Trendy Bagel...

Ususally in the food business, europeans import american marketing and saling methods and americans use world cuisine influences to come up with new food trends. But, burgers aside, there is for once a usa born catering concept that seem to spread out over the old continent: "the Bagel". Let's remind first that the bagel is a O shape poached bread pretty crusty on the outside and very soft on the inside. There are bagel shops all over america but not so much over here. Well, things are changing! Prague for example got its czech owned bagel chain:"Bohemia bagel", actually one of the most successful catering business in the bohemian capital. They are now opening cornershops here and there in the country. They cleverly combined the concept of an american style cafeteria with homade bagel based meals, Egg bacon and cheese Bagel for breakfast, turkey bagel sandwiches for lunch, toasted spinach bagels served with soup for an appertizers and so on...Combining these delis with classic american sweets such as muffins, cheesecakes and brownies was their tardemark to local sucess, Czechs and expats love it.

Seems like the bagel fashion just hit the city of Lyon too. Best bagels has been opened for a bit more than a year and offers delicious warm bagel sandwiches paired with american faves like giant pickles, fisherman sauce or colesaw. They also display a mini market filled with only american imported treasured treats (Oreo, cake mix, Dr Pepper and even Budweiser). beyond the curiosity of the pop art decorated place, the dishes are actually very tasty and made with good quality fresh ingredients. The owner is a young french man who spent some times in Washington and brought back the idea in his home french town.

More recently, a french couple, long time restaurant owners in the city just openned "city bagel's" based on a similar concept of quick warm and freshly baked bagel lunches. They are actually considering the idea of franchising in about a year.

Cliches are meant to be challenged and denied, the growing sucess of "oh god american food" bagels in europe proves it...