Growing up in CA, we had a favorite place called The Bagel Basket, which was conveniently located near the high school. My best friend Elisa's mom worked there when we were 12 and she'd let us come with her at the crack of dawn on Saturdays to get the bagels going and even help customers. We thought that was pretty cool at 12. I still appreciate knowing the bagel cooking process, which involves rising, boiling, then baking to bagel-y perfection.
When I went away to college, I discovered Einstein Bros Bagels. This is when I discovered a plethora of flavored cream cheeses. And bagel sandwiches. And bagel dogs. Who knew a bagel could taste so great in so many different ways?
After college, I was able to do quite a bit of travel to New York when I worked for Twinlab. On several occasions, we made the drive from Long Island over to New Jersey for meetings at The Vitamin Shoppe. Part of our routine was stopping for 'the best bagels in New York' (according to Bob, our VP of Sales). 'The best bagels in New York' happened to be a little bagel shop located in Queens, for which I sadly cannot remember the name. To this day I can say that I've never had a better bagel. Several people have told me the reason bagels are better in NY has to do with the water, and that's why NY bagels and pizza can't be duplicated elsewhere. I was also happy to be accompanied by a few very tall men when we stopped for bagels in Queens. We drove through some projects where I wouldn't want to be stranded, for sure.
Recently, Meg, Jerushia and I discovered an Einstein Bros Bagels while we were in St Louis. We had breakfast there two days in a row. We'd had butterburgers at Culvers for dinner the night before, which was so good. As Jerushia said after bagels, "The food on this trip just keeps getting better and better!"
Anyway, the point of this path down bagel memory lane is to say that there really aren't any good bagels in our neck of the woods.
Until now.
Has anyone else noticed the brand new Einstein Bros Bagels that just opened next to Home Depot, behind Olive Garden?
BaGeL, BaBy!!!
get me some veggie schmear on a sourdough bagel!
ReplyDeleteOooh, or plain schmear on a marinara bagel, or a pesto bagel.
Mmmmmm 5 cheese bagel.
SO many choices!
Love Love LOVE that place.... my favorite is very simple... veggie cream cheese on a potatoe bagel !!
ReplyDeleteThis story made me crave bagels and miss Bob! I haven't thought about him in ages. Wonder what he's up to now?
ReplyDeleteI have a sweet tooth, so my fav is the cinnamon sugar with a strawberry schmear. Bu tthe veggie and sourdough are calling my name now. We have tons of Einsteins around. I guess I dodn't know how lucky I am. I haven't been there forever. I think the last time my kids went was when you took them, K. :)
ReplyDelete