They say “It’s all about the water.” And they might be right. I mean, there has to be a reason why bagels in South Florida are just SO BAD. I have been so dissapointed with the 
quality of bagels down here that I wanted to start a blog like www.worstpizza.com, except who has the time? So I have come to accept mediocre bagels, at best, in Boca Raton, FL. I don’t know if it is the water, the process, the ovens, the ingredients, but a real bagel needs to be crunchy and chewy at the same time. And I have NEVER had a bagel down here that comes close to New York. So naturally i was very skeptical when I heard about the newest bagel shop The Original Brooklyn Water Bagel Co. in Delray Beach, FL.
I went this morning and was the 206th customer. I knew that the first 100 customers got something free, but I also knew there was no way I was getting there early enough to have a chance. The restaurant was nice, brightly lit and smelled delicious. The line to order overlooked the prep area where the bagels were being prepared. I was a little dissapointed to see a machine rolling the bagels, I have always preferred a nice hand rolled bagel, but didn’t think much of it. All orders are placed at the counter, but there are plenty of tables to sit down and eat. I ordered a poppy bagel w/ cream cheese and was excited to try it. I ran into a friend on line so waited and we dug in together. My first impression was that the bagel was perfectly round, so I was not expecting much. But then I remembered these are machine rolled, so that explains the shape. I bit in and the bagel was delicious! Wow, definitely the best bagel I have had in South Florida. I wanted to get another, but there wasn’t a line for seconds. And the line was too long to wait. Since there is no table service, I realized that if you want to have lunch or a full meal there, you better order everything you need to first time around. Anyway, the bagel was good, it gets 2 Big Bites, and I look forward to going back this Friday with more friends.
A new Mexican restaurant opened up in Boca Raton, and since my wife and I love Mexican food we wanted to try it. This is upscale Mexican, as you can assume by its Mizner Park location, but it is accessible, not too high brow. It is a beautifully built out space and I recommend sitting inside to enjoy it. I personally don’t like seating outside, unless there is a view to warrant it. We were very impressed by the fresh tortilla mahine, and the complimentary chips were delicious, although the salsa a bit too spicy. We started with the Queso Flameado con Chorizo because it is a favorite of mine, and it was Tuesday. Yes, this is only available on Tuesday. It was delicious, although I usually like tortillas with this dish, and when I got some, it didn’t quite go together the way I had imagined. I ordered the Herschel’s Platter as my main. While not a fan of tamales, these were good (but cold). The chicken enchilada also could have been better if warmer. The taco was fabulous though. Overall, this dish is ENTIRELY too much food. My wife enjoyed her pollo, but it had to be sent back as it was a little “pink.” They just opened, so I forgive some minor complaints. I would definitely go back, and this is a welcome addition to both Mizner and Boca. I recommend taking a big bite.
A new deli opened up in Boca Raton. It’s called Pastrami Queen New York’s Famous Deli. I had to blog about it because my friend the Professor bought me lunch for my birthday and I knew he would want me to. I am familiar with the original Pastrami King in Queens, NY and the subsequent Pastrami Queen in New York, NY. To me, this Florida outpost doesn’t remind me of either place. It doesn’t have the same look or feel. I know it is relatively knew, but it doesn’t seem decorated. The walls are pretty bare. Also, the menu’s of the NY Pastrami Queen and the Boca Pastrami Queen do not appear to be the same. So whether it is connected to the one in New York or not, I am not sure. The food was OK. I had a Rachel, a Pastrami Reuben. (Had to go for the Pastrami, after the name of the place). And the Pastrami was good. But I shouldn’t have gotten the Rachel. Not enough meat on it. Also, they didn’t put Russian dressing on it. It came on the side. The menu said it came with a choice of several sides, but they didn’t have macaroni salad “for a few weeks.” So I got the fries, which meant I couldn’t order a knish. The Professor wanted me to mention that when I tried to put ketchup on the fries, the lid fell off. I wouldn’t normally mention this, but it was funny. Overall Pastrami Queen was pretty good. I am not sure I would go out of my way to get there though, as readers of some more established Boca food blogs claim to do, but it was good. I think they should decorate the walls a little more though. And I did appreciate the small discount on my student card, so thanks for that. I say Pastrami Queen is worth a Big Bite!