Thursday, August 25, 2016

8/21/2016: Bagels 101, or the Sunday Bagels With Dad Story So Far and Where We're Headed

Hi Everyone,

This post is a very special edition of Sunday Bagels With Dad.  As you know, we’ve been on this litte adventure of ours for a year and a half.  Tomorrow, August 26, 2016, I start an adventure of a new kind: college.  I’m an incoming first-year student at SUNY Geneseo studying Elementary Education/Elementary Special Education.  I’m really excited, but it also means big changes are coming.  So I figured I would take this opportunity not only to give our final review on the blog, but also to tell the Sunday Bagels With Dad story.

Sunday morning breakfast has been a part of my weekly routine with Bryan for much, much longer than we’ve had this blog.  For years, we went religiously every week to Bagels 101 in Middle Island, of which a review will follow below.  Then, one day about four years ago, Bryan suggested we try something new every week, and Sunday Bagels With Dad was, in effect, born that day.  From then until February 2015, we went to a new bagel place every week and discussed what we liked a lot and didn’t like as much about each store we went to.  We searched religiously with Bryan’s GPS every week to make sure we didn’t go to the same place twice. 

Then, in the beginning of February 2015, we went to a place in St. James and got caught up in a conversation with the owner.  We spoke about different bagel places we had been to, and which ones were our favorites.  As the conversation unfolded, we realized we knew a lot about Long Island’s bagel shops.  When we left the bagel place that day, Bryan suggested a blog where we would rate the bagel places we visited, and the idea excited me.  The next week, we launched our blog as well as our Twitter and Facebook accounts, and posted our first ever review: The Everything Bagel of Commack, which you can view here.

In the year and a half since we launched our blog, we’ve been to over 50 bagel places, and we’ve rated them all.  Some of the bagel places were stores that we had visited in the past, but wanted to revisit so we could rate them on the blog.  Others were places we had never been before, and we still get excited when a new bagel place opens or we stumble upon a bagel place we never knew existed.

So this past Sunday, when we realized it was going to be our last Sunday breakfast together for awhile, I suggested the place “where it all began”, Bagels 101 in Middle Island.

Before I post our last review, I just wanted to say thanks, on behalf of both Bryan and myself, to everyone who’s shown interest in our little project.  Just seeing pageviews gratifies us and motivates us to keep going.  I wish all of our viewers the best of luck in all of their future endeavors.

And now for our review:

On Sunday, we visited Bagels 101 in Middle Island!

Bagels 101
852 Middle Country Road
Middle Island, NY 11953
Phone: (631) 205-9511

Bryan wasn’t hungry and didn’t order anything.  I ordered a light-colored sesame bagel with cream cheese.  Here is my rating:

Taste: 4 ½
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 4 ½

Since this is the bagel store we’ve visited most often and made so many wonderful memories at, I have a soft spot for Bagels 101 bagels.  So maybe I’m a little biased, or maybe it tasted like coming home, but I loved the taste of my bagel and the cream cheese.  The store is gorgeous.  The seating area, of which there is plenty, is clearly set apart from the waiting area, so it’s very easy to sit and enjoy your meal without hordes of people packed near you like sardines waiting for their orders, something we’ve experienced at some places.  Our server was very nice.  I happened to recognize her from the times we used to visit every week, and Bryan mentioned to her that we remembered her.  We talked to her for a while.  Also, she made my bagel just the way I had asked for it. J

Overall, we love this bagel place, and would highly recommend it to anyone in the area.

Once again, thanks for following our little journey.  Best wishes for all that lies ahead.

Love,


Rebecca

Sunday, August 14, 2016

8/7/16: Bagel Cafe

Hi Everyone!

After taking a week off on 7/31 since Bryan wasn't feeling well, last Sunday we stopped by Bagel Cafe in Middle Island!

Bagel Cafe
187 Middle Country Road
Middle Island, NY 11953
Phone: 631-924-3403

Rebecca ordered a sesame bagel with cream cheese.  Bryan ordered a toasted sesame with just a little cream cheese.  Here's how we rated it:

Taste: 3 1/2
Atmosphere: 4
Service: 4

Bryan definitely enjoyed his bagel more than Rebecca enjoyed hers, but we both agreed that the bagels and the cream cheese were tasty.  The store was nice, with ample seating area.  However, the waiting area was small and many people were sitting at tables to wait.  Also, the parking lot has very few spots, which could pose a problem on a busy day.  Our server was nice, and he made sure our bagels came the way we asked for them.

Overall, we were satisfied with our experience, and would recommend to those in the area looking for a good bagel.

Bryan and Rebecca