Tucked unobtrusively off Fletcher Avenue, west of the intersection of Fletcher and Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, sits Bagels Plus. It's a place without much curb appeal and you would probably drive by it a million times and never go in - unless you were aware of the treasures inside.
After returning to Tampa four years ago, we needed to locate a "dealer" to satisfy our bagel binges. We popped into Bagels Plus to sample a dozen and were unimpressed. Must have hit them on a bad day is all I can say.
A few weeks ago we craved an authentic bagel - not an Einstein's "fagel" (fake bagel) but one actually boiled in water and baked, crafted on site from start to finish. We wanted bagels and we wanted them now! Time to give Bagels Plus another try.
Holy smokes were they good. I could almost taste their crusty exteriors and warm, chewy insides from the aroma seeping through the brown bag. They were hot from the oven. I ran off with the loot, barely making it home with the full baker's dozen intact. Hubmeister immediately downed three, Son of Hubs two and I forced myself to stop at one.
Hubmeister and I have had our share of bagels over the years, Hubs - with his New York roots - more of an authority than I. My bagel background started in Ft. Lauderdale, where the New York transplants opened bagel shops and introduced the rest of us to this jaw-pumping addiction. For this I say, thank you!
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| The "everything" bagel was everything I could ever want a bagel to be. |
After years of laying off the hard stuff, we have fallen victim to a bad bagel habit. We now pick them up regularly. Several in the assortment are usually still warm from the oven. Heaven! Hubmeister may need to go into bagel rehab.
Goodbye forever, fagels!
Restaurant Info:
Bagels Plus
2706 E. Fletcher Avenue
Tampa
Very Informative Write Up!
ReplyDeleteHi, My name is Raj Armani and I am the manager at Bollywood Cafe
(www.bollywoodcafe.us). We,the crew,would love to invite you
to our cine-bistro to enjoy a casual evening any weekend and dine
some modern indian cuisine.
If you like to make reservations,Please email me direct at
info@bollywoodcafe.us. The dinner is of course complimentary
and the invitation a mark of indian hospitality.
Looking forward to seeing you soon!
'Phir Milenge'
How much does a dozen bagels cost in Tampa?
ReplyDelete@Raj - Hi, thanks for reading and for the gracious invitation. I believe comped meals might skew my objectivity and affect my experience as a typical diner, so I must decline. However, I am glad you let me know about Bollywood Cafe because I appreciate Indian cuisine. I'll drop in sometime(anonymously, of course).
ReplyDelete@All about Food - $9.99. Remember when they were $3 a dozen? How much are they where you are?
ReplyDelete