The Bagel

I grew up on Sunday morning bagels and cream cheese.

No no… not Jewel-Osco bagels and cream cheese, not Dunkin’ Donuts bagels and cream cheese – real bagels and cream cheese.

Every Sunday my father would pick up bagels and cream cheese from the local, one-of-a-kind deli, owned by our friend, neighbor, and New York native, Barry. My father would sit down, have a coffee, schmooze a little, and then bring back some delicious homemade bagels for his “kindelech.”

And I have had an undying love for well-prepared bagels (nope, Einstein’s doesn’t count here either) ever since.

Then I moved from my “one-bagel-shop” town to an “oy-gevalt-endless-number-of-bagel-shops” Chicago.

And I found myself overwhelmed.

Where would I even begin the search for my new bagel place?  Where could I find a bagel place that could capture the essence all of my childhood Sunday mornings and my new tres-Cheeky Chicago life?

The answer was ironically simple: The Bagel Restaurant & Deli.

The menu at The Bagel is nothing short of an ode to the old country. In between my personal delicatessen favorites of corned beef on rye and matzo ball soup, there are some oddballs – pickled beef tongue and sautéed chicken livers with onion. But all the traditional deli foods on the menu are every bit as good as Grandma Tzitel’s.

Also noteworthy is the “bread basket.” On second thought, “bread bucket” seems more appropriate. Jam-packed into the bucket you will find both sweet and sour pickles, wonderfully honey-sweet and uber soft challah, homemade, baked-to-crispy-perfection bagel chips, and a few spare rolls. I am always a sucker for some (okay, a lot) of bread to hold me over before the food arrives. But the bread bucket at The Bagel can really become your meal if you’re not careful.

Yet, dare I say, it was not the bagels that first stood out to me at The Bagel… it was a candy “bar.” My hometown bagel shop had a few odds and ends to curb a sweet tooth craving, but nothing like this. When you strut your way into the red-and-black-vinyl, Broadway poster-decorated restaurant, you are immediately greeted, not by a hostess, but by a ten-foot long glass display housing everything from marshmallows to graham crackers to pretzels covered in the chocolate of your choice. And every item is hand decorated with an assortment of wonderfully bright, chaotic, and attention-grabbing sprinkles and frostings. The “to-go” candy bar (from which you can totally order a bagel or a sandwich as well) is a great way to get a little “nosh” from The Bagel without sitting down for a full length meal.

But just because you can take-out, doesn’t mean you should. Family owned and operated for the past five decades, The Bagel is a wonderful spot to enjoy a weekend brunch with a gal pal, a guy pal, a cousin, a cousin’s friend, a grandparent… bring your whole Cheeky gang! On any given Sunday morning, you could run into an old boss, an old teacher, an old flame, and be served by the same friendly person that waited on your table when you were eight. The Bagel is more than a restaurant; it is a local gathering place where the faces (and food) are familiar and comforting. Mom and Dad and good ol’ Barry might be far away, but sometimes all you need is a little bagel and shmear to make you feel right at home.