Bagel Street Deli: Bagelwiches and tin foil origami

The best part about Athens' local food scene is that there are so many restaurants that offer a variety of different things. One of the latest hidden gems that I have discovered is Bagel Street Deli. It's probably not really a "hidden gem" to most Ohio University students, but I call it one because I've been deprived of its delicious "bagelwiches" until this year. As a junior here at OU, I'm very disappointed in myself for never going into the small establishment on Court Street prior to this year. I'm even more disappointed that none of my friends had opened my eyes to this little place. Luckily, my roommate and I got our heads out of the gutters, and finally took the plunge and discovered what Bagel Street is all about.

Bagel Street Deli is by far one of the most unique restaurants on campus. It's brick-wall interior is covered in chalk drawings and writing from Ohio University students. Also, students have taken the tin foil used to wrap the sandwiches, and created origami-like figures and stuck them to the walls. The foil figures include things such as hearts, peace signs, beer mugs, and the traditional swan. Bagel Street Deli truly embodies Athens and Athens in turn has put it's own creative stamp on the restaurant.

(Photo credit: Rachel Ferchak, tin foil figurines on wall)

(Photo credit: athensbagels.com, chalk writing on walls)

The uniqueness of Bagel Street Deli doesn't stop at the atmosphere of the restaurant, either. The menu is truly one of a kind. In fact, I've never been to a restaurant before in my life that serves the types of things that Bagel Street does. Their menu consists of a variety of bagelwiches that are steamed so that the bagel becomes soft and all of the contents melt together into a gooey mess of deliciousness. They also offer salads that are so big that one could feed off of it for days. Interestingly enough, they also sell pickles, and have an annual pickle-eating contest where the winner gets their own sandwich named after them and put on the menu.

Earlier this evening, I ventured down Court Street with one of my buddies, Greg Wilhelm, who considers himself a BSD veteran. The few times I had been there before, I had always ordered the Southfork Ranch on a Pumpernickel bagel. The Southfork Ranch consists of turkey, bacon, Swiss cheese, lettuce, and ranch dressing. Greg's favorite is the NYC on a sesame bagel.

"The NYC is awesome," he said. "I love pastrami, and the addition of the spicy mustard always ends up being a good combination. Everything I've ever had here has been amazing, though."

According to Bagel Street Deli's website, there are over 20 varieties of bagels, over 10 different meat and tofu options, six flavors of cream cheese, and 40 different toppings, vegetables, dressings, and cheeses. For those out there who would rather not do the math; that's over 48,000 combinations! With that many combinations at my disposal, it would have been senseless to order the Southfork Ranch again. So this time, I ordered a Tegan Lee, but still on a Pumpernickel bagel. The Tegan Lee consists of turkey, ham, veggie cream cheese, cheddar cheese, cucumber, and tomato. It was delicious! I was skeptical of ordering a sandwich that had cream cheese as well as cheddar cheese but it turned out to be very good. I also ordered an Oweo, which is a famous dessert from BSD that I had heard good things about. The Oweo is two chocolate chip cookies that are steamed like the bagels. The cookies become soft and gooey, and cream cheese is spread in the middle. The Oweo might have been one of the best, and most delectable treats that I had ever eaten. Telling you about it however, just doesn't do it justice.

(Photo credit: Rachel Ferchak, the famous Oweo)

Look at that picture and tell me you don't want one!

From delicious bagelwiches, to hearty salads, to the delicious Oweo, Bagel Street Deli is unrivaled. It's one of the most vegetarian-friendly restaurants on campus, too, with its wide variety of tofu and veggie-only items. Think of it this way, out of the 48,000-plus combinations that you can try, you're bound to like something. Unless for some reason you hate bagels. That might be a problem. But even if that's the case, stop by Bagel Street Deli just for the experience. The atmosphere and ambience are enough to keep you occupied for hours. Don't end up like me; wishing you had stopped in earlier. Experience it while you can because these four years fly by fast.