Thursday, August 25, 2011

New Kids on the Bagel


We all have routines. One of my favorite routines occurs on Saturday and Sunday morning. The hounds, Penelope pictured above, are walked around parks - City on Saturdays, Audubon on Sundays. Afterwards, there is coffee and paper reading time blocked out. I am told by people all the time, "This is what happens when you don't have kids." Guilty as charged.

Well, last weekend the routine got a new wrinkle in the form of the bright, cheery, and delicious Artz Bagelz. The location of which requires a bit of explanation. You know the Design Within Reach Store on Magazine, where the prices are mainly Out of Reach? Ok if you are looking at the front of the building, go to your left, walk up Ninth Street about half a block and you will run into Artz.

Inside you will find a decor that is filled with childlike evocations of the bagel with frosted lamp shades and colorful circles on the wall. You place your order at the counter and wait for name to be called. First time we went, it was an Uptown for Lindsay which came with lox, cream cheese, tomato and capers on a regular bagel. I got the Asiago with a garlic herb schmear. Next day, Lindsay got a salt with veggie while I remained true to my first bagel love.

Admittedly my exposure to the bagel community is fairly limited to Lenders and the always cold, dry wheels served at CLEs and other hotel functions. These bagels have a hard crust which gives way easily to pressure and a soft, chewy interior. They are pretty amazing from where I sit. One thing, Artz could do better is improve their coffee service and add some papers. They do that, and I'll be looking for a new park near Artz to walk the hounds in no time.

Artz Bagels - Birdie
3138 Magazine St.
309-7557

6 comments:

Becky said...

Maybe check out the NORD park at the corner of Tchoup and Louisiana. It's not technically a dog park but it's fenced in and lots of people take dogs there.

Agree on coffee service. When I went last Sunday morning they were out of all but decaf. Not cool, bagel place.

Double Chin said...

Is that Gavin Degraw I see on the TV in the background? If so, I feel for that poor dog, being forced to listen to that d-bag.

Rene said...

DC,

Obviously you havent been forced to listen to your kids choices in music yet. Old picture, I think she has moved on to Kei$ha.

Becky,

Decaf coffee? What the hell is that?

Becky said...

I know right. Plus I was very hungover and emotionally unable to cope with talking to the counter girl about it, so I just stood there ineffectually trying and re-trying all the different (non-decaf) carafes until an employee noticed and came to my rescue.

fump and manny's said...

and I'm a hound dog!!

Next time you want a bagle on magazine walk that hound to somewhere her big schnoz will fit in, Stein's. they really do a good job on breakfast.

Nora said...

I thought their bacon-egg-cheese sandwich was aces. They actually fry up the egg on a grill!

Ah, Lyons Park (the place on Tchoup and Louisiana.) Definitely not a dog park, folks are trying to get kids sports there, but it is difficult with dog... stuff all around. Just sayin'.