Say goodbye to FūD on the MūV, Charlotte. Now, bagels are where it’s at.
Fans of FūD on the MūV at Town Brewing, change is in the air. After a couple of years at the brewery, chef Jeff McElwee is leaving to focus on a new bagel business called Crust Punk Baking.
“They’re done the real way and done the right way, and they are pretty good,” McElwee told CharlotteFive about his bagels, which undergo a 24-hour process before they’re boiled and baked.
He got his start in bagels while working at Queen City Grounds, then fine-turned them while working on “doughnations” fundraisers he held for restaurant industry staff in need earlier in the COVID pandemic.
Now, he’s making about 1,500 bagels a week — and finds himself creating and expanding the Crust Punk brand.
Here’s what you need to know:
Saturday, Dec. 31 will be McElwee’s last day at Town Brewing. He’s leaving his recipes behind, and the crew there will be putting out the same menu for the short term, at least. A statement from Town Brewing said: “Our taproom looks forward to continuing the wonderful program he has established here, coupled with finding our next chef to lead us in to the future. We have not yet publicly named a new chef, but have some great things in the works.”
You can find Crust Punk bagels already. Local coffee shops and other outlets that carry them include Bart’s Mart, Central Coffee, Crane Coffee, Culture Shop, Enderly Coffee, Night Swim Coffee, Queen City Grounds, Press and Porter in Concord, Town Brewing and Undercurrent Coffee.
You can also order online for pickup. Pricing listed on the website starts at $10 for a half dozen bagels, and combinations are available.
There are 12 flavor options, including:
- Bam Bam Bagelow: everything seasoning with ghost pepper salt and a touch of cinnamon sugar
- Cinnamon Sugar: Ceylon cinnamon and sugar with a touch of coriander and salt
- Everything: A mix of minced onion and garlic with poppy seeds, sesame seeds and sea salt
- Weck: The Buffalo special — a plain bagel coated in caraway seeds and pretzel salt
Delivery services will be available soon. Once Crust Punk can get settled in its new spot at the South End Eats ghost kitchen, you’ll be able to order bagels with cream cheese, breakfast sandwiches and drinks via DoorDash and Uber Eats.
[READ NEXT: Jamaican-born and raised chef opens restaurant in Charlotte, serving authentic fare.]
Look for those famous waffle-wiches in the future. Back when McElwee was at FūD at Salud, he found Food Network fame on “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” for the indulgent creations. He told CharlotteFive that he’ll eventually bring those back to the menu — perhaps once a week.
Crust Punk Baking
Location: Online via South End Eats at 500 W Summit Ave, Charlotte, NC 28203, and at area businesses
Cuisine: bagels, breakfast
Instagram: @crustpunkbaking
