We legit cannot wait for the return of blueberry-rosemary as a flavor.
Photo by @NikBucci
We got to try Blithe Bagels, a new porch-side pickup pop-up in Peekskill, and if you’re very, very lucky, you can too.
Anyone who refuses to give up carbs just to fit into her wedding dress is a gal after our own hearts. Blithe Bagels’ Tina Selsky, a recent arrival in Peekskill, is that gal.
“There are a lot of people who would cut things out completely, but I am not one of them,” she says. “I wanted to make sure I found a balance that worked for me, and that would be something I would want to maintain even after our wedding.”
After experimenting and tweaking various recipes, Selsky, a completely self-taught baker, settled in with a stable of under-200 calorie bagels that are full-sized and fully delicious. Made with rich Greek yogurt and zero preservatives (don’t worry, they still last all week) and coming in a variety of flavors, they’re perfect for breakfast, a snack, or for a classic BEC sandwich.
“Matthew and I have always wanted to break into the restaurant/hospitality industry,” Selsky says of her husband, a trained PR pro who specializes in, conveniently enough, building small businesses. “With our new schedules working from home, we decided to use the time we would normally be commuting to build out the logistical aspects of what a sustainable business model would look like for us.”
After sending out taster bags (yum) to local foodies, Blithe Bagels sold out their entire first-day launch … in 8 minutes.
“We were really excited to see such a positive response!” says Selsky. “Blithe is a labor of love at the moment. Both my husband and I have full-time jobs, and Blithe is our side hustle. We are hoping to scale and grow our business over time and would love to see if we can upgrade to a storefront or a commercial kitchen setting in the future.”
For now, if you’re fast enough, you can place your orders every Thursday at 4 p.m. for a Saturday porch-side pick-up. Currently on the menu are $5.50 three-packs and $10 six-packs in three varieties: the “Plain Jane,” “Salt-y Bae” (everything, salt’n’peppa, and sesame flavors), and “You’re Doing Great, Sweetie” (a combo of cinnamon sugar, orange blossom honey, and vanilla with toasted coconut). Other limited-time and seasonal flavors will be teased on the @BlitheBagels Instagram page before joining the usual suspects.
Saturday, April 25, Blithe Bagels moved their pickup location to join Peaceful Provisions as a pop-up at the Peekskill Brewery.
“We partnered with our friends at Peekskill Brewery to offer a free crowler fill with the purchase of a food item to our first 10 online orders,” Selsky says.
“Setting up our pop-up at the brewery was a no-brainer. Peaceful Provisions set up at the curbside pickup window for their pre-sale orders and we hope to bring visibility to one another’s products. We are really focused on not only our own small business, but the success of all of our friends with small businesses in the area during this difficult time.”
In that vein, customers who preordered also received free coffee courtesy of Bucci Coffee, as well as a $1-off coupon for crowler purchase of Blessed Brew kombucha (delivery in Peekskill only).
If you don’t manage to score an order, don’t get Salt-y Bae just yet: Blithe Bagels will soon be available at Two Birds Provisions up in Cold Spring, and is being featured in the “Rise-n-Grind” box, a $20 brunch meal kit from the brand-new Birdsall Market, featuring local breakfast items like Blithe Bagels and Peekskill Coffee House roasters, plus others from Birdsall House and Gleason’s.
