Food Review: You 'knead' to check out Bagel Boutique in Silver Spring Township
The saying goes, "There's no better way to start the day than with a good breakfast."
Coincidentally, breakfast has always been my favorite meal. But sometimes life gets in the way of me whipping up some eggs, frying some bacon and buttering some toast every morning.
But then there's the other side of the coin. The side of the coin where I go all out.
Bagel Boutique, located at 6581 Carlisle Pike in Silver Spring Township, was my all-out breakfast last week. The breakfast and lunch stop opened Aug. 22 and has been reeling in rave reviews while seeing lines flock out the door. The restaurant is open 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday with hours of 7 a.m. to noon Saturday and Sunday.
A visit to Bagel Boutique can feel overwhelming with the crowd size, the seemingly unending menu selections and the modern ambiance of the restaurant. But I promise, don't be frightened.
The establishment is spacious with choices of high-tops, regular tables and an outdoor patio on the back side of the building. A TV is tucked off in the corner of the interior, and the kitchen is blocked off by a white-tiled wall that helps form the ordering line. Ordering screens hover behind the counter, changing every few seconds with towering lists of breakfast and lunch items.
My visit was around 11 a.m., so breakfast was still on my mind. As I attempted to digest the diverse menu and the stacks of bagels behind a glass window at the counter, I decided to cover as much of the breakfast menu that I imagined my stomach could muster.
My eyes became glued to the boutique bagels, a section dedicated to sweet treats. I landed on the peanut butter heaven ($7), a chocolate chip bagel with peanut butter schmear, peanut butter crumble and Reese's pieces.
For those looking for a rich, dessert-like bagel, this is up your alley. The schmear was a sweetness explosion, and with the combination of the crumble and Reese's pieces, layers of smoothness and crunch were present. I also thought I tasted hints of a strawberry and raspberry sauce that soothed the peanut butter implosion nicely.
From the sweet treats, I jumped into the breakfast sandwiches. The two items to pop off the menu were the Hollywood ($12) and Gianna's Classic ($9).
The Hollywood is presented on a toasted sesame seed hoagie roll with a bedding of seasoned steak, two sunny side up eggs, gouda cheese and lettuce and tomato. Meanwhile, Gianna's Classic is your choice of bagel — I selected an everything bagel — and is stacked with your preference of meat and cheese and a folded egg.
Like the peanut butter heaven, Bagel Boutique was generous with its portions on the breakfast sandwiches. Seasoned steak was spread evenly in the Hollywood helping, and the two sunny side up eggs acted as a sauce with the yolk pouring all over the sandwich. The lettuce and tomato added a fresh component while the gouda cheese melted in your mouth.
While the steak was seasoned to perfection, some pieces had a chewy texture. I also felt the gouda sometimes became lost in the sandwich due to the outpouring of the egg yolk. The hoagie roll popped with sesame seeds and really brought the entire sandwich together.
Gianna's Classic was the clear star of the show. Along with my choice of an everything bagel, I selected bacon and American cheese to complement the egg. Wrapped in silver lining, the sandwich melted to an ideal temperature, and cheese oozed off the sides.
The bacon was crisp while the cheese and egg provided gooey features. The bagel itself was soft and fresh and not overpowering with seasoning.
To round out my breakfast adventure, I ordered a hot pumpkin coffee ($3.49) and a strawberry banana smoothie ($7). For someone ready to leap into fall festivals, the pumpkin coffee was the ideal warm-up to the season. On the other hand, the smoothie was strawberry forward with little indication of banana.
Whether you're looking for an all-out or simple breakfast, or even a trip around the lunch hour, Bagel Boutique has something that will satisfy any restaurant goer.
Christian Eby is a sports reporter for The Sentinel and cumberlink.com . Love With our weekly newsletter packed with the latest in everything food.
