Terra Bagels (Eastown)
1413 Lake Drive SEUsually, I will complain a little bit when I have to work an overnight shift. It’s annoying having to get up at 2 AM when I’m used to going to bed at 1 AM.
I wasn’t going to complain too loud last week when the situation popped up though. It was a Friday, the day after the 4th holiday, and my family was already at the lake waiting for me. I figured I could take the early AM shift and be done with work in Grand Rapids around noon and at the lake by 2:00.
It was a fairly easy morning. A co-worker and I had some things to do before 8:00 then I got a “lunch” break. I was hungry and wanted something other than McDonalds breakfast. I knew there were some bagel shops in the area and a bagel sounded really good at that point.
I picked Terra Bagels Eastown location on Lake Drive and Robinson Road in Grand Rapids. The small bagel shop is part of the historic Kingsley Building. There are several business along the front facing lower level and several floors of apartments and offices above it. Terra Bagels space is on the northwest end of the building along Lake Drive. There are street parking spaces on both sides of the road. I found one right in front of the shop I was going to so I pulled in and paid for a quick 20 minutes.
The shop is set up like a typical bagel shop. There’s an order counter on one side of the room and a menu written on a chalkboard on a nearby wall. There were also laminated menus on the counter but I had also done some web surfing ahead of time and pretty much knew what I wanted. The counter area also has a cooler with cold drinks, schmear to go, and bags of bagel chips.
I put in an order for the Pastrami Bagel Sandwich on an Everything bagel. The cost was a little over $11. I took a seat in the small dining area to wait. It was about ten minutes before my name was called and I grabbed the brown paper bag to head back to the office.
The Pastrami bagel sandwich is huge. I chose to have it on Everything Bagel but the menu recommendation is a Pumpernickel bagel. The sandwich is made up of smoked pastrami, scrambled eggs, pickles, and a pimento schmear. The pimento cheese spread is bar far the dominate flavor in the sandwich and there’s a lot of it. The bagel wanted to just slide apart as I tried to put it in my mouth so it was a bit messy. The sandwich was incredibly tasty. While the cheese dominated the flavor profile, the smokiness from the pastrami and the vinegariness from the pickles made through way through in each bite. This was a hearty, delicious sandwich and a great way to start the rest of my day.
This is pretty much all thanks to my daughter but I have a new found fondness for bagel sandwiches. It’s my favorite quick breakfast right now and I look for a bagel joint pretty much everywhere we travel to. Terra Bagels is a place I’ve passed for years and never given it much thought. Now that I crave bagel sandwiches, it was my first thought last Friday morning when I was in Grand Rapids and I almost can’t wait to work another morning shift so I can go grab another one.
SW Michigan Dining 