Nothing Like a Good Bagel

I could not love Madison in full until I knew where I could find a good bagel. It might have taken me a year or so to find such a place, but now I can't stop going...

The place I'm talking about is Gotham Bagels. Located just off the square on Mifflin Street, I probably venture down there twice a month, on a Saturday or Sunday. My roommates and I enjoy the fresh squeezed orange juice, the array of cream cheeses and the ambiance that only a bagel shop has to offer. The second I walk in, it feels a little like home. I hail from Cincinnati, which I never thought was that great until I moved to Madison and missed a few things. One of them being a good bagel shop.

I was getting too comfortable with Einstein's and starting to lose hope when a good friend of mine mentioned Gotham Bagels. Without thinking I get an everything bagel with bacon, egg and cheddar. The cheese slowly melts out as you crunch down on one of the most perfectly toasted bagels imaginable. My roommate can't get enough of the super-egg everything bagel with regular cream cheese. This bagel doesn't just come with all the great toppings an everything bagel typically comes with–it has all the tasty poppy seeds, onion bits, garlic, poppy seeds and more baked into the dough as well.

As Gotham attempts to mimic a New York style bagel, this eatery gets it right. The best way to understand what I'm talking about is to go and check it out for yourself. The only downside about this wonderful place is the line. So go early or expect to wait. Enjoy!