If you prefer to go the traditional route and eat your bagel with cream cheese, Marx offers almost 15 different varieties, creating a dizzying array of possible bagel/cream cheese combinations.

Although you will definitely want to take some bagels home for next week’s breakfast or lunch, half of the joy of bagels from Marx is dining in and enjoying (?) the rantings of owner John Marx. Think Ed Debevics or Dick’s Last Resort, but turned down a notch or two. While the attitude at Ed Debevics or Dick’s seems almost scripted, that’s not the case with John Marx. The restaurant seems to thrive upon his energy which, in all honesty, is mostly directed at getting the best out of his employees. As the sign on the front door says, “This is an experience, not a restaurant. Owner is not politically correct. Enter at your own risk.” You couldn’t keep me out.