Will Odell’s Bagel Be Denver’s Hottest New Breakfast Spot?

Denver has become something of a bagel mecca in recent years. Despite the addition of so many options, what’s available can still be categorized as New York–, Montreal-, or Los Angeles–style. Miles Odell is ready to introduce a new option to our palates: a Denver-style bagel.

That means naturally leavened bagels that are chewy-on-the-inside, springy-on-the-outside; fillings made with Colorado ingredients (think: Hatch green chiles, local tomatoes and eggs, a specialty bacon developed with Rugby Scott Ranch); and a casual yet refined approach to presentation and service.

You’ll get your first taste of this new frontier when Odell’s Bagel opens in Highland Square in early September. (It took over the corner spot that previously housed Denver Bread Co.)

“I grew up eating East Coast bagels. I love the LA scene,” says Odell, a self-taught “bageler.” With this West Highland spot being his first standalone restaurant, he wants to do something distinctly Colorado that also reflects his Jewish heritage and Japanese fine-dining experience and elevates the bagel shop experience.

Odell’s bagels are hand-rolled and made from a combination of three different flours. They’ll be available in the expected flavors (sesame, everything) and some surprising options, such as rosemary and furikake (a Japanese condiment made with seaweed, dried fish flakes, and sesame seeds). Cream cheeses span from plain to scallion to Hatch chile; we also tasted a truffle option that we hope makes an official appearance.

“The goal is for every customer to get a bagel that’s been out of the oven for less than an hour,” Odell says.

Alongside the lineup of bagels and schmears, the menu consists of eight sandwiches, including some rotating specials, which are made-to-order and plated with precision.

Take the heirloom tomato “sando”: Built on top of a rosemary bagel, it layers Hatch green chile cream cheese with thick half-moons of Miller Farms tomatoes and salsa macha before being sprinkled with olive oil, dill, chives, salt, and pepper.

And the fish selection. You won’t find just lox here. Instead, Odell developed custom recipes with a smokehouse in upstate New York. There’s organic, pastrami-cured Scottish salmon and paprika-cured sablefish, which are hand-sliced and generously portioned on open-faced bagels. For his whitefish salad, Odell sources whole Canadian whitefish, debones it, and mixes it with herbs, celery, Japanese mayonnaise, and lemon zest and juice.

All but the breakfast sandwich—which oozes with melty American cheese—will be served open-faced, so diners can opt for a half-and-half and not have to make tough decisions between two options.

Odell is working with area farmers to access seasonal ingredients, which will alter the menu slightly as the weather turns; he’ll also be preserving some of those local finds (chiles and fruit) so he can continue to serve them in the off-season.

Another addition on deck: a Japanese tasting menu in the evenings, which is expected to start in October.

It may sound like an odd combination, but it’s a reflection of Odell’s culinary background. Originally from New Jersey, he worked in Michelin-starred Japanese restaurants in New York, including Nobu and Masa, before being selected to move to Kyoto, Japan, by the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture as part of a culinary ambassador program. He returned stateside then relocated to Denver two years ago.

“It says so much about me and my experience working,” Odell says of his bagel shop.

Until the dinner program launches, Odell’s Bagel will be open Thursdays through Mondays, from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. It will serve a straightforward drink menu, including cold brew and drip coffee from Middle State Coffee, as well as a black sesame coffee slushy. A stocked pantry section will be filled with house-whipped cream cheese, house-made pickles and jams, fish by the pound, tinned fish, and more.

Denverites better be ready to add another bagel shop to their morning rotation.

3200 Irving St.