From left, Ellen Rogan, owner Erryn Eicher Wilson and Libby McMillen, pose inside the Best Bagels in Town new location at 8836 Rte. 434 in Apalachin, N.Y. Serving breakfast all day and a full menu of lunch items using multiple varieties of bagels, along with regular and flavored coffees, the establishment is a welcoming gathering place for the community. (Photos by JoAnn R. Walter)
Pictured is the entrance to Best Bagels in Town, located at 8836 Rte. 434 in Apalachin, N.Y. Formerly located in Vestal, Best Bagels-Apalachin opened on Feb. 22 and will host a grand opening in March. Hours are Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. For information, find them on Facebook or call (607) 625-3733.
After five and a half years in Vestal, N.Y., Best Bagels in Town-Vestal is now Best Bagels in Town-Apalachin. Located at 8836 Rte. 434 in Apalachin, N.Y., in the former Fritzy’s Pizza building and next door to UHS-Apalachin in Tioga Terrace, Best Bagels in Town opened on Feb. 22.
A casual and comfortable place to enjoy breakfast or lunch, coffee or a sweet treat, Best Bagels-Apalachin serves breakfast all day and offers a full menu of lunch items, the same menu that customers enjoyed in Vestal, which includes sandwiches, soups and sides.
Coffee lovers will find unique daily flavors, cappuccino or a traditional regular or decaf cup of joe, as well as tea and iced coffee selections. For dessert, there are muffins, cookies, and brownies, just to name a few. As for the star of the show, there is an endless assortment of fresh dough bagels made daily, and to accompany them are multiple selections of delicious spreads.
You can say owners Erryn Eicher Wilson and Mike Wilson had a love for bagels long before they took the plunge to open a business. Parents to three children, weekend trips to Collegetown Bagels in Ithaca was a regular run, and when their middle son announced that he wanted bagels for a birthday party, a bagel breakfast bar was created for the occasion. The Wilson’s passion for bagels ultimately opened doors at Best Bagels-Vestal.
For Erryn, who grew up and still lives in the Tioga Terrace neighborhood where Best Bagels is now located, the move from Vestal to Apalachin was an opportunity not to pass up. Although she will miss aspects of the Vestal property and the customer base, Erryn explained that she is hopeful many of those customers will find the new site still in reach. For Apalachin, the Best Bagels relocation is good news for the area.
The move, turned around in just six days, was an ambitious undertaking, and going forward, Erryn is focused on creating a welcoming atmosphere for customers, along with a comfortable gathering place for the community.
“I want people to feel as though they are at a friend’s house,” Erryn shared, and added, “A place where it feels like you’re sitting at your own kitchen table and enjoying fresh, homemade food.”
Items at Best Bagels-Apalachin are made to order, with a variety of appealing ways to dress up a bagel. From favorite lunch choices like egg salad, BLT’s, turkey, ham or chicken, there is also buffalo chicken salad, Reuben’s, a veggie option, or even a pizza bagel, to name a few. Enjoy a cup of soup or soup in a bread bowl, salad, and a host of other sides, and for breakfast enthusiasts, choices include a variety of eggs with meat and cheese on either a bagel or croissant. With five menu boards posted inside the establishment, customers are sure to find something to please their appetite.
One of those appetite-pleasers, Erryn shared, is, “A ‘Better than Philly’ cheesesteak with homemade sauce.”
Two other Best Bagels in Town locations, managed by others, are in Binghamton and Endwell. Creativity remains open in the Best Bagels business, and Erryn is already considering new summer menu items in Apalachin, for example various hot dog selections and a potential soft-serve ice cream machine.
For group get-togethers, business meetings, birthdays or any occasion, Best Bagels-Apalachin offers bagel, pastry and sandwich trays by special order.
Best Bagels-Apalachin is open Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.
A grand opening, planned for March, will be announced. For details and information, follow them on Facebook or call (607) 625-3733.
