Call Your Mother Wants To Make ‘The Best Bagel Around’

Team Timber Pizza Company is branching out into bagels this year, with plans to open a new Park View deli dubbed Call Your Mother in April.

The carb-centric spot will feature wood-fired bagels that are somewhat of a hybrid between sweet Montreal types and broiled New York styles.

“We are aiming to make the best bagel around,” says Andrew Dana, co-founder of Timber and a partner in Call Your Mother.

He worked with Timber chef Daniela Moreira, an Eater 2017 Young Guns winner, to create the bagel recipe after loads of testing and trial-and-error work at Smoke Signals bakery in North Carolina.

They’ve arguably already created one of the best pies in town; the neighborhood favorite in Petworth was named a Best New American Restaurant by Bon Appetit this year.

The two are currently in Seattle on the prowl for the perfect wood-fire oven to cook the circular concoctions.

He describes the design from HapstakDemetriou+ as “Boca meets Brooklyn” and “Miami Vice meets Montreal.” The plan is to keep classic parts of the building alive and add in modern pops of South Floridian culture.

“We told the designers we want it to be the best of both worlds, like what we are doing with the bagel,” Dana says.

The size is intentionally small to “feel like a factory since we are also doing farmer’s markets and wholesale,” he says. There’s just 18 seats inside and a 20-seat outdoor patio. Plans have been submitted for permitting and the hope is to debut by April.

The menu will feature bagel sandwiches stuffed with egg, smoked whitefish or smoked salmon or slathered with cream cheese. Specials will include doughnuts, pastries and croissants. For dinner, the space will convert into a supper club with a 20-seat communal table four nights a week.

There will also be takes on Jewish deli classics, like latke fries, and the menu will also include baked rye and wheat breads and a challah sub roll. Call Your Mother is not trying to be a signature Jewish deli, however; he’s branding the new venture as a “Jew-ish” deli.

“I am good friends with Nick [Wiseman] at DGS and I don’t want to step on his toes. We want to be a casual bagel shop with Jewish inspiration,” Dana says.

D.C. lost a Jewish deli newcomer just last month, with the sudden closure of Chinatown’s On Rye after a year of service.

Dana expects the bagels to make an appearance at Timber during its weekend brunch service. He also expects Call Your Mother to boast similarly affordable price points. Customers can get a taste as soon as next month, when the hybrids are projected to appear at Freshfarm Markets in Dupont Circle and Silver Spring, Maryland.

Timber is also working on opening its second Neapolitan-style pizza stand (and empanada bakery) at the shiny new Ballston Quarter Market project later this year.

“Once we open this deli we will be cranking on Timber stuff,” Dana says.

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