Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, May 26, 1995 TAG: 9505260041
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOLORES KOSTELNI SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES & WORLD-NEWS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
These golden, handsome bagels deliver a wonderful flavor that keeps you coming back for more. Each plain bagel (45 cents) weighs just under four ounces and sports a shiny, crispy crust that slices neatly and can be penetrated with an ordinary - even ladylike - bite.
It is the Chesapeake Bagel Bakery bagel's consistently uniform texture that sets it apart from the crowd. Neither tunnels nor holes mar the yielding interior crumb. These bagels adapt nicely to anything my heart desires, even such messy salads as tuna and chicken, slices of fried eggplant, or - when I'm feeling virtuous - cottage cheese speckled with fresh fruit. Fillings stay put for the most part and don't spurt out, a common occurrence with a tougher, less tender bagel.
Made fresh on the premises daily from a high-gluten flour, yeast, malt, salt, and water formula, these delicacies of the bread world begin as a heavy, sticky mass that gets shaped into balls with a hole in the middle. After a proofing period, the uncooked bagel is kettle boiled, then finally baked on a stone hearth until a burnished brown in color. Malt, a natural product derived from grain, gives these bagels their beautiful flavor and fine texture.
Chesapeake Bagel Bakery offers 15 different varieties, including sweet and nonsweet types that can be spread with any of the eight varieties of cream cheese blends or accompanied by an assortment of hot and cold salads. Besides cold cuts, other favorite bagel stuffings ($1.50 - $4.25) include the deli favorites whitefish, nova, and chopped liver. A bagel dog ($1.85) - soft bagel dough baked around a tasty frank - could be the ultimate doggie. Although the restaurant features cafeteria-style self-service, hospitality reigns and it is not unusual for an order to be brought to the table.
I consider it only fair to warn you of the knotlettes ( 99 cents each). This gigantic pastry looks like more than any individual could consume. It is a deadly combination of a soft, puffy baked sweet bagel topped with a thick slathering of cream cheese frosting. One bite of this creation and all sense of calories and the nearness of the swimsuit season flees from the mind. With a cup of volcanically hot, full-bodied double espresso ($1.35) as a partner to this ultra-big treat, I paid tribute to my sense of duty and responsibility.
Chesapeake Bagel Bakery started in Washington, D.C. in 1981, and has grown by leaps and bounds. Today, more than 150 franchises dot the country. Fuel Oil and Equipment of Roanoke owns the two local bakeries and has plans to expand into other cities in Southwest Virginia.
ONCE UPON A BAGEL, by Jay Harlow. (Harlow & Ratner, $10.95, paperback.)
Bagel lovers, this one is for you. There's a world of tasty things to put on bagels. From the simple cream cheese with lox to fruit or sun-dried tomato-marbled cream cheese to scrambled eggs, hot pastrami, or lamb with mint raita, you can't count the ways Harlow tops the bagel. Build a menu around bagels, have a bagel buffet, enjoy a Danish bagel smorgasbord, or travel the globe and savor Chinese and Italian bagels. Despite the seriousness of the subject, Harlow playfully entices you into discovery and delight.
CHESAPEAKE BAGEL BAKERY Old Country Plaza Roanoke, 776-5484
Ridgewood Farms
Village Shopping Center
Electric Road/Route 419 Salem, 375-2806 Hours: Monday through Thursday:
6:30 a. m. - 8 p.m.; Friday: 6:30 a. m. -9 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday: 7:30 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Price Range: 45 cents each
Beverages: soft drinks, bottled water, juices, milk, tea, coffee
Credit Cards Accepted? No; cash and checks accepted.
Handicapped Accessible? Old Country Plaza is.
No Smoking Section? yes
\ Dolores Kostelni has extensive experience in the food industry, having worked as a restaurant consultant, manager and chef.
by CNB