Irene Eats: Bagel Love
On this week's edition of Irene Eats, I tried Bagel Love's Budgie Eats meal.
On this week's edition of Irene Eats, I visited the newest spot on campus, Bagel Love! Bagel Love took what used to be Needo's old yellow stand in the courtyard outside of Kate Edgar, and now offers the solution for any bagel cravings you may have while studying.
The smell of warm bread led me to the stand, and I asked for their Budgie Eats deal, the CTB bagel. C standing for cream cheese, T for tomatoes, and B for the fragrant basil leaves that tops it off.
When ordering any items on their menu, you'll have the choice between three different types of bagels. Plain, sesame, and the everything bagel which was recommended to me by the lovely worker there. Her suggestion was incredible. With sesame seeds, poppy seeds, and from what my tastebuds could tell, little bits of fried onion that elevated the flavour profile. Maybe don't kiss anyone right after eating it though.
(Off topic: Every time I eat something with poppy seeds, I remember an episode of Seinfeld where Elaine kept testing positive for opium because she ate poppy seed muffins. So maybe don't do drug tests after eating it either.)
The toasted bagel really brought out the flavours of both the bread, and the fillings inside. It was so perfectly crunchy, and as Ratatouille taught us all, the way to know the quality of a bread is by the sound that it makes. The crunch of the bagel contrasted exquisitely with the smooth creaminess of the cheese inside, creating a burst of textures in my mouth.
Tomatoes are my favourite vegetable (or fruit, I guess), and so I loved the addition of it to the bagel. It reminded me of bruschetta, with the addition of cream cheese.
Lastly, the pièce de résistance for me was the basil leaves. Basil is such an aromatic herb, and it truly blends well with anything. I'm unsure whether they just used the leaves, or whether they added basil oil, but the fragrance and taste of the basil mingled with the cream cheese delightfully.
The CTB bagel offers a flavourful and balanced meal for students on campus, and if it's worth anything, as soon as I finished eating it, I really wanted to go and get another one.
The Budgie Eats initiative provides students and staff with access to a range of affordable lunch options on campus. Participating retailers serve these meals throughout the day, each priced at under $10.
