When I was applying to colleges this time last year, I knew that I wanted to go out-of-state. Don’t get me wrong, I love my home state, New Jersey, but I was eager for an adventure outside of the place I grew up. Coming to the University of Virginia as a New Jerseyan has been somewhat of a culture shock, but has ultimately been extremely rewarding. I now understand what “NOVA” is and I’ve come to terms with the fact that most people walk slower than I do. However, the one thing that, as a New Jerseyan, I wish I could change about my current situation here at the University is the lack of a quality bagel spot.
Bagels have been a weekend staple in my house since I was born, and I never realized how fortunate I was to live within a five minute drive of at least ten freshly made bagel joints. I’m partial to the classic toasted everything bagel with cream cheese and lox, but every once and a while I’ll switch it up with strawberry cream cheese on a plain bagel or butter on a cinnamon raisin bagel. Regardless of your preference, there is one thing I can say for sure: you haven’t had a great bagel unless you’ve tried a New Jersey bagel. I’m pretty particular when it comes to my bagels, so here is my rating of the three bagel places I’ve tried since coming to UVA.
Bodo’s bagels: 7/10
I didn’t have high expectations for the bagels in Virginia when I chose the school, but then I heard multiple people hyping up the famous Bodo’s Bagels on The Corner. When I walked into the store I had high hopes; the menu looked good, it smelled delicious inside, and there seemed to be a lot of people enjoying their food! I ordered my usual order at the counter: an everything bagel toasted with lox and cream cheese. To my surprise, the cashier informed me that they do not toast their bagels, but he promised me they would be warm. Although not a deal-breaker, having a little crispy crunch when eating a bagel truly adds to the experience.
My second surprise was the price of my bagel. I’m well aware that food is usually overpriced near college campuses, but I never expected my order to come to almost eight dollars when back at home I would get the same bagel for just over four dollars. My last critique has to do with the size of the bagel. Although Bodo’s bagels are definitely thicker than the other two bagels I’ll mention, the overall circumference is much smaller than what I’m used to, which was surprising especially considering the price. Putting these three qualms aside however, the bagel itself was both delicious and satisfying, and the taste reminded me of home.
Einstein’s Bros. Bagels: 3/10
This place gets bonus points for being a meal exchange option (which means it is free in my eyes), but that may be one of the only redeeming qualities that I found. I decided to switch it up a little bit and get the Cheddar & Egg Sandwich, which comes on a plain bagel and a hash brown on the side. I was also relieved to see that I could get the bagel toasted, unlike Bodo’s. When I unwrapped the bagel I was once again disappointed by the size. New Jersey bagels are large and extremely thick, and this is the standard that I hold all other bagels to. The Einstein Bros. bagel was lacking in both circumference and thickness, resembling the pre-packaged bagels you can buy at the supermarket. The cheese and egg were fine, but I wouldn’t say they were any different than what you can get at a Dunkin’ Donuts. The bagel tasted generally okay, but it was lacking some flavor, so I probably wouldn’t ever crave this sandwich again. I also want to note that the hash brown was not really a hash brown, and tasted a little weird too, which made for an overall interesting experience.
Dining Hall: 5/10
Finally, the bagel I had the lowest expectations for: the dining hall bagel. There isn’t much to say about this bagel because it is exactly what you would expect. It is the same as the bagged bagels you can buy at Harris Teeter or Kroger, meaning it wasn’t very thick but at least it had a little more surface area. I toasted my bagel, of course, and added the amount of cream cheese that I believe is suitable, which tends to be a lot. I would say that the bagel as a whole was pretty standard and does the trick if you are really, really craving a bagel. Another perk is that it didn’t cost me anything more than a meal swipe and I could essentially go get one whenever I want (as long as it’s before 8pm).