As an American blogger in Joburg, it is my moral obligation to inform the public about the appearance of authentic bagels in this city. Although there are many imposters floating around, real, boiled bagels – crusty on the outside, chewy on the inside, served with real cream cheese – are few and far between. So I’m popping in here quickly to let you know about Bird’s Bagels, a semi-secret weekend bagel pop-up in Blairgowrie.
Bird’s Bagels belongs to Tracy Bird, a South African who spent some time in Washington D.C., fell in love with bagels, and decided the best way to enjoy them back home in Joburg was to make them herself. Her weekend pop-up takes place inside Mr. Pants Wine Bar, an adorable little building at Blairgowrie’s trendy new Delta Central complex.
I was only there very briefly on Sunday morning, when Thorsten and I had a sudden bagel craving, and I didn’t come prepared to do a blog post. We had a brief chat with Tracy and ordered eight bagels – two sesame seed, two poppy seed, two za’atar, and two “everything” (a special seasoning made up of all the bagel flavorings) – and a tub of cream cheese. Then we went home for breakfast.
The bagels looked and smelled so great that we were suddenly inspired to make a proper, instagrammable spread.
These bagels are seriously good and so is the cream cheese. I wish we’d bought a dozen instead of eight. Bird’s also sells bagel sandwiches with toppings like egg, smoked trout, tomato, red onion, and avocado, which we will definitely try next time.
Tracy says the pop-up at Mr. Pants is indefinite. But I suggest going soon. That is all.
Follow Bird’s Bagels on Instagram for more pretty bagel photos.
How have I never blogged about 44 Stanley Avenue, the coolest shopping and dining complex in Joburg, which is only five minutes from my house?
I guess it’s wrong to say I’ve never blogged about 44 Stanley; I’ve mentioned it countless times over the years (see here and here) when writing about specific restaurants or shops that are there. But I’ve never written a dedicated post about 44 Stanley as a destination and it’s about time I did – especially now, with the holidays upon us.
I’ve been dreadfully uninspired lately, struggling to think of anything I want to blog about despite having a long list of great ideas (many of which you, my readers, provided in September). I’m finding it hard to feel positive about life at the moment. But on Saturday Thorsten and I got the chance to visit Indwe Park, an indigenous garden and sculpture park in Braamfontein, and I knew I had my topic for today.
Given this week’s political nuclear bomb blast, it feels like a weird time to publish a light-hearted post about my recent (pre-election) jaunt through the United States. But I’m hoping you’ve have had enough of the U.S. election horror show – I know I have – and are ready (at least temporarily) for some wholesome American travel adventures. If so, please read on about my four-day visit to Maine, the northeastern-most state in the lower 48, with my sister, Susanna.
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It makes me smile, when I see it.