Just this month, a new bakery hit the streets of Port Washington; Schmear opened early April and is already buzzing with people.

In 2016, Bill Mulholland and his wife Jean moved to Port Washington, and they have just opened a bakery-market on Main Street that specializes in bagels and coffee.  On April 7, the Port Washington Chamber of Commerce joined Schmear for the grand opening.  It took over the large store market that used to be Brothers Farm.

For many, the intriguing name was an immediate draw.  In case you didn’t know, “schmear” is a Yiddish word that has been Americanized to mean a smear or spread.  Very fitting to the name, Schmear serves bagels.  They organized the store so that the whole back section would be devoted to their homemade bagels.  However, Schmear does things a little differently: instead of boiling the dough and then baking it in the oven, Mulholland uses a specialized oven to first steam them.  This process creates a “less chewy” and “more squishy” bread, as reported by Newsday.  Prices for bagels range from just 75 cents for the minis and $1 for the regular bagels.  They also have specials that offer 14 bagels for only $12.  Additionally, the store caters to the palate with a variety of cream cheeses with scallions, vegetables, and walnut-raisin in them.

Their menu is filled with build-your-own salads ($8), bagels, and deli or breakfast sandwiches.  Of course, they also specialize in baked pastries and have an expansive coffee selection with a variety of flavors that will make every coffee lover’s dream.  The employees bake every bread and pastry, including baguettes, challah, muffins, doughnuts, and cookies.

“I recently went to Schmear with my friends, and we all loved the food.  We also found it really easy to order,” said junior Celia Christake.

You can order at a table in the back by the salad bar and then pay and wait for your food by the cashier in the front.  Prepackaged food is available in open cases that are also stocked full of every drink imaginable.

Schmear looks like it was dropped straight out of SoHo.  The wood and clean feel is the perfect new addition to Port Washington’s Main Street.  With the WiFi password, subway tile, big clear doors, and funny motivational sayings on display, it’s a great hangout spot for both kids and adults.

“I loved how open everything felt.  It was a great place to go with my friends that wasn’t the typical diner.  It had a new and different feel from most places around here,” said junior Saige Gitlin.

Schmear opens at the crack of dawn (5 am on weekdays and 6 am on weekends) and always closes at 3 pm, so try to get there early.  It is the perfect place to go for your before-school coffee and bagel, or a fun place to walk to if you have first period or 4.1-4.2 off.  Although this may not be the place to have your late-night coffee study sessions, if you’re a morning person with a big test first period, a 6am crash course with free WiFi could do you very well.  Plus, the salad bar there would be a great lunch option.

“After recently going to Schmear, I can definitely see my friends and me going there when we have first off to do some homework, get breakfast, and relax in a cool new place,” said junior Lucy Hurt.

Schmear is a great new addition to Main Street.  With good food, a unique environment, and a prime location, Schmear is the perfect place for any Port resident to enjoy.