Einstein Bros has set its mind to providing on-the-go-go-goers with a range of quick breakfast and lunch choices, but the chain bakery’s heart still belongs to bagels.
That’s a good thing. After all, any old storefront can roll up some sprouts and avocados in a green tortilla and call it a “California wrap,” but a decent bagel demands more attention.
And Einstein bagels are good, even if they are on the jumbo side of proportional correctness. Whether sliced in half to make room for a “shmear” of flavored cream cheese ($2.25 to $3.25) or wrapped around a hot dog before baking or stretched out into a Parmesan-sprinkled flat bread to accompany a salad, the variations on the bagel theme all hit the spot.
Things made of bagel dough fare better than some other baked goods: The sourdough baguettes for sandwiches aren’t particularly tart, and their crust shatters excessively while you try to eat them. A “pull-apart” ($1.59), a kind of cinnamon roll, is a dry choice, and the crumb cake ($1.59) hides a dense, chemical character under its attractive exterior.
The tortilla in the Albuquerque turkey roll-up ($4.49) is thin and tender, though, and it holds a generous amount of shaved smoked turkey. The honey chipotle dressing overdoses on sweetness but redeems itself with a spicy tingle. The token lettuce is fine, considering the tired condition of most vegetable inclusions on the day we visited.
That tiredness is especially apparent in the Asian chicken salad ($4.79), but the parched carrot slivers and brown-edged lettuce are less obviously blemished once tossed in the nice, sweet/salty sesame dressing. The best part of the salad? The accompanying 4-by-12-inch flat bread, topped with rosemary and melted Parmesan.
A nice handful for traditionalists might be the N.Y. Lox and Bagels ($5.49), a bagel split and “shmeared” with cream cheese to help secure a generous slice of salmon. The fish, tender and typically salty, gets a garnish of red onions and a few capers as well as a pale tomato slice.
Another hand-held weapon against hunger, the Veg Out ($3.79), will be a better choice when warm weather–and decent tomatoes–return to the city. Even now, the sprouts, cucumber, red onions and “feta pine nut spread” give you something to chew on.
With any of the sandwiches, an extra $1.50 lets you add a fountain drink and one of a range of sides, from plain potato chips to a low-fat broccoli poppy seed coleslaw. Feeling flush? An extra $2.50 gets you a drink and a cup of soup. The one we sampled, a red bean and rice soup ($1.99 a la carte), provides plenty of rice but not enough spice, or beans.
The counter staff shows a real zeal to help customers make decisions without hectoring them, a rare combination. And if you are eating in, there’s enough room, in the Walton Street location at least, to keep your bags from getting trampled as you nosh.
A last nod to snack innovation: As wholesome and appealing as a fully dressed Chicago-style hot dog may be, a bagel dog ($2.99), with your choice of the usual bagel seasonings baked on, has much to recommend it. Ask for the “everything,” a mix of sesame and poppy seeds, onion, pepper and garlic.
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Einstein Bros Bagels
(2 forks)
44 E. Walton St.
312-943-9888
Hours: 6:30 a.m. -7 p.m. Mon.-Sat.,
7 a.m.-6 p.m. Sun.
Credit cards: A, M, V
Noise rating:
Conversation-friendly
Ratings key:
4 forks: Don’t miss it
3 forks: One of the best
2 forks: Very good
1 fork: Good
Reviews are based on anonymous visits by Tribune staff members. The meals are paid for by the Tribune.
