Empire Bagel has been around for several years, located on Marco Island. Their bagels have been chewy in the middle and crispy on the outside. These are the two requisite qualities that make a bagel edible. The various degrees of crunch and chew, as well as size, are what differ one bagel from the next.
The bagels that you buy in supermarkets are seldom chewy and never crisp, unless you toast them. My feeling is that you never need to toast a fresh bagel. Never! Period!
Empire has recently opened a new outlet in a roadside service station near our home in East Naples. The lady I’ve seen for several years in Marco Island (Donna) is managing the place. They offer a nice variety of toppings as well as a good selection of bagels.
The bagels here price out at $1.50 each, less with larger quantities. The other good bagels are in North Naples and cost $2.50 each. Good, but a bit of a rip. I guess they feel that it’s what the traffic will bear.
Personally, I’m more than content with the Empire bagels. They easily satisfy my needs for appropriate breakfast fare. Give them a try and say hello to Donna.
JoshEatsandDrinks 