This week, the Boss Lady asked me to do some research on bagel bakeries and whether they would deliver to our offices. Most of the bagel purveyors she wanted me to look into were featured in a WaPo article a while ago. So, I let my fingers do the walking and called up the three she was most interested in. One was in D.C. up near Union Station and the other two were in Rockville. None of them, it turns out, deliver.Disappointed, I then asked Boss Lady how often she wanted bagels in the office and proposed that perhaps one of us could run up to Union Station a couple of times a week to haul some in. (I'll tell you her response in a moment.) So, why do I tell you all this? For one simple reason only: I am baffled that in a city addicted to coffee and carbs and frantic energy, there are no... none... nada... bagel franchises to be found in this entire city.
I know, I know. There's Au Bon Pain, but it's not strictly a bagel shop. And yes, there's Einsteins, but they're in the suburbs. Of course, you can find a bagel at McDonald's if you're willing to eat it with preformed eggs, ham, and cheese. Or, the little local delis and markets sometimes have them. But I'm not interested in any of those. I'm talking about a genuine, all-we-do-is-bagels bagel shop.
When I lived and worked in the Bay Area, they were as ubiquitous as Peet's Coffee shops. At least once a week, we had bagels from Noah's. How is it that there isn't something like that in this city?
Getting back to the Boss Lady, though. When I asked how often she'd like bagels in the office and if one of us should make a run for them, she e-mailed me back and said, "This isn't a bagel office. I just wanted them once. No need to do anything else with this. Thanks."
Sheesh. Here I thought it was something and now all I have in my head are thoughts of bagels.
I want a bagel, dammit!
Bagel and lox. BLT on a cinnamon raisin. Sea salt and butter. Asiago cheese... Bagels, oh, bagels, wherefore art thou?
8 comments:
TOASTED EVERYTHING WITH CREAM CHEESE. I would kill for one some days. Sigh.
Thanks for the postcard - it is great! :-) I have to see if I can get my scanner working...
Di: Seriously, huh? And the "bagels" you can buy at the grocery store don't cut it either.
You're welcome. I saw that one and thought of you and your recent experiences with healthcare in Le Suisse. No doubt, their treatment was about as effective as some of the remedies on that card!
Toasted cranberry with honey almond cream cheese from Einstein Bagel. WHEEEEEEEE!
Toasted poppy with veggie cream cheese was always my combo of choice (H&H bagel only, thank you!). Veggie cream cheese doesn't seem to really exist outside of New York, unfortunately. If I'm going to the local Noah's, it's toasted whole wheat with hummus, tomato and cucumber, served open-face so the hummus doesn't all go squeezing out at the first bite.
Cranberry with honey. Yum. Or an orange zest spread... How yummy would that be??
JA: I'm with you on the veggie schmears. Not so good at Noah's. Amazingly, for all the times I've been to NYC, I've never had a really good bagel there. Where should I be looking for those when I'm up there?
Einstein's used to have a spinach dill bagel that I really miss.
Sadly, the closest Einstein's is in the Dallas airport. One bagel/cafe place opened here since we moved, but every time we've thought to go by it's been closed.
My favorite were H&H (available at many delis throughout the city and at their own stores--I'm thinking of the big one on the W Side Hwy in the 40s), but there used to be a decent bagel place up near school, Columbia Bagel. H&H weren't too honkin' huge, and were nice and gooey/chewy when fresh, as bagels should be.
The best - absolute best - are from a bakery in Wyckoff, New Jersey. I also like Bruegger's Bagels....
There is a good bagel place up near Baltimore, if you want to stock up your freezer and willing to make the trip....
My favorite - when I can get it - is sourdough, toasted, with GOOD butter....
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