Get set for a longer-than-typical line outside Tartine Bakery Wednesday evening as notoriously bagel-starved SF gets a new bagel pop-up to try, called Midnite Bagel.
These bagels won't be rolling out at midnight, however. They'll be up for grabs starting at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, i.e. right after the bakery's evening bread rush.
A very spare website for Midnite Bagel can be found here, and rumor has it this is the project of one of the bakery staff at Tartine — SFist will bring you more info as we get it.
There is also an Instagram account, and the photographic evidence suggests some beautifully browned, slightly oven-charred bagels — dare I say these might be Montreal-style bagels, which are boiled with a bit of honey and typically made in a wood oven (even though Tartine's oven isn't wood-fueled)?
The last time I can recall a Mission-based bagel pop-up appearing, there were lines around the block. But those were actual NY bagels, physically flown across the country, and these were the days before we had Wise Sons — and yeah, yeah, lots of people don't think Wise Sons is all that, but they're really pretty good based on local comparisons!
Expect Midnite Bagel to likely sell out without an hour. Or less. Just a guess.