The Local Flavor

Author: Chris Cadwell



Middlebury Bagel and Delicatessen has been a place where members of the Middlebury College community and local residents have been coming together to eat breakfast for years. Owned and managed by the Rubright family - Jim, Kathy and their two sons, Ryan and J.J. - the restaurant takes on a family-style feel that is inviting to just about anyone who walks in the door.

Middlebury students and faculty can be seen here on almost any day of the week, but the real rush is on Sunday mornings. Beth Schmidt '06.5 is known for telling students, "If you think Atwater brunch is good, you have obviously never begun your Sunday with a Bagel Egger."

The classic "go-to" student order is the Bagel Egger, which follows the basic breakfast sandwich makeup: an egg cooked any style, choice of cheese, choice of meat and any variety of bagel. With so many choices students could spend hours inventing their personal favorite, but let's keep the line moving!

As a helpful hint, those who desire an "everything" bagel should definitely get there early. But really, if you want a bagel at all you should be out of your dorm before noon as the small shop is often unable to handle the consistently heavy demand from hung-over bagel-eaters. If you miss out on the bagel rush, however, there are other options offered that most people would never expect from such a humble bagel shop.

Other breakfast favorites include the enormous Aromatic Pancakes, served with an oversized pourer of hot Vermont maple syrup. The whole wheat mix creates a heavier consistency than usual, but the pancakes will keep you warm all day, especially when the temperature drops to 30-below.

A more traditional diner breakfast is also available. The fried bacon is very crispy and the hash browns are served skillet-fried. When it comes to the freshly-made omelets, there are as many variations on ingredients as there are Bagel Egger options.

If you want to enter uncharted territory, order the egg made with hash browns, but be careful because it is quite heavy on the starch and light on the omelet. The shop also serves doughnuts, but they don't steal the show. Yet somehow they managed to nail the jelly (if you're into that).

Moving on to lunch, the deli menu features a variety of sandwiches and the ever-popular wrap that seems to have captured the American mind.

Other lunch favorites include the Reuben, which puts Noonie's sandwiches to shame. The only flaw is that they do not make it on rye bread. I picked up my own bread at the Otter Creek Bakery on my way up and Middlebury Bagel put together the best sandwich I have had in years.

Soups are also prepared daily for the lunch menu, but they are not spectacular. For the vegetarians looking to order a fresh salad, you are better off going across the parking lot to the Co-Op.

Spice up this weekend by skipping the dining hall for a change, and try a Bagel Egger for yourself. But be warned: the Homecoming alumni are sure to add plenty of extra competition to the already popular hung-over bagel rush.