Continue to Site >>>

Unloxing the bagel slideshow

May 01, 2014

Finding a cure

Thompson decided to try a hot-smoked salmon fillet flavored with a touch of honey. The hot-smoking process results in a flaky texture similar to cooked salmon. “We didn’t have to go outside our two or three regular salmon suppliers,” he says, noting that the product was priced about the same as lox. Each bagel sandwich contains two ounces of salmon. 

Relish the topping

Einstein’s bagel and lox is typically layered with sliced tomato, cucumber and onion, but Thompson gave these ingredients a special twist for the sandwich. He created a tomato-cucumber relish with capers and lemon juice. The relish is made fresh daily in small batches so it doesn’t get soggy. “It provides a welcome color contrast to the salmon,” Thompson says.

Mystery ingredient

The capers are chopped fine so they are not very visible, as not all guests are familiar with or like this pickled condiment. “It’s more like a caper-lemon dressing,” Thompson says. “I added just enough capers to create a salty-acidic background note.”

Choosing the schmear

Although Einstein Bros. offers a number of flavored cream cheese choices, the menu suggests pairing this sandwich with the double-whipped onion-chive variation. It’s a proprietary product made from a house recipe. The “schmear” adds a creamy counterpoint and brings the elements together, Thompson says.

Out of the running

Thompson and his team tried a hardwood-smoked and a lemon-dill salmon before choosing the honey-smoked version, but those flavors were too assertive. Artichokes, asparagus and spinach also were tested to layer on top of the salmon, but they were nixed in favor of the tomato-cucumber relish; it had the right balance of tart flavor and crisp texture, Thompson says.

What’s next

The artichokes and spinach Thompson experimented with in the initial tests were not trashed entirely. Under development for a late-spring LTO at all three Einstein Noah concepts is a panini made with chicken, artichokes and spinach on ciabatta, he says. 

Trending

Operations

What went wrong at restaurant-retail hybrids Foxtrot and Dom’s?

Retail Watch: It appears, at least in part, that the value equation didn’t add up for inflation-weary consumers. Plus: C-store stalwart Krispy Krunchy Chicken has big growth plans.

Marketing

Meet the restaurant industry's new government adversary

Reality Check: The FTC wants the business to change several longstanding operating conventions. Has it heard why that's a bad idea?

Financing

A lot more people ordered Domino's Pizza last quarter

The pizza chain saw transaction growth in in both delivery and carryout and from all groups, as the company’s loyalty program and value take hold.

Consumer Trends

Stoners are big fans of DoorDash and Little Caesars, data shows

Cannabis users are far more likely to order delivery and fast food than those who don’t indulge, survey results from Numerator show.