When I moved back to Alaska from Manhattan a few years ago, I knew there were going to be things I'd miss. I assumed good bagels would be on that list.

Maia Nolan photos

Whether or not the secret is "in the water," as New Yorkers would have you believe, bagels are simply better in the Northeast than they are anywhere else in the country. I heard it put well by an NPR commentator recently: You might find something called a "bagel" on the menu in America's heartland, but your Jewish grandmother wouldn't necessarily recognize it as such.

Fortunately for me, my return to Anchorage coincided almost exactly with the opening of Marty's New York Bagel Deli. I don't know what Marty does -- maybe he has his water piped in from the tri-state area? -- but he has managed to come as close to an authentic bagel as I think anyone on this end of the country ever will.

Originally open only on Dimond Boulevard (but fortunately quickly expanded to include a location next to Title Wave Books on West Northern Lights), Marty's New York Bagel Deli may not be the true New York bagel shop experience -- the staff is far more laid-back than the guys who used to fix me a scooped-out plain with scallion spread on my way to catch the 6 Train -- but it's the next best thing to a cross-continental flight and a sweaty cab ride to the real deal. Where else in town can you get matzah ball soup ($4.95 a cup, $5.95 a bowl, $1.50 for an extra matzah ball) and a black and white cookie ($1.50)? Nowhere, that's where. The black and white is maybe a little softer and moister than I might like, but on the other hand, that probably means it's fresh.

Apparently Marty's serves a variety of sandwiches (hot and cold) and salads, as well as hot breakfast. I can't comment on these items. I can get a salad anywhere. I go to Marty's for the bagels.

Oh, the bagels. Chewy on the outside, soft on the inside, never too dry or too doughy, but just about perfect. There is not a better bagel in this city. Period. The staff unfailingly asks customers if they want their bagels toasted. I beseech you: Say no. Toasting is for bagels that aren't good enough to stand on their own. A mediocre bagel needs to be toasted. A good bagel doesn't.

Personally, I'm a fan of the plain bagel (95 cents each, $7.25 for a baker's dozen) with cream cheese, onions, tomatoes and capers. The asiago bagel with a scallion schmear ($2.95 for any flavor bagel with your choice of eight different flavored cream cheeses) is also tasty. Feeling adventurous? An attorney for whom I used to work swears by the chocolate chip bagel with jalapeno cream cheese. Doesn't sound promising, I know, but trust me: It's delicious.

Marty's also carries Kaladi Bros. coffee and Dr. Brown's sodas, but if you're in the market for a cold beverage, go for the orange juice ($2 and totally worth it).

Yeah, the staff's a little too polite, the vibe's a little too laid-back and the dining area is entirely too big for Marty's to be "authentically" New York. Whatever. The man makes a good bagel. And in this town, that puts him in a class all his own.

Contact Maia Nolan at maia(at)alaskadispatch.com