My first bagel was from Costco when it opened in Canberra a couple of years ago and I had no idea what to put on it. The dough was denser than bread… like a savoury donut. Toasting a bagel takes it to greater heights than I had thought bread products could reach. Once toasted though, the problem remained: What to put on it?
Well, there are a few places with some great ideas.
However, before we get to that, there are several kinds of bagels to consider. Bread Nerds in Hume make several kinds of bagels as well as breads, donuts and pizza bases. I’m happy with the plain kind of bagels but there is also poppy seed, sesames, blueberry, cinnamon and raisin, onion and cheesy bagels!
Also known among friends as ‘That Bagels Place’, Bread Nerds’ delicious bagels and baked goods can be found in Hume and have been known to take their sweet and their savoury to the Weekend Farmer’s Market at EPIC.
Bean & Grain, in Deakin and The Fyshwick Markets, not only have enough topping variations for a bagel menu, they also have gluten free bagel options. How about roast beef, horseradish mayonnaise, Brie, chili jam and salads on an Everything Bagel? Intriguing, isn’t it? Maybe tandoori chicken with Gouda, or the vegetarian red peppers and eggplant, bursting with vegetables on multigrain. The Italian is typically exotic with provolone, prosciutto and other fancy items on a garlic bagel. Bean & Grain pack their bagels with every lunchable imaginable.
As a quick and filling snack, bagels are great on the run – especially when The Tuckshop rolls up its doors in Garema Place. Chicken, bacon and cheese with a touch of greenery are a great go-to when the hunger pains start to creep in.
Immediately opposite, in the café corner of Garema Place, is where bagels are easy to find. My Café has a breakfast bagel and, right next door, Café Essen makes an extravagant vegan bagel with homemade beans, spinach and scrambled tofu piled up for a light and healthy lunch.
The Southside is keeping up on the bagel front, too. Brew Bar on the café strip of the Tuggeranong Hyperdome offers a classic cream cheese bagel or a sweeter option with butter and jam. The bagels themselves are made in two kinds: plain and blueberry.
Alas not every café sells these chewy, bready circles so make the most of our dedicated research. Thanks to their increasing availability, bagels have moved from classic snack to make a great brunch (and even a light lunch). Their popularity will continue to grow, so keep an eye out at your local café and let us know if a new style of bagel makes an appearance.
