Aaaaahhhh, bagels.
Second in line only to a true Parisian butter croissant; they are, hands down, one of my absolute favorite breakfast foods. But only when they’re from a true bagel bakery. And even then, there are stipulations.
I know, I know. This makes me somewhat of a bagel snob. I can’t help it. I grew up with an outstanding bagel bakery in my hometown that set the bar too high, and then I had a few bagels in NYC and, well, the rest is history.
The truth is that a good bagel is more than just the bagel itself. It’s the fresh homemade cream cheese that goes with it. And there’s an unspoken, but very strict, cream cheese to bagel ratio that must be achieved. You simply cannot have a good bagel without outstanding cream cheese that oozes all out the sides when you take a bite. It’s kind of a law.
And I’m not talking Philadelphia packaged cream cheese – no sir. I’m talking the stuff that true bagel bakeries whip fresh themselves and add things like scallions and veggies to. Now that – that’s where it’s at.
And if you ever find yourself in our Green Mountain State and are in need of an excellent bagel (the best kind of cream cheese and all) – don’t let the continuously long line at Burlington Bagel Bakery put you off. Park the car, join the que and prepare to have your socks knocked off. Because in my opinion, Burlington Bagel has the best bagels, cream cheese and coffee in all of Vermont.
While I’m partial to the Montreal Spice bagel, toasted twice, with veggie cream cheese; my husband always gets their bagel breakfast sandwiches with the addition of a hashbrown. Noelle loves all of their smoothies (especially the “Strazzle”), and Liv is all about the cinnamon buns the size of her head.
The rest of the family always loads up on the family favorite, Monument Farms Chocolate Milk, but I’m all about the Speeder and Earl’s coffee. Another Vermont company, the beans are roasted in Vermont and anyone who knows me knows that is my all-time favorite coffee. A friend got me hooked on their Maple French Roast while camping and I haven’t stopped loving it since. Most Christmas’s Carl will stuff a bag of it in my stocking because he knows how coveted it is. Burlington Bagel always has so many varieties of it on offer. Nothing goes better with a toasted bagel than Speeder and Earl’s.
So, if you find yourself hankering for a damn good bagel and freshly brewed cup of coffee, make your way to our favorite bagel shop. The line is long for a reason.
Because it’s the best.
