The versatility of the Bagel
When I was a child, I thought I invented pizza bagels using a plain bagel, leftover spaghetti sauce and shredded mozzarella.
“Brilliant!” I remember thinking as I placed my masterpiece onto the oven rack.
Recently I discovered that Einstein Bros. Bagels has taken a page out of young Sunny’s cookbook; and I’ll admit the eatery, specializing in all-things bagel, has much improved upon the dish. First, Einstein lets its customers choose the type of bagel to use as a base. For example, if you’re feeling tame, you may choose plain; if you’re feeling spicy, you may choose the green chili flavor.
Then, Einstein adds sauce and a blend of cheeses. Cheese or pepperoni pizza bagels are available. Though, Amber Randall, general manager at Einstein’s Hixson location, said customers are welcome to add fresh veggies, too — helping to make that kid-favorite meal more adult than ever.
As clever as I believed myself to be as a child, there is one creative concoction that was never on my radar: bagel dogs. Einstein thought of those, too: The dish is made with a quarter-pound Hebrew National hot dog, wrapped in bagel dough and baked.
“Like a fancy pig-in-a-blanket,” Amber explained.
Customers may choose between the plain or Asiago cheese bagel, and can opt to have their dog topped with more cheese as well as mayo, mustard or ketchup.
The bagel dog is served either on its own or with a side, such as chips or fresh fruit. Amber told me that the bagel dog is also a kid-favorite, for which I have just one word.
“Brilliant!”