After a couple trips to New York City, my bagel awareness is at an all-time high, and I've been on a quest for Appleton's best bagels. While several bagel shops and bakeries sell a lot of bagels to hungry Fox Cities dwellers, I hadn't found true bagel greatness in the area until last month when I walked into Big Apple Bagels. Oh la la! These people know their bagels, bagels that come close enough to actual New York bagels to fool most non-New Yorkers. While a quirk in the laws of physics actually makes it physically impossible for perfect bagels to exist more than about 30 miles outside of Manhattan, Big Apple gets close enough for my taste.

I'm delighted at the many fine varieties they offer. Their egg bagel is light and flavorful, for example. I have tried five varieties so far and think they've really got a winning approach. Delicious! They also offer a variety of sandwiches, smoothies, and other fare. Great place for a quick lunch!

Big Apple Bagels can be found on the west side of town at 2601 W College Avenue, phone: (920) 739-0618. A second location for you east-siders is near the southeast Wal-Mart, across Calumet close to Kohl's: W3192 County Road KK, phone: (920) 733-3120.