If you ever decide to venture off Comm Ave and walk across the Charles River, try heading over to Harvard Square for some delicious bagels. Head through Harvard Square and down Mass Avenue for about a mile and you will find Bagelsaurus, a small restaurant with only a few small tables that exclusively sells homemade, deluxe bagels.
I have always thought of bagels as a treat. At home we didn’t have them regularly, but every other Sunday or so my mom would come home from her walk with a baker’s dozen, two containers of cream cheese, and a packet of lox. It was truly a treat.
After everyone had picked their choice of bagel from the large brown bag, my mom would cut up the remaining few, pile them into a clear plastic bag, twist the end as tight as possible, and then place them in the freezer to make sure they stayed fresh. That night I would tiptoe downstairs, untwist the bag, and tear a frozen bagel off the top. As I sat munching on the reheated bagel, I tried my very best to savor every delicious bite.
The first time I went to Bagelsaurus I ordered the Hot Smoked bagel, which was a perfect combination of smoked salmon, plain cream cheese, pickled red cabbage, fresh dill, and thin slices of red onion.
A traditional Smoked Salmon bagel has salmon, capers, and slices of tomato and red onion. But with this one the pickled red cabbage mimicked the salty flavor of capers, and also added a refreshing crunch. Additionally, a traditional salmon bagel normally has smoked salmon that is tender and appears to be raw, but this one had salmon that was cooked and flaky.
I went back a few days ago with my mom, and we spilt the Hot Smoked and the Charcuter-Brie, a plain bagel with salted butter, French brie, fennel salami, and fresh arugula. It honestly tasted more like a sandwich than a bagel, but was much better than a sandwich because it had the chewy sourdough texture.
My one complaint is that the bagels are cut horizontally, put back together, and then cut again vertically. Eating bagels that are loaded with ingredients, like the ones at Bagelsaurus, can get really messy. And it’s especially messy when the bagel is cut vertically and everything comes out the sides when you try to eat. Cutting the bagel only horizontally and serving it like that would make eating it a lot easier. But overall, the flavor is great and that’s all that really matters.
If you are looking for a cheaper alternative for Sunday brunch, I would highly recommend getting a bagel to-go from Bagelsaurus. During the peak hours there is almost always a line of 30 or so people, but the wait and ten minute walk to the Cambridge Common is definitely worth it!
Want to keep up with HCBU? Make sure to like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, check out our Pinterest board, and read our latest Tweets!