Glimpse the offerings inside the new Bagel Nook eatery at Downtown Summerlin (near Capriotti’s at the southern end of the complex) and it’s easy to jump to conclusions. Wildly colorful creations like the Fruity Pebble Overload ($9), a cereal-studded bagel with birthday cake-flavored cream cheese and fresh sliced strawberries, or the seasonal pumpkin bagel—which looks more like a pumpkin than a bagel—could lead to premature or dismissive opinions.
This food looks like it’s tailored for social media success, and we all know there are restaurants around town that focus more on viral posts than delicious food. But the Bagel Nook, which planted this first location outside New Jersey in late September, believes it can do both, and a deeper dive into the menu suggests it will.
There’s much more than sweet stuff, with 30 bagel flavors and 35 schmears. You can experiment with “crazy cream cheese” options like maple bacon, ghost pepper or peanut butter fudge, or stick to classic combos like scallion cream cheese on an everything bagel.
“We have something for everybody. If you want a plain bagel, you can have that,” says franchise owner Jordan Fiksenbaum, a veteran of the Las Vegas entertainment industry and former Cirque du Soleil executive. “Most places have five schmears, and we have a lot more, sweet and savory. People really like the Cookie Monster [cream cheese], which is blue, and a lot of sweet flavors that are very decadent, almost like trying a different cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory.”
Bagels are without question one of those things that tend to bring out the purists, snobby foodies that might scoff at this rainbow of colors and fun flavors. But the Bagel Nook team recognizes that there’s room for variety, especially in a food city that could always use more deli-style eateries.
“We can all name our favorites on one hand, and there’s nothing wrong with them,” Fiksenbaum says. “But we felt like Summerlin could use another bagel place.”
It’s a true East Coast company, and you can see it in the offerings: breakfast platters and omelets with a side of home fries and bagel or toast ($9-$15); classic egg and cheese sandwiches with your choice of meat ($6-$11); pancakes, French toast and other griddle faves; and lunchtime sandwiches running the gamut from cheesesteak ($12) to Reuben ($13). The Mother Clucker ($11) loads bacon, chicken tenders, egg, fries and veggies on a cheesesteak, and the Jersey Boy panini ($11) layers roast beef, grilled onions, provolone and horseradish aioli on a panini. Summerlin could use another great sandwich shop, too, and the Bagel Nook is ready.
THE BAGEL NOOK 11010 Lavender Hill Drive #140, 702-780-5312, thebagelnook.com. Daily, 6 a.m.-5 p.m.
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