The Place:
Blazing Bagels is based on the Eastside, with locations in Redmond, Bellevue, and a SoDo spot open during Mariners games. They also sell wholesale so we Westsiders can pick up Blazing’s holey dough at various locations. This particular purchase came from Online Coffee Company (1720 E. Olive Way, 328-3731.)The Hole: Garlic cheese bagel with Philadelphia cream cheese.The Shit: Seattleites often complain about the lack of authenticity in the local bagel scene. Slathering a bagel in roasted garlic, cheese, and generic cream cheese is hardly the East Coast ideal. But really, is that such a bad thing?Blazing doesn’t treat flavored bagels like an afterthought. While some bagel shops limit the non-plain options to sesame seeds and a few blueberries, these flavored bagels are featured front and center on the Blazing home page. Rather than sprinkling a few onions or shreds of cheese on top, the Blazing Bagels are loaded with toppings. The result takes the humble bagel from an easy, carb-laden breakfast food to a substantial meal. I’ve already sung the praises of the pizza bagel. The garlic version is no different. The top is covered in a thick layer of garlic bits that, when toasted, fill the room with an odor that inspires Pavlovian drooling. The cheese is thick enough to coat the entire center hole of the bagel. And the Philly schmear puts the whole decadent thing over the top.It might not be what East Coast transplants are looking for from bagel authenticity, but it’s damn good eatin’.Follow Voracious on Twitter and Facebook.
