"There are a lot of secrets, I can't say all of them. But just giving quality ingredients, not skimping out on the product," he said.
Batistatos hasn't strayed far from these secrets, and this dedication to quality bagels, made the same way over the past 20 years, is the reason Bagel Train in Suffern was voted by Daily Voice readers to have the "Best DVlicious Bagels in Rockland County."
"I feel honored that people recognize us, very much so," Batistatos said. His father, Dionisios, bought the bagel shop on Orange Avenue over 20 years ago and brought in his own hand-rolled bagel recipes.
"And we haven't changed one thing in 20-plus years," he said of the business that him and his mother, Gerasimia, run today. He added his daily customers and those who come on the weekends help make the place successful.
During the conversation, Batistatos was approached by a customer who told him that his family members order Bagel Train bagels from as far away as Pittsburgh, Buffalo, and Chicago.
Batistatos responded that plenty of customers tell him how they'll get the cold shoulder from relatives if they don't bring Bagel Train bagels when they visit.
Batistatos thanked the Daily Voice readers and his customers for voting their bagels as the best in Rockland County.
"We are honored and blessed to have won this award," he said.
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