Bergen Bagels (Facebook / @BergenBagelsMyr)
536 Myrtle Ave. (map it!)
Brooklyn, NY 11205
(718) 789-9300
Open daily 6a-11p
Accepts cash & credit/debit
Vegetarian/vegan/gluten free? Y/N/N
Kid-friendly? Y
Date of Visit: Sunday, October 21, 2012 at 10:00 a.m.
In addition to our sweet stop at Dough on our way out of Brooklyn, we wanted something savory as well. Because we couldn’t return home without a bag of fresh bagels, we decided to double-up and grab second breakfast while picking up the goods.
A quick online search revealed a nearby Bergen Bagels, which boasted a good history and solid reviews. This location had recently moved to a new spot, which was clean, bright, and easy-to-find. The location was so new that Google Maps still had the old place listed.
We caught it right at opening, and lines quickly grew. If native Brooklyners were gathering for bagel breakfasts, then we knew we were in the right place.
There’s something really delightful about catching a restaurant right when they open, when the displays are neatly organized and completely loaded with food.
And the spreads and salads are packed full of goodness. It’s so full of potential.
We were in bagel mode, so it was breakfast sandwiches for us. My wife chose their smoked salmon spread on an everything bagel. It was appropriately smoky and salty, with the right creamy texture, and went perfectly with the all-flavors-combined of the everything bagel.
And I was stunned to learn of the existence of an egg-in-the-nest bagel sandwich. Why, oh why, have I never thought of this before? It’s. So. Obvious. To make eggs in a nest, you need bread with a hole in the middle, in which to crack an egg. So why not a bagel? (Or a donut… hmm, future blog post in the making here…)
I know I’m over-reacting, but come on! Even though the egg was added after the bagel was baked, I loved how the egg still felt like it was just part of the bagel itself.
Here’s the bottom view. Egg yolk appropriately cooked through.
And the work in progress. It’s a surprisingly filling breakfast: a monstrous mound of fresh, chewy everything bagel with a fully cooked egg. Salty, nutty. Carbs and protein. If I lived in the neighborhood, this would be my everyday snack.
Of course, we took a baker’s dozen of bagels home with us, and enjoyed every one. If there’s anything I learned on this NY trip, it’s how to appreciate a good everything bagel.
