Bada Bing Bagels

 http://www.badabingbagel.com

It is truly a glorious morning here in deep South Texas!  The bay was quiet outside my window and when I drove the teen to school we both admired the beautiful sunrise over the island.  He said we needed some religious music it was so lovely.  There was a thick layer of rich pink and orange underneath a big bank of fluffy clouds and the upper edge of the clouds were rimmed with bright light with rays of sun reflected upwards in a divine display.  So I hummed some of Hallelujah. 
I don't think he was impressed but I liked it :-)

I have not been to the island for a couple of days and this seemed like the perfect morning to head over.  I love driving over the bridge - it always feels like the entrance to "a good place".  This morning I decided a bagel and some coffee would be a great accompaniment to a short trip to Isla Blanca Park.  I wanted to sit on the Dolphin Point side of the park and enjoy the pleasant weather and some breakfast.  I turned left off the bridge and headed to Bada Bing Bagels where I knew I could get a good cup of coffee and the best bagels to be found anywhere in Rio Grande Valley!  I was not wrong.

This morning I got a Cinnamon Raisin bagel - toasted - with plain cream cheese and a coffee to go.  Enjoyed  meeting the new manager for the Wells Fargo Bank island branch and got to chat with adults for a change.  That's always a good thing!  I felt my shoulders relaxing (they've been tight for days) and I could draw a deep breath of clean fresh air.  All was well in my world.

I love that I can find New York bagels right here on SPI.  I've had plain, whole wheat, multi grain, and now cinnamon raisin.  I need to drive over Saturday morning and get my hubby a pumpernickel bagel as he will be flying in this week-end.  The have an extensive menu of breakfast sandwiches and deli sandwiches for lunch - although I admit I haven't tried any of them, I have watched them being made though... they look fabulous.  I just happen to love bagels and cream cheese - so that's what I get!  The first time I went in, I chatted with the owner and he said they ship their bagels straight from New York - and I was sold.  They say New York bagels have a special taste because of the water.  I don't know - but these are seriously some of the best bagels I've ever eaten.  And, of course, they are just nice folks at Bada Bing.  I like stopping by.

So, with my white bakery bag and cup of coffee in hand, I headed out to Isla Blanca, parked my vehicle (hoping not to get stuck in the sand), and trudge over to sit on the big slabs of granite.  The bay was so peaceful and I munched on my bagels and sipped my coffee.  No one in the area within my eye sight except for a fishing boat out in the channel.  I just finished half of my bagel when I saw a dolphin fin arch up. YES!!!  My morning is complete - I got to have dolphin magic with my breakfast.  I watched the single fin go up and down, slowly moving toward the ocean - surface, dive, surface dive - until I could no longer see him (or her).  No buddies in sight - but nonetheless, it was the highlight of my morning.  I finished my breakfast and most of my coffee and loaded back up and drove over to see what was up with the Sand Castle Days folks.  Early though it was, the area was filled with sand sculptors and worker bees.  I didn't stop - they had the parking lot blocked off so I just kept on rolling because I needed to get home and do a little work.  I headed back across the bridge and there were wade fishermen up to their chest in water, a bunch of ducks flying in formation, gulls floating on the bay, pelicans in formation...and just as I began the ascent to the top of the bridge a beautiful straight line of Roseate Spoonbills flew in front of me in all their pink loveliness.  THAT is pink icing on my cake!

Roseate Spoonbills at the Convention Center on a different day

I started out to write about how much I love the bagels from Bada Bing...and ended up talking more about the fauna of the island.  Really though, they go hand in hand.  Good food, a beautiful setting, peace in my heart.

Visit Bada Bing if you have the chance - you will NOT be disappointed.  Here's a link to their menu.  They are indeed The Little Shop With the Big Taste!  Find them at 1817 Padre Blvd - on the bay side of the central island road - at Palm Street.  You will be glad you did!

SPI FLIP FLOP FOODIE RATING:

4 – Lip smackin’ - good quality – flip flops will definitely be parked under their table again!