How 'bout I schmear that for ya?

From breakfast staple to dinner delight, there's no food as versatile as the bagel—and perhaps no feed I eat more. I have one every day, usually for breakfast. What better way to start your morning than with a toasted round multigrain? On one side, I slap on a cream cheese schmear, oftentimes topped with jelly. The other—good old-fashioned peanut butter. Usually, the bagel itself is store bought from any local grocer. Thomas' New York style are a reliable choice. Yet every now and then, I crave something made fresh. Luckily, Athens has a fair share of options...

There are two schools of thought in this regard. On the one hand, there's Bagel Street Deli, a cool little spot built in what was originally an alley. The resulting space is long and narrow, with expose brick walls decorated with chalk signatures and tin-foil art from local patrons. BSD features a great menu of no-nonsense creations such as the Flaming Moe (smoked turkey, spicy cream cheese, provo, onion, banana peppers), My Big Fat Greek Bagel (steamed mushrooms, onions, olives, spinach, and feta cheese) and the Bobcat (fresh roast beef, smoked chedder).

My favorite would have to be Kim's Kraving (smoked turkey, bacon, any cheese, lettuce, tomato, mayo).

The bagels here are a little on the small size and a little harder than some might like. The sandwiches are always packed with tons of meat and toppings though, so bring your appetite.

On the other hand, there's also World's Best Bagels. Whether or not these bagels are actually the best in the world is debatable. They are great though.

Unlike BSD, the bagels at World's Best are big, plump, and fresh-baked soft. Their menu is slightly more limited, featuring classic fare such as cream cheese and bagel varieties as opposed to lots of sandwich options.

The sandwiches they do have are positively delicious though. Try the classic New York Melt (thin sliced roast beef, melted Swiss cheese, red onion and thin sliced green peppers) or my fave, the Turkey Runnin' Thru the Garden (sliced turkey breast w/ avocado, sprouts, tomato, provolone and honey mustard sauce). These sandwiches don't have as much meat as those at BSD, but they're just as good.

Though I love both, I'd have to choose World's Best Bagels if pressed. Though it doesn't have the character or ambiance of BSD, they're superior bagels and amazing sandwiches make it the consistently better choice.

But as always, check out both for yourselves...

Bagel Street Deli:

27 South Court Street
740-593-3838

Open at 8:00 am weekdays (10 am weekends)


World's Best Bagels:

31 North Court Street, Athens, OH 45701

Monday-Thursday 7:30am-9:00pm.
Friday 7:30am-2:30am
Saturday 8:30am-2:30am
Sunday 8:30am-9:00pm