Copyright Hartford Courant
When Christine and Rob Cohen moved to Connecticut after living and working in New York, they discovered there wasn’t a real New York-style bagel to be found. They mean the kind with the dense, chewy interior that’s slightly crisp with a golden brown outer shell. So they decided to create such a line and two years later in 2003 they opened Cohen’s Bagel Company in Madison, going stronger than ever 22 years later in both their cafe and and wholesale areas. Recently they expanded to a second location at the R.J. Julia Booksellers/ Wesleyan University bookstore in Middletown at 413 Main St. Main St. where in addition to their famous bagels and original cream cheese spreads, they carry soups, sandwiches, salads, smoothies, espresso muffins, cookies, other baked goods. “It has a real great coffee shop vibe,” Christine Cohen said, noting it makes her feel like “grabbing a book,” drinking a hot latte with cinnamon and reading the book in one of the soft arm chairs. Christine Cohen, who is also in her fourth term as a Democratic state senator with more than 100,000 constituents said she loves both her jobs. The new Middletown location came about through her longtime friendship with R.J. Julia owner Roxanne Coady, who also has a bookstore in Madison and knows the Cohens’ products, Cohen said. “We loved the idea of going north,” Christine Cohen said. “We have a great following and loyal fan base. I think it will be fun to be part of Wesleyan ” They briefly had a shop in Branford years ago, but didn’t renegotiate the lease as their wholesale business was “exploding,” she said. She said the secret to their delicious bagels is, “all in the process, it’s all in the water. ” At the Wesleyan shop they’ll carry about eight of their most popular bagels including the wildly popular French toast bagel, sesame, cheddar, cinnamon raisin, harvest wheat and the most popular of all time, the plain bagel. They also have from scratch made whipped cream cheese varieties, including very berry, vegetable, maple walnut raisin, scallion bacon, and lox. The Cohens worked corporate jobs in New York before opening the business, with Christine doing both until 2007. In 2018 she ran for the state Senate seat and is now in her eighth year in the 12th district. She’s senate chair of the Transportation Committee and wanted to have a voice in issues such as small business, education, the environment and more. ” I do love what I do, ” Cohen said. Her husband, Rob, is a “people person,” Christine Cohen said, and loves talking to the regulars. “He has a special relationship with so many people we’ve been serving lunch to for so many years,” she said. Christine Cohen said her favorite part of the job is “far and away” her conversations with customers. She loves it when people comment that it makes their day to come in and when parents come in to buy items for care packages to send to their college-aged children. “All these things fill my heart,” Christine Cohen said.
