May 03, 2014

Outrageous Bagels

Outrageous Bagels is indeed outrageous. That is, if you’re talking about their bagel selection. By offering more obscure versions of the classic breakfast yeast bread such as French Toast, Triple Cinnamon, Spinach and Cheese, and Guava amongst others, Outrageous Bagels caters to the type of consumer that craves something different. After having sampled a few of their “outrageous” and classic flavors, I feel like although what they are doing is interesting and appealing, they should focus on properly making a accurate bagel. Bagels are supposed to be dense and chewy with a crisp exterior. There should be a sort of give when you bite into one, taking effort to rip one part away from the whole. Instead, Outrageous Bagels offers something more akin to a bread roll with a hole in the middle. Although the end product is in fact delicious, it is not a bagel. The flavors which Outrageous Bagels promises is actually delivered, with Guava tasting like guava and French Toast Tasting like French toast. My personal favorite is the Spinach and Cheese, coming in at a greenish color with sharp asiago-like cheese baked on top. Being very reminiscent to your typical Asiago cheese bagel, it struck me as a new take on a familiar flavor. The spinach is subtle enough to not taste awkward but present enough to immediately recognize spinach as the flavor that is trying to be achieved. Overall, the taste is definitely enjoyable, even to consume without the cream cheese that most people use to eat their bagels.

This small restaurant also offers deli sandwiches, salads, and homemade desserts. The sandwiches on the menu include all your standard deli meats, such as ham, pastrami, and bologna, although I do not think that any of them are made in house. Still, the meat and cheeses are generously applied enough to make a two meals out of a single sandwich. For those who need more meat in their diet, you can double the amount for a mere $2.00. It does not seem to me like the portion of meat is actually doubled, but the portion does seem to increase substantially. Not only does the restaurant settle for large portions in order to have a returning customer-base, because the quality of the sandwiches is actually satisfying. The meat and vegetables are fresh, the bread is toasted correctly, and the portions are enough to constitute a meal.

Outrageous Bagels may rest on its uniqueness more than its quality in order to lure in the crowds. Still, it is more than just an interesting restaurant in the middle of a shopping center. It offers new takes on a familiar food, and these type of ambitious efforts cannot go unnoticed. With a bit of a recipe change, Outrageous Bagels can become spectacular.