Searching for the perfect breakfast spot to start the semester off right?
Look no further than the Tampa Bay Bagel Company (TBBC), located on South Macdill Ave., just past the Academy of the Holy Names.
I stopped by last Monday for a quick bite in the midst of running errands.
Their website stated they were open until 5:00 p.m., and it was about 2:45 p.m. when I walked up to the door.
To my surprise, the hours read 6:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., every day of the week. I opened the door to find the employee behind the counter wrapping salad ingredients with plastic.
“Are you still open?” I inquired.
“Oh, yeah, sure. We’re just getting ready to close.”
He pointed to the menu on the wall and waited patiently, a pleasant smile on his face.
I quickly scanned the items, noting that in addition to breakfast, they offer several sandwiches and salads.
Since breakfast for me that morning had consisted of a glass of orange juice, I decided on a large meal and ordered a chopped salad, a small side of potato salad, and a graham cracker bagel with chocolate chip cream cheese.
To order a chopped salad at the the TBBC, the employee instructed me, one must fill out a sheet of paper, checking all the desired ingredients.
And it was, indeed, an entire sheet of paper.
The laundry list of items seemed to stretch on interminably, leaving nothing out for the true salad aficionado.
There were three different kinds of olives, four different cheeses, nuts, fruits and vegetables, as well as different meats to add on for a small extra charge.
I chose carefully, afraid that, in my zeal, I would overflow the dish with my selections.
The food took about fifteen minutes to prepare, which surprised me.
I had assumed that they were in the business of being fast for breakfast, with people on the way to work stopping by in the morning. The wait, however, was well worth it.
I was standing at the counter, ready to pay, when the employee brought over the salad he had been so diligently working on.
It was huge. My fears had been justified; the ingredients almost spilled over the edge. The bagel that he set down beside it was equally super-sized.
With the addition of the potato salad, I could see I had over-ordered immediately.
Nevertheless, I sat down at a small table by the window, ready to tackle the giant meal, armed with only my appetite and the hot Earl Grey tea I had ordered to go with it.
The salad was amazing. Everything was crisp and fresh and brightly colored, and the balsamic vinaigrette on the side was a terrific flavor added to the mix.
The bagel, toasted to perfection, was delicious.
Offering an array of bagel and cream cheese combinations, the Company prides itself on the authentic taste of their breads.
They employ the same methods to make a bagel—kettle-boiling and baking—that made the Eastern European treat so popular when it arrived on the East Coast in the late 1800s.
The graham cracker crumbles on the outside were tasty, and with the chocolate chip cream cheese on the inside, it tasted almost like a s’more.
The only drawback was just how sweet the cream cheese was.
It was closer to cream cheese icing than traditional, less sweet, plain cream cheese.
I would have preferred a less sugary base that allowed the chocolate to shine through.
The potato salad side was delicious.
It was not a German potato salad with mustard, but instead had a white dressing with cubed red potatoes and rosemary.
It was an interesting version of a classic dish that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Overall, the meal was superb.
And the employees, who were cleaning in order to close, allowed me to stay and eat, assuring me that they had plenty of things to do before they could leave.
They were courteous about not cleaning the floor around my table, leaving me to enjoy the peace and quiet of the afternoon, which I appreciated immensely.
I cleaned off my table and thanked them for their time, knowing I would be back to see them again soon.
Moriah Parrish can be reached at mparrish@spartasn.ut.edu.