Can the L.A. Bagel Come Full Circle?

Can the L.A. Bagel Come Full Circle?

The bagel shop that opened in my neighborhood this spring announced itself with a bold blue banner out front that read “There are no good bagels in California.” Except the “no” came with a caret that tacked a “w” onto the end, so the text actually read “There are now good bagels in California.” The sentiment might have been provocative a decade ago. Back then, California, and specifically Los Angeles, where I live, was widely considered, at leas…