The gist: Tucked into a pretty storefront in a quiet residential neighborhood, this is the place to get yourauthentic Jewish bagel sandwich, smoked fish, and other appetizing shop favorites. The food: Bagels—plain, poppy, sesame, everything and rye, and a fun daily special such as chili-garlic-fennel—are made in house. Choose one for any of the nine sandwiches, build your own sandwich, or take fixings home and lay out an elaborate spread.

In opening this pitch-perfect bagel shop, chef-owner Chad Conley filled a long-neglected gap in Portland's food scene. Here you'll find spot-on New York–style bagels (made in-house every morning) with both expected and unusual add-ons, including pastrami nova, chopped liver, and whitefish salad.

Walking up to the Rose Foods window is like stepping up to an elaborate Wes Anderson film set. But don’t let all the window dressing distract you—the housemade bagels and deli classics like pastrami on rye, whitefish salad, and the chopped liver are truly excellent. Stop here to refuel before a woodsy hike (it’s conveniently located just off the highway) or before a photo-op with the perfectly preserved sixteen-foot-tall boot at the L.L.

When Mainers debate which bagel deserves the state’s top ranking, Jewish-style deli Rose Foods always makes the short list. Chef/owner Chad Conley’s bubbly, open-crumb sourdough bagels might not be ultra-orthodox, but they are tasty, especially when they’re split and filled with whitefish salad or capers and pastrami-style nova lox. Latkes and matzoh ball soup are also menu winners here.

In 2023, Rose Food landed on Bon Appetit’s The Very Best Bagels in the US (Yes, Outside New York). What really drew me in was the Regal Rose – a bagel topped with pastrami, eggs, latke, jalapeno mayo, and cheddar!. Unfortunately, when we went, they were out of pastrami and not serving this, so I chose the Classic Nova, which didn’t disappoint!

A spiritual cousin of Mamaleh’s in Cambridge, Rose Foods specializes in bagels, smoked fish, and other Jewish deli classics: matzo ball soup, pastrami on rye, full-sour and half-sour pickles. Started by Palace Diner’s Chad Conley, the appetizing shop makes its bagels in-house every morning. Top them with house lox, Nova, sable, and more.

It was the day before Rose Foods’ official opening, and while the baker and chef at the new Jewish deli on Forest Avenue kept busy in the kitchen, owner Chad Conley worked with handymen on last-minute fixes. “Welcome to the neighborhood!. ” read the note on a bouquet of flowers in the window, sent by a local resident.

Another specialty deli, Rose Foods procures the highest quality fresh and smoked fish and sells it alongside their 6 varieties of house-made-daily bagels…and plenty of other delicious menu options. Want to create your own bagel masterpiece?. It’s easy—just four steps to culinary greatness: Pick a bagel.

Hit up the Jewish deli that’s worth its weight in legit bagels: Rose Foods. Yes, I just said that (it's on our Top 50 list!). And after you’ve loaded up on perfect Montreal-style bagels, crispy latkes, and a big bowl of matzo ball soup, be sure to purchase one of their soon-to-be-famous canvas totes.

These days, go out to lunch in Portland and you can find babkas, challahs, bialys and deli ryes at Rose Foods, Union Bagel, Ten Ten Pié, and Fork Food Lab. Tin Pan Bakery offers knishes, while The Purple House serves up smoked salmon, gravlax, and whitefish caviar on Montreal-style bagels.

- Rating: 4.5 / 5 (33 reviews)- Detailed ratings: Food (4.5/5), Service (4.0/5), Value (4.0/5)- Type of cuisine: Quick Bites, American- Price: $- Address: 428 Forest Ave, Portland, ME 04101-2014- Read more on Tripadvisor

Located at 428 Forest Ave. in Oakdale, the deli, which offers bagels, sandwiches and more, is the highest-rated deli in Portland, boasting four stars out of 107 reviews on Yelp.