Santa Monica Bagel Staple Gets Bold Nigerian Twist

On Wilshire Boulevard, a longtime bagel counter is quietly pulling double duty as a cross‑cultural bakery. New York Bagel Deli & Bakery, now run by husband‑and‑wife team Lenny Rosenberg and Adaeze Nwanonyiri, still turns out the kettle‑boiled, New York‑style bagels regulars swear by, while layering in Nigerian‑inspired pastries and an expanded bakery program. The refreshed space adds red booths, bright signage and a central pastry case where rugelach, Italian rainbow cookies and kola‑nut red velvet cupcakes sit side by side with gluten‑free options.

As reported by the Santa Monica Mirror, Rosenberg and Nwanonyiri bought the deli last year and kept the original bagel formulas in place, then added house‑made cream cheeses, almond milk and a full espresso program. The Mirror also notes that the bakery's red velvet cupcakes are made with kola nuts, an ingredient from Nwanonyiri's Nigerian heritage, and that the shop now offers homemade gluten‑free bagels and cookies. The redesign is framed as an effort to “merge cultures” in both the food and the décor.

The changes are part of a bigger pattern. Rosenberg and Nwanonyiri have a history of reviving neighborhood bakeries and cafés, a track record that includes Bea's Bakery, Marmalade Cafe and Lenny's Deli, according to the bakery's own materials. That official page also notes that the couple bought the Wilshire shop and rebuilt it with a larger pastry program and expanded gluten‑free offerings. A cookbook and a local TV baking series help explain why the menu now reads like a global greatest‑hits collection instead of a narrow deli script.

What They Changed

Inside, the pair swapped out worn chairs for diner‑style red booths, installed a neon storefront sign and carved out space for a central bakery case that now anchors the midday rush. Local reporting says the owners quietly purchased the deli in February and are teasing a future “bread wall” along with other nostalgic touches expected later this year. The goal is to keep that East Coast deli energy intact while giving customers more reasons to linger over a morning coffee.

Menu Highlights

The core bagel lineup remains in place: everything, sesame, poppy seed and the classic lox sandwiches regulars count on. Now the pastry case shares the spotlight with kola‑nut red velvet cupcakes, almond horns, Italian rainbow cookies and gluten‑free cookies and bagels made in‑house. The kitchen's menu PDF lists homemade cream cheeses and almond milk, and the Jewish Journal has described how the kola nut is a direct nod to Nwanonyiri’s Nigerian background. Taken together, the offerings turn the counter into a compact world tour rather than a single‑note deli case.

Why It Matters

For Santa Monica, the revamp functions as both preservation and a small experiment in culinary storytelling. A familiar bagel counter is still there, but now it comes with desserts and flavors that mirror the proprietors’ blended heritage. Local coverage situates the update alongside other Westside efforts to reinvest in long‑running storefronts and make them more inviting places to hang out, not just grab‑and‑go. That balance, staying loyal to what fans already love while slowly layering in new flavors, might be exactly what keeps the lines from slowing down.

Curious to try it for yourself? The shop opens early for commuters and keeps a longer schedule on weekends; check the bakery's site for current hours, online ordering and catering details.