bagelfest’s Lifetime Achievement Award honors a shop whose influence on bagel culture will be felt for generations. This year, we recognized a legend that, sadly, closed its doors last December - but whose impact remains unmistakable. Absolute Bagels was a cultural landmark on the Upper West Side. It was a destination for bagel lovers across New York City and beyond. Lines stretched down Broadway for over three decades. When Absolute Bagels closed for good, it made national news. Some wept, others sat shiva. They were mourning more than the delecatble bagels - they greived for the loss of a place that defined their routines, their neighborhood, and in some cases their childhoods. These reactions speak to the imprint that Absolute Bagels left on this world. Very few shops can boast this legacy. For all of these reasons, it is our privilege to present the Lifetime Achievement Award to Absolute Bagels. Absolute Bagels joins essabagel (2024) as the recipients of the Lifetime Achievemen...