50 San Diego Reader January 7, 2016
Ate messy
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Bagel in East Village Brooklyn Bagels, 1000 Island Avenue, East Village. When I’m in New York, I eat a lot. I eat everything I can get my hands on. I don’t leave without seek- ing out great pastrami, some kind of smoked fish, and a bagel. You know what food I never, under any circumstance, look for in New York? Tacos. That would be like someone from Chicago going to Miami to eat deep-dish. So, why would I
expect to find good bagels in San Diego? I never have. While I am keen on the Mon- treal bagels imported by Mess Royale in Hill- crest, those are flown in, not baked onsite. Somehow, I missed
Brooklyn Bagel. The East Village scratch bakery offers New York–style bagels and bialys and managed a fair impression of both. Without getting into discussions about the New York water table and authenticity, I’m just going to say these bagels sit at or around the top of the local-bagel food chain.
Brooklyn offers all the varieties one might expect:
sesame, poppy seed, cinnamon and raisin, egg, blueberry, and everything. There are also cheese- infused jalapeño and a cheddar everything that should be irresistible to the let’s-have-it-all crowd. I opted for sesame and decided to make it a
FEAST!
sandwich. Divided between breakfast and lunch menus, the bagel sandwiches here also cover famil- iar ground. There’s bacon, egg and cheddar, smoked turkey, and tuna salad. I opted for the Undisputed
Eggy, cheesy, pastrami — and the bagel’s the best part
Best — pastrami with fried egg and cheddar, because I’m predictable. The hot-pastrami variation ate messy, with a mix of runny yolk and melted cheese grease dripping down my arm. I can’t be sure, but I would guess I was smiling as I ate, because the bagel had a great chewy texture, and the egg and cheddar added another level of indul- gence to the delightfully fatty pastrami. It filled me up, despite
going down in only three minutes. The bagel
impressed me enough that I picked up another to go, along with a bialy — which is similar, but not boiled before baking. I ate the fresh bialy — com- plete with onion filler — on the way home and liked
Closer look at the burger outside the box
it a lot. But it’s the bagel that’ll bring me back to East Village, which is almost urban enough to feel like New York (if you squint) and aren’t craving tacos 12 hours a day. Maybe a carnitas bagel sandwich is what this city needs?
by Ian Anderson
Burger-chain bust McDonald’s, 1260 Park Boulevard, East Village. The last time I went to McD’s was in 2010 at LAX, one of the worst airports at which to eat. That day, I strayed from the burgers and got nuggets and a McFlurry. I used to go to McDonald’s with my roommates on Sundays after playing disc golf. This was when I was a broke college student (2004–’08) and having two of the Dollar Menu cheeseburgers was a preferable meal over ramen and saltines. While watching NFL, the commercial advertising
their new chef-inspired “Taste Crafted” burgers got my attention. The ad claimed that they hired gourmet chefs to pre- pare the new customiz- able sandwiches. Maybe McDonald’s
had changed. I convinced myself to try it out and visited their location by City College. The loca- tion had a half-naked homeless lady in the parking lot dancing by herself. Inside, it was full of teenagers, a few home- less, and a family. You can cho o s e
between two buns: sesame or artisan. Then you choose the burger style: Pico Guacamole, Bacon Dijon Mustard, or Deluxe. And, finally, what type of meat you want: quarter-pound beef, crispy chicken, or grilled chicken. The ad made the beef look great, so I ordered
the Bacon Dijon with a quarter-pounder patty on an artisan bun. And for kicks-and-giggles I made it a combo (I didn’t even want fries). I also got the Deluxe with crispy chicken on a sesame bun to go. “Damn machine,” the cashier murmured to him-
self. “I am sorry, it is taking forever.” The teenager looked at me apologetically. “Why isn’t it letting me change to medium?!” he said to himself loudly. I told him not to worry and to just give me the large combo. After struggling with the machine, he finally gave me a receipt on a stick and told me he would bring the food to my table. McD’s has table service, the large combo was $6.99 + tax, the burger
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