Over the past year, Harvey’s Handrolled Bagels at 98 Walnut Street in Montclair has been a popular spot for locals and visitors alike. The bagel shop owner, Matt Harvey, had a passion for the art of bagel making and brought his vision to life during the pandemic. As of November 3rd, the bagel shop announced its closure on Instagram to take effect on November 10th and was replaced with a new bagel concept, Walnut Street Bagels and Co. Read on for what we know about the closure and the new bagel concept that replaced the spot.
About Walnut Street Bagels + Co.
The new bagel shop that took over 98 Walnut Street is Walnut Street Bagels and Co., which is a part of the same company as Walnut Street Kitchen and Walnut Street Bakery in Montclair. These companies are a part of the Walnut Street Kitchen Corporation and are located right next door.
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Walnut Street Bagels and Co. opened its doors on November 11th with its start-up line of bagels. The bagels featured in the start-up line included a plain, everything, poppyseed, cinnamon raisin, garlic, onion, sesame garlic, and whole wheat everything. Per an Instagram post, customers can try a Filipino-inspired breakfast sandwich on an onion bagel which includes a longaniza sausage patty, fried egg, hash brown, pickled red onion, banana ketchup, and roasted black garlic cream cheese. Owner Beverly told MG that it would also be serving a Cacio e Pepe sandwich made with cracked pink + black peppercorn, melted fontina, + pecorino cheese. She also said to expect new cream cheese flavors like roasted black garlic, kimchi, sun-dried tomato, + garlic herb.
Beverly also mentioned to us that Walnut Street Bagels + Co. will be keeping the Jersey City Devil sandwhich (and renaming it The Harvey in honor of her former partner, Matt), as well as the Walnut St. Station sandwich.
As former partners, the ingredients used largely overlap with those of Harvey’s Handrolled Bagels. This is confirmed by Bevelery’s response to a comment under an Instagram post that features the start-up line of bagels. The comment asked, “Will the bagels be the same recipe/made the same as Harvey’s or a different bagel?” Beverly replied, “Yes.”
Walnut Street Kitchen serves locally sourced, fusion-inspired Italian-Filipino dishes and was co-founded by the owners, Beverly Lacsina and Matt Harvey. Matt, who was once Beverly’s partner at Walnut Street Kitchen Corp, played a crucial role in the initial stages of their culinary journey. They teamed up during the height of the pandemic, testing recipes and breathing life into the kitchen. However, with Matt’s departure, the culinary journey now continues under Beverly’s leadership. Walnut Street kitchen’s menu includes appetizers such as corn and scallion pancakes, kabocha squash salad, baked oysters, and roasted beet tartare. The homemade pasta dishes include walnut street pasta, chitarra bolognese, and sweet potato gnocchi. The main courses include center-cut pork chop, roasted monkfish, flat iron steak, seared scallops, and seafood ragu, and sausage and broccoli rabe risotto, among other delicious items. Walnut’s bakery is located next door and includes an array of specialty baked goods that transport customers directly to the heart of Italy.
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About Harvey’s Handrolled Bagels + the Closure
On Friday, November 3rd, Harvey’s Handrolled Bagels took to Instagram to share its closure. The post read: “I know I’ve been relatively quiet over the past few months and I wanted to give an update. At the end of the summer, I made the hard decision of parting ways with Walnut Street Kitchen Corp and will be taking a hiatus with Harvey’s Handrolled brand. My next step was to expand Harvey’s and open a full-size brick-and-mortar location and right now that’s not something I can do. It’s been an incredible experience serving the customers of Montclair and surrounding towns and I appreciate all of the love and immense support you have given us. It means the world to me and I’m very grateful for this opportunity.”
The post continued, “This weekend and next week will be the last chance to get Harvey’s bagels/sandwiches. Next Saturday 11/11 my former business partner and owner of @walnutstreetkitchen_ Beverly Lacsina will be opening a new bagel/bakery concept in the bakery called @walnutstreetbagelsandco. Please go follow and continue to show the same love to her and the new shop. You can expect to see some new bagel choices and a whole new sandwich menu as well as her specialty cakes and pastries. I’m not sure what the future holds but I don’t think this is forever. Thank you all and I’ll see you this weekend.” To stay updated on any future developments, visit the company’s Instagram.
Located at 98 Walnut Street, Harvey’s Handrolled Bagels quickly became a local favorite for both residents and visitors alike. Despite being in business for just over a year, it has captured the hearts of many, and evidence of this strong connection can be found in the comments left on the company’s closure announcement in its recent post.
Photo credit: Kerri Sullivan
During the pandemic, owner Matt Harvey delved into his passion for bagel making, perfecting the art with a blend of lightness and decadence. Matt initially shared his creations with friends and family, donating the proceeds to the Community Food Bank of New Jersey. Overwhelmed with positive feedback, he turned his passion into a full-time endeavor after quitting his corporate medical sales job. What was first operated as a weekend pop-up shop in the bakery section of Walnut Street Kitchen transformed into Harvey’s Handrolled Bagels, an independent shop located at 98 Walnut Street.
The menu featured unconventional breakfast sandwiches such as ‘The Cafone,’ a bagel sandwich with fried eggs, charred long shots, and mozzarella, as well as ‘The Corner Store,’ an ode to a local business that featured crispy apple-smoked bacon, fried eggs, cheddar, and scallion cream cheese. In addition to serving bagels, Matt always continued to maintain his philanthropic values by donating proceeds to support the non-profit organization Good Times.
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A little over a year since its inception, the bagel shop has now closed its doors, making way for the arrival of Walnut Street Bagels and Co.
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