Bagel Factory, 11/22/2009

The best discoveries are the ones you don't expect... Driving home from another busy Saturday of errands, I was wending my way home from King's Road Beads when I happened upon the Bagel Factory on Robertson and Cadillac in a neighborhood called La Cienega Hills...

As I usually am on a Saturday night lately, I was wondering which of my favorite eateries would be comfortable enough to indulge in alone... I have several dependable options, and in some of them, I'm comfortable enough to dine alone: Tender Greens, Pho Show, Junior's, Canter's - basically anyplace with a counter, although I rarely sit at them... I try to stay away from fast food although that scenario is most amenable to solo dining...

So I was really happy to see Bagel Factory, where I knew I could get real food quickly and without a lot of ceremony... In my carb-loving 20s, I used to pick up bagels for everyone at work, along with several tubs of cream cheese "schmears" like smoked salmon and herb and veggie... But I swore bagels off completely when some dietary pundit compared eating one bagel to eating five pieces of bread... I'm still hoping that is urban legend, but I kind of doubt it...

Sadly, I don't even have a photo from my visit to the Bagel Factory, as it appeared so unexpectedly and by the time I realized I had left my camera in the car, I was halfway done with my early dinner...But sometimes, you've just got to rely on memory to tell the story...

Of course, the main feature for me now is the soup bar where eight choices are featured daily... I was assured by a very helpful girl at the counter that the more popular ones are offered almost everyday, such as the chicken tortilla and the sweet and sour cabbage, which is what I had... The piquant and pleasingly full-bodied broth with its shreds of cabbage and other vegetables was very satisfying and perfectly seasoned - not too salty, not too sweet...

Despite the robustness of the soup, I was still hungry because I never had time for a proper lunch today... I also had the smoked whitefish and egg salad combo on a bed of greens with a toasted "Black Russian," a pumpernickel bagel with raisins and onions... The smoked fish was perfectly complemented by the hearty, lightly sweet bagel... Either I was absolutely famished or it was amazing... Or both...