Detroit Bagel Factory
18760 Middlebelt RoadIt’s synchronized skating season again.
I get asked all the time. What’s the off season for figure skating? With my kids, there is no off season. We just go, go, go all year round.
The season is starting about a month sooner than usual. Our first competition is usually our own competition, Kalamazoo Kick-Off Classic, at Wings Event Center the week before Thanksgiving.
The decision was made this year to do a competition before Kick-Off so the teams could get a judges critique in and hopefully be at their best in Kalamazoo (and oh boy did they need those critiques….).
The first competition became the Chuck Cope Synchronized Skating Competition at the Dearborn Ice Skating Center.
The kids and J took a bus to the competition which left me to make my way to Dearborn on my own.
B’s team was the first to go at about 9:30 so I had a little bit of time in the morning. I got up around 5:30 then started heading east. I had to stop and get gas once. Stopped at rest area once. And of course, I had plans to stop and get breakfast.
I’ve really been on a bagel sandwich kick lately. I love a good bagel and I love it in breakfast sandwich form. I did a search to see what was somewhat near the rink and came up with a few options.
I ended up going with Detroit Bagel Factory in Livonia. The shop is part of the Middlebelt Plaza on the corner of Middlebelt Road and Clarita Street a couple of miles north of I-96. The business has been around for close to 60 years but they’ve been at this location in Livonia for just over a decade.
The restaurant is rather large space for what they’re using it for. There’s an order counter and a small kitchen area near the back.
Next to that is the bagel display where all of their fresh made bagels are stored prior to being sold.
There is a cooler off to one side where they have drinks, cream cheese, and some of their well loved pre-made pizza bagels. There are also a couple of tables in this area but really, it’s just a lot of empty space to wait on those busy days when everyone is getting a bagel.
The thing I noticed right away is this isn’t the kind of bagel shop I’m used to. It’s much more of a grab and go. They don’t toast bagels unless they are putting something on it (and having them add cream cheese doesn’t seem to be an option. You have to buy it separately. They also don’t slice bagels unless you buy a dozen then charge you $2 for it. L was a little mad at me because I didn’t get her a bagel but I wouldn’t have been able to get it toasted.
I ordered myself a pastrami sandwich (at 8:00 AM) with Swiss cheese and mustard on an everything bagel. The pastrami was fresh sliced then warmed up in the microwave. I guess I should have asked but the bagel wasn’t toasted. I didn’t even think to ask so that was my fault. The huge pile of meat was covered with a slice of melted Swiss cheese and a light spread of mustard. The cost for the sandwich was right around $15.
First off, the bagel was delicious. You’d expect the peppery pastrami to be the dominate flavor but the saltiness of the bagel really shined through. I wish the bagel had been toasted but it was still really delicious as it was. There was a lot of meat on the sandwich. They went full on New York style deli sandwich. The whole thing was super delicious and very filling.
There are things I really like about Detroit Bagel Factory and things I wish were different but they have been successful for over 60 years so my opinion really holds no weight. I’m just one of those people who like bagels toasted. I loved my sandwich despite it not being toasted and would totally make a stop there again to get another one.
SW Michigan Dining 