Taste Test: Bagels!!!

Bagels. Everyone loves bagels. Whether you are like me and eat 5-6 bagels a week or you live under a rock and only eat 1-2 a week, we all love them. Warm or room temperature, with cream cheese, butter or plain, bagels are a satisfying breakfast, lunch or dinner food. A lot of companies produce bagels, some specialize in it, and others merely make it on the side. I have had a lot of bagels in my time from a lot of different places. And I was curious as to which one was the best. I chose three popular bagel shops in or near Melrose and tested them out. To keep everything even and fair, I tested plain bagels with plain cream cheese from every shop.

First up: Brueggers. Located on Main Street, Melrose, this bagel shop offers many bagels as well as sandwiches and salads. I ordered a plain bagel as usual with plain cream cheese. The bagel was slightly warm because it was fresh that morning. The bagel itself was warm and soft on the inside but perfectly crunchy on the outside. The plain cream cheese compliments the bagel nicely and over all the combination is very nice.

Second, I tested Finagle-a-bagel. Their bagels are slightly larger than the ones at Brueggers, but not as thick. The products were complimentary as well. The overall package is good. Not absolutely amazing but good. The cafe offers other bagel like foods, like sandwiches and salads.

Third, I tested Bagel World. Their bagels are very good. Much like the others, they are well complimented by their cream cheese. The bagels are of average size and are filling for a meal.

By now you can probably tell which bagel I liked most. Out of convenience, being located right in Melrose, and because of the great taste, Brueggers, to me, is the best bagel!!

By: Elisa Lemack