A special culinary collaboration is utilizing local flavor to weave together Philly roots, Black foodways and a signature style of cooking—and Philadelphians can experience it all for themselves when they head to Spread Bagelry.
The Montreal-style brand (known for bagels, kettle-boiled in honey water and baked in wood-fired ovens) has partnered up with the brains behind Honeysuckle (chefs Omar Tate and Cybille St. Aude-Tate) to offer up a seasonal partnership of limited-time menu items, available at all of the Spread's locales until Dec. 31.
“Food has always been about connection for me,” explains Chef Omar Tate. “This menu represents the intersection of Black culture and Philadelphia tradition — sweet potatoes, black-eyed peas, scrapple, epis — all of it speaks to who we are, where we come from, and how food can bridge communities. To bring these flavors to life with Spread, a brand rooted in the city where I was born and raised, feels both natural and essential.”
Tate and his wife have grown a reputation in Philly for not just serving up soulful food with big flavor, but also for being cultural storytellers and community builders whose work “blurs the line between art, food, and activism.” Their brick-and-mortar Afro-centric restaurant is located just North of Broad Street, and the duo says they are “on a mission to reclaim Black food traditions.”
The collaboration is part of Spread Bagelry’s ongoing mission to expand its culinary perspective while preserving its artisanal craft, a release notes. Since joining Spread as CEO, Tom Selementi has emphasized partnerships that highlight local talent, seasonal flavors, and authentic connections to the community.
“Omar’s vision for food is bold, rooted, and deeply Philadelphia,” says Selementi. “Working together on this menu not only brings new flavors to our guests, it also carries forward the idea that bagel shops can be places of culture, not just convenience.”
And what can locals order up as part of the new collab? Think a Sweet Potato Bagel (a nod to Honeysuckle’s signature symbol of rootedness and cultural connection), the Sweet Heat Standard Sandwich (a vegan black-eyed pea scrapple patty layered with house-made hot honey and cheddar cheese, bringing together Southern soul food traditions and Philadelphia scrapple heritage), the Epis Garlic Parsley Cream Cheese (inspired by Haitian green seasoning, a staple in Tate’s home kitchen reimagined into a spread) and The Chili Yam Molasses Latte (a seasonal fall beverage boasting sweet potato pie and the cultural parallels between pumpkin and yam desserts).
This special collaboration menu is available now through Dec. 31 across all Spread Bagelry locations. Guests can enjoy the offerings daily starting at 6 a.m., with options available for both dine-in and to-go.
To find out more information on Spread Bagelry, visit spreadbagelry.com and to find out more information Honeysuckle, visit honeysucklephl.com
