Bo's Bagels & Coffee
I'm an east coast transplant living in Huntington Beach, and I've been longing for a good bagel shop in my life. Finally! Bo's Bagels is here, and it's precisely what the doctor ordered. Don't get me wrong, SoCal has "bagels," but they don't have bagels…that is, they didn't until Bo's opened.
“Bagels” vs. Bagels
A “bagel” is a waste of calories. It tastes like a dense loaf of bread…it’s pretty sad. On the other hand, a bagel has a crispy exterior with a flavorful, fluffy, chewy interior. Unless you’ve been to NYC and had a bagel from Best Bagels, Ess-A-Bagel, H&H Bagels, or Russ & Daughter’s, you don’t truly know what a bagel is or how good it can be. I won’t bore you with the science behind how to make a great bagel, but if done correctly, the end result will be what I can only describe as my perfect lazy weekend breakfast.
There are only two ways to eat a bagel
A real bagel should be served only two ways: as a breakfast sandwich or toasted with a spread of your choice. In NYC, you not only get the perfect bagel, but they always serve it properly. If you order a breakfast sandwich, they cook the egg in a pan or griddle, add melty cheese (usually cheddar), and your choice of sausage or bacon. If you choose toasted with spread, you can choose a butter or cream cheese base, which is then flavored with various ingredients like honey, cinnamon sugar, rosemary, vegetables, etc. Here in California, the egg and cheese are usually microwaved (yuck!) and plopped onto what they call a “bagel.” They only offer plain butter or plain cream cheese. Meh.
A few tips for bagel-novices
Bo’s does everything right:
The bagels are perfection. They have the crispy exterior and chewy interior that you don’t even know you’re missing until…BOOM! you try Bo’s.
Never again will you settle for a microwaved breakfast bagel. The properly-made breakfast sandwiches feature eggs that are cooked on a griddle and topped with a perfectly melted slice of cheese. Then they add sausage or bacon between two perfectly toasted bagel halves.
They offer spreads galore. With about 18 different options, there’s something for everyone: cinnamon sugar butter, garlic butter, vegetable cream cheese, maple walnut cream cheese, jalapeno cream cheese, to name a few.
Open-faced sandwiches are an option, including a classic take on lox and cream cheese.
On the weekends, they offer bagel bites! Not those crappy, frozen, pop-it-in-the-microwave bagel bites from childhood; these are the real deal. They are round balls of cinnamon raisin bagels made French toast-style, covered in a cinnamon-sugar coating, served with the most amazing light and fluffy icing.
Caffeine on the side
Let’s talk coffee because it’s an important part of any breakfast. Bo’s serves La Colombe coffee here in Huntington, which I’m SO happy about. La Colombe is a staple in NYC, with shops located throughout the city. It’s always delicious. It’s smooth, flavorful, and lacks much of the acidity that many coffees have. Since I prefer my coffee cold, I always get the cold brew. If you like a fancy coffee drink, you can order espresso, macchiato, cortado, cappuccino, latte, mocha – they have the works. They also have a variety of milk substitutes like oat, almond, and coconut, which not everywhere offers.
All in all, it’s low key, delicious, and serves exactly what I want on a Sunday morning. Check them out if you're in the area, especially if you're a bagel virgin. Your life is about to change.
