I'm a bagel guy. Nothing is more fun than looking at rows of baskets chock full of different kinds of very tasty bagels. Jalapeno cheddar, sun dried tomato, everything, multi-grain, and onion are my FAB FIVE bagel choices. When White Apron Catering maven, Jules Gollner, called me and said let's have lunch at Bageland in Thornebrook, my brain went directly to the Black Bean Burger on a Sun Dried Tomato Bagel dressed out all the way. Oh man. I don't how they squeeze all the spices into this bean burger patty, but this sandwich packs a punch. This is an excellent sandwich that has your taste buds remembering the heat, spice and flavor combination long after lunch. The crunchy lettuce and onions add a nice refreshing crisp texture to the flavorful chew of the bagel. And then they pile on cantaloupe and an orange slice for a very filling lunch entree. Let's think about it for minute. I have five favorite bagels, so technically I could have a different black bean bagel sandwich every day of the week. Should I order my sandwiches alphabetically by the bagel name or by the number of ingredients included in the bagel?
- GLOB Master
Sandwich wonder discovered in breakfast/lunch cafe
By Mike Sanford, GLOB Editor
The GLOB Master's visit to Bageland in Thornebrook Village was long overdue.
This popular breakfast and lunch spot has been serving food to a large following of faithful customers for over 35 years.
Daily specials include breakfast dishes, sandwiches, a variety of quiches, and salads. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, they serve authentic Thai and Vietnamese lunch dishes. It's easy to see why this homey cafe has been filling lunch tables both inside and out throughout the years. It's a comfort restaurant – there are family pictures and flowers, comfortable chairs, and inviting food in the cases that make healthy comfort-food lunches -- except for that cream cheese, but they make up for with fresh fruit.
My lunch pal, J. Gollner, has been to Bageland before and was quick to decide the Black Bean Burger was her choice. She had tried the BBB before and wanted to see if this was a dish that she could count on, that it would be as good the second time as it was the first time she had it. Consistent quality is an essential ingredient of a good restaurant.
The Black Bean Burger starts with a bagel of your choice. There are 12 bagel options, although you might not want your black bean patty on a cinnamon raison bagel! Also the bagels are made fresh. Jules selected an Everything bagel. Other ingredients of the BBB include sprouts, cheese of your choice (melted!), tomato – and, something a little unexpected, cucumber slices. The White Apron Catering Queen emitted several sounds of delight as she devoured her sandwich.
Darn! Our sandwiches were cut in half but I forgot to suggest we split our lunches and try each other's sandwiches. It ended up being OK though because, now that I think about, it my Copenhagen sandwich was excellent, and I'm glad I ate the whole thing.
Made on a large, toasted, croissant, the Copenhagen contains smoked turkey breast, dill dijonaisse – can you guess what that is? -- and dill Havarti cheese. The combination was a dilly of a lunch: distinct and sharp accents complementing smokiness and creaminess.
The toasted croissant combined with the warm turkey beast and melted Harvarti cheese worked miracles on my taste buds.
The specials change daily at Bageland, however there are six regular sandwiches available: Black Bean Burger, Chicken Sandwich, Deli Case Sandwich, Copenhagen, Mediterranean, Midwestern, and the Hollander. All of these sandwiches specials include chips and fresh fruit and are priced at $6 or a little more.
The two of us for lunch split a lunch tab under $15.
Bageland is a friendly, comfortable lunch spot in the Millhopper area. I am disappointed I haven't spent more lunch hours in this excellent lunch environment.
I can tell you one thing: "I'm going back." There are a lot of interesting lunch adventures left on the Bageland menu I need to discover.
The Pluses and Minuses of Bageland:
Bageland + indicators: Excellent lunch fare. Bagels for lunch. Very friendly establishment.
Bageland - indicators: Plan your visit accordingly, Bageland can become crowded.
Offer your GLOB comments, lunch photographs and opinions about Bageland Bagels. Please identify your opinions with a PLUS SIGN (+) for positive comments, and a MINUS SIGN (-) for your negative comments. - THANKS!
