Lunch Review

ORLANDO (Thursday, December 15, 2005) - The Down Low: Big Apple Bagels is located in Oviedo, in a little shopping center on the corner of Aloma Avenue and Winter Springs Boulevard. This place is way too cute for it to be associated with New York City.

The Digs: Big Apple Bagels offers a casual, clean environment with a handful of tables indoors. Should you choose to freeze, burn or get soaked, outdoor seating is available as well.

The Delivery: You order at the counter, and the food is brought to you one item at a time. The place is run by an older couple, who are quiet but always smiling -- another reason this place is nothing like the real "Big Apple."

The Dish: The bagels are only the beginning. Whoa. That should be their slogan. BAB offers breakfast sandwiches, My Favorite Muffin brand muffins, salads, sandwiches, soups and coffee drinks.

Going for the versatile, I ordered a chicken Caesar sandwich on a sesame seed bagel ($5.29). The chicken was warm, the lettuce was crisp and the cheese was melted. The creamy dressing finished it off, and the fresh sesame-seed bagel blended perfectly with the other ingredients.

My guest ordered a Calypso grilled chicken salad ($5.99). Served in a Styrofoam container, the salad included mixed greens, grilled chicken, mandarin oranges, walnuts, onions and tomatoes. All the ingredients were fresh and colorful. The dressing was tangy but a bit too oily.

Afterward we shared an iced mocha freeze ($3.63), and we took home an apple pie bagel ($2.25). The mocha drink was very heavy; the sweet chocolate syrup, milk and thick whip cream were a bit much. The apple pie bagel, I discovered the next morning, was a delightful hybrid of bagel and pastry. The frosting and pieces of apple were quite tasty – I didn't even need cream cheese.

The Damage: Prices ending in 99 cents are one of my pet peeves. Who do you think you're fooling? It's okay, Big Apple Bagels. You serve quality food in a sparkling atmosphere … it will still be worth it for one more penny. Except for that mocha freeze. That wasn't worth a dollar, let alone five.

The Deduction: Big Apple Bagels is an adorable café with all the breakfast and lunch essentials, but, as it turns out, the bagels are their namesake for a reason.

View all Big Apple Bagels Press Releases

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