If you ever happen to be in a New York state of mind, you are going to want to check out Gotham Bagels at 112 E. Mifflin St. Since opening in March 2007, Gotham Bagels has been serving up New York-style bagels to countless Madison consumers.
Located along Capitol Square across the street from Bartell Theatre and Café Montmartre, Gotham Bagels is not the most accessible eatery on campus. However, the restaurant is along many bus routes, and when the weather is warmer it will make for a nice stroll.
Get there before the lunch rush, as it gets busy quickly. The staff's efficiency was impressive, especially since it's pretty much an open kitchen setup and customers literally see what's going on behind the counter. Like true New Yorkers, the workers were not fazed by the surge of customers at all.
Arriving in the late morning will give you the option of enjoying a late breakfast or an early lunch. I wasn't feeling eggs at the moment, so I opted for a lunch item, even though the breakfast menu is cheaper ($2-$6.75).
For lunch, I could build myself a sandwich by picking out a bagel or bread, condiments, vegetables, cheeses and meat (or for vegetarians, whatever source of protein you fancy). The prices range depending on the ingredients you select.
I decided to order one of Gotham's signature sandwiches. The sandwiches had names like Williamsburg, Long-Guy-Land and Spanish Harlem, each paying homage to the place that inspired them.
I went with the Brighton Beach, which is essentially lox and cream cheese with a facelift. It's made with smoked Alaskan salmon, watercress, red onion, tomato and caper cream cheese spread on a bagel of your choice. I decided to go with the poppy seed bagel, which was the suggested bagel on the menu.
The Brighton Beach was put together with great precision. Cream cheese and onions have very strong flavors that usually linger on my palate, but I was pleased to find that they did not overpower the bagel and salmon. The subtle fishiness of the salmon soaked in the cream cheese, and the crisp bagel bound all the components together, making the sandwich one cohesive unit.
If you are not looking for a full meal, there are an assortment of bagels to choose from, coming in at $0.90 a piece, or $10 for a New York dozen. You can also add butter, cream cheese or a tofu spread. The shop also features Gotham Gourmet, a small menu of homemade pastries that go perfectly with Gotham's coffees, teas and fresh juices.
Young professionals, students clad in sweatpants, offbeat hipster kids and the typical white-picket fence family were among the customers who ordered that day at Gotham Bagels. It made me smile because this diversity and general busyness is what New York is all about, and Gotham is striving to bring this diversity out of Madison as well.
Gotham Bagels embodies the warm, vibrant culture of a New York deli, but, fortunately, the food comes at a much cheaper price.
