Nubeigel to Bring New Bagel Offerings to Cleveland Heights

After years of wandering the globe as a chef, Josh Admon settled down in Jerusalem, where he ran a coffee and pastry shop for 15 years. Longing for a radical change, he and his family left Israel in search of a new place to call home.

“I love it there but it’s intense,” says Admon. “We were looking for a nice community, a nice place where we could start over, but in a way that would work for everyone.”

That place ended up being University Heights.

Next up for the chef is a Nubeigel, his unique spin on a neighborhood bagel shop. That shop is expected to open this summer in Cleveland Heights (2254 Lee Rd.).

“The idea is to take the techniques I use in baking and apply it to bagel making,” he says of the café. “Kind of reflective of the name, I’m not going to categorize my product and I’m not down to any sort of rules or regulations of different style bagels. I wouldn’t even call them a hybrid. I’m not going to call it anything other than my product.”

Neighbors can look forward to a selection of fresh-baked bagels like plain, salt, sesame and mish-mosh. Those bagels will be joined by schmears, lox, fish salads and vegan spreads. Admon says he’s looking forward to creating sandwiches that pair bagel flavors with specific fillings.

“I like to take traditional things and a little flair to them,” he explains.

Admon says that while Nubeigel will be a kosher café, most guests wouldn’t even be aware of the designation.

“Nobody even needs to know that this is a kosher establishment,” he says. “There is nothing different about the place except that you won’t see ham or meat with cheese.”

The casual breakfast-and-lunch spot is expected to open sometime this summer. And when it does, Admon hopes to create a community space that is open, interactive and distinctive.

“I would like to give people a different experience, not just the bagel itself,” he says. “I’d like people to come into an environment that’s a little bit different, a little bit more fun – warm. In a lot of ways I’m trying to bring my experience from my last business here, which is funny because it is such a radically different environment there.”