San Francisco-based New York Times tech writer Brian X. Chen, who admits that it only took two years in New York to turn him into a total snob about bagels and pizza (he is a California native), tasked himself with trying to create the perfect New York bagel in his apartment. He now relays his process for the Times' food section, discussing how he came up with a recipe for the home cook that he was pretty happy with, only to lose in a bake-off to Oakland-based Dan Graf, the baker-owner behind Baron Baking.

Graf shares a secret with Chen that he didn't know: Putting a tiny bit of lye in the water before boiling the bagels gives them the perfect, crispy brown crust. And that makes sense, because lye is the secret to making the perfect pretzel too, due to the way it raises the pH of the water.

Graf's recipe, adapted for the home cook and using baking soda in place of lye, was published in the Times several years ago, but Chen swears by the lye method, cautioning that you have to use a stainless steel pot or else risk poisoning. Also, it has to be very carefully measured.

Also missing from the published recipe is the fact that Graf mixes a starter and lets it sit for 28 hours to deepen flavor, and the bagels then ferment for another 20 hours after being formed, before getting boiled.

It's unclear what secret methods Wise Sons Bagels have landed on, but they did tell San Francisco Magazine that they put malt syrup in their boiling water to give the bagels their sheen and help the toppings to stick. But bagel aficionados have not exactly been gushing about Wise Sons' perfection, or declaring them our bagel saviors at last — they're decent, but still can't compare to the best in New York, as most Yelpers concur. The place currently holds three stars.

Previously: The 11 Best Bagels In The Bay Area, Ranked
I Got In Line And Tried Wise Sons Bagel, And It's Good