New Job, New Food
I started a new job on January 2nd of this year. I'm now working for an incubator of Web applications at a PR firm in San Francisco. The job is going really well, but what I'm really concerned about is the lack of good breakfast food in my new location, Union Square. Granted, I could go to any number of restaurants in the area and get a nice sit-down meal for about $8.00, but I'm really just addicted to bagels.
When I was growing up, my dad used to get a salt-encrusted bagel as often as he could. When his cholesterol started getting too high, my mom made him make us a deal that any bagel he bought would count $5 towards the purchase of a new Super Nintendo game. I think he realized it was a win/win situation, having happy sons and an equally happy stomach, so the plan didn't work very well–at least, not for mom–my brothers and I got at least two games out of it.
There was only one good place to get bagels in Dublin: The Bagel Bakery. I'm glad my dad did the legwork to figure out the best place to buy bagels in my hometown. I think ultimately what made him stop getting so many was the change in ownership. My dad was a people person, and outward image counted a lot towards his coming back to a store. When the new owners were described as, "a little cranky," the bagels stopped coming.
While I understand the downsides of bagels, especially a bagel every morning, I just don't want to give them up. After a lot of searching around SOMA at my old job, I found Cafe Centro in South Park. They have, hands down, the best bagels in SOMA. The bagels themselves are crisp when lightly toasted. The real winner, though, is the cream cheese. A nice, firm cheese is key to a good bagel, and these guys understand that.
My goal in the next few weeks is to document my findings regarding bagels in my new area. I can only hope to find something comparable to The Bagel Bakery and Cafe Centro.