Bantam Bagel Balls Made My Morning

Who doesn't love a good bagel, people...especially here in NY?!  Being a staunch bagel fan, I try to limit my intake since they're quite impactful on the waistline (and thighs).  The bagels I'll tell you about here aren't like that at all, as they're little bagel balls filled with a shot of cream cheese in the middle.  I'm talking about Bantam Bagel balls that are the newest innovation in bagel technology and they hail from the West Village.  

Atmosphere:
Occupying a tiny storefront on Bleecker Street in the West Village, Bantam Bagels are easy to miss if they're not on your radar.  It's very much a take-out type of place, as there's nowhere to sit down, but you always the option to stroll down Bleecker street, find a nearby bench or park and enjoy a little bite of carbie goodness.

Bagels:
Ordering an assortment of 24 bagel balls, I loved the variety of savory and sweet bagels, including their fun, whimsy names such as the hot pretzel, cinnamonster, vegesaurus rex, grandma jojo, the hangover and more.  Each bagel ball has a unique spin, whether an innovative bagel topping or an injection of a flavored cream cheese (and in some cases butter).

Personally trying three of these varieties, including the Grandma Jojo, Everything Bantam, and the Pumpkin, I enjoyed them all but certainly had my favorites.  Grandma Jojo stood out the most, both with its beautiful presentation (boasting a marinated tomato on top) as well as its slightly crispy exterior.  The inside was soft and doughy with a pop of earthy basil pesto that was nestled inside.

The pumpkin, which is this month's special was delightful as well, with black sesame seeds on top and a slightly sweet pumpkin custard middle.  If you have a penchant for sweet things with a cinnamony flavor profile, you'll love it!

Service and Cost:
Bantam's staff was a pleasure to deal with this morning, as they were cheery and very accommodating to my indecisiveness.  They had a good way of giving me the right information about their bagel flavors and even managed to sell me a delicious cup of Gorilla coffee (roasted in Brooklyn).

Costs are expensive for little bagels but totally worth it for a novel and flavorful product.

1 Bantam - $1.35
3 Bantams - $3.50
6 Bantams - $6
12 Bantams - $11.50
24 Bantams - $22
38 Bantams - $42

3 Creamy Mmmms

Bantam Bagels - 283 Bleecker Street, New York NY 10014
646.852.6320
1 Train to Christopher Street
www.bantambagels.com

4 Random Creative Croissants

Just because I've been spotting some randomly cool food things around Astoria, I thought I'd round them up here for a little quickie inspiration.  A mixture of food deals, special menu items, contests and more, I hope you enjoy these creative croissants.

So fun! SingleCut Beersmiths is running a caption contest on their site.  You'll notice their mascot, Rulpsen popping up on their homepage, so why not give him something to say?  Submit your caption directly on their site or through Facebook or Twitter and you can win a 64 oz growlrrr filled with your favorite brew.

Have you checked (or downloaded) the awesome Scoutmob app? I've gotten tons of great deals out of it in Astoria, including a discount at Crave Astoria, Winegasm, the Mad Donkey, and now the latest discounts for Saffron Indian Cuisine, Ovelia, Latin Cabana, Astoria Bier & Cheese and more.  Remember that these are 100% free coupons that don't require a pre-payment.  Bottom line - they're awesome!

Did you know that 5 Napkin Burger is featuring a special Oktoberfest inspired burger? I've never had a German-style burger, but this one sounds pretty unique, as it's packed with lots of hearty ingredients such as ground beef infused with Knockwurst spices, munster cheese, smoky bacon, mustard, onions all enveloped in a pretzel roll. Sounds pretty awesome, especially when paired with a fall pumpkin ale.  35-01 36th Street, Astoria.  718.433.2727

Oh and how can I forget that my fellow foodie comrade, Tyson Ho, the hogmaster behind Arrogant Swine is in a great Arby's commercial.  See him giving expertise about the almighty pig, specifically Carolina style BBQ.

4 Great Food Deals in Astoria

For those of you who know me, or have been reading this blog regularly can vouch for the fact that I love a great deal.  While Astoria is fantastic in terms of getting good value when you dine out, I'm even more excited when I can save further and get a steal.  That's where Scoutmob comes in.

A handy mobile app that highlights local deals happening in your area, I use it consistently when dining out in Astoria and Manhattan.  The best part is that you never have to pre-pay for a coupon.  Instead, the deals flow directly into your mobile device, and you have to simply hit "use deal" when on location.  Sometimes it's pretty slim pickens when Astoria is involved, but lately I've come across some pretty neat deals that I wanted to highlight here.  Hope it gives you an opportunity to try some of these places, or to visit them again.

Crave Astoria - 50% off or $10 max discount.  I went last week and had these lovely falafel balls.
Ovelia - 30% off or $100 max discount during dinner service only.
Winegasm - 50% off or $10 max discount.
Astoria Bier and Cheese (newest deal!) - 50% off or $12 max discount when you dine in only.

You can sign up and download the app here.  I've been using it for 3 years now and it hasn't let me down.

50% off at Mojave - It's NOT a Groupon

One of my favorite coupon websites, Scoutmob NYC is offering an awesome deal on Mojave Southwestern restaurant that I thought you'd want to get in on.  For those of you who don't know it, Scoutmob is not your ordinary "Groupon-style" site, where you have to pre-pay for a coupon worth more than what you pay for it.  Quite the opposite, Scoutmob allows you to simply sign up for a coupon, without having to pay in advance, often extending a 50% discount.  The coupon is conveniently sent to your phone and you can use it until 3/23/11.

So after all that holiday spending, who couldn't use a convenient coupon to one of Astoria's delicious stand-bys which serves some of the most delicious margaritas, salmon sandwiches (pictured above), chilis, tacos, quesadillas, and much more.

Get your Mojave Scoutmob coupon - you have until midnight tonight to claim it.

Mojave - 22-36 31st Street Astoria NY 11105
718.545.4100
N/Q Train to Ditmars
www.mojaveny.com