At some point in the last few weeks, I unofficially declared a new weekend goal:  to try AT LEAST one new (to me) lunch spots in the city each week.  It’s good to have goals in life, guys.  You need to give yourself realistically obtainable milestones to strive for.  Goals give your life purpose and destination, and, in my case, a full belly.

About 30 minutes into what should have been a 5 minute drive to Owen’s Bagels including FOUR (potentially) illegal u-turns, I finally (wo)manned up and called Owen’s to find out where the heck they were located.

With their direction, I quickly made it Owen’s, which is smashed at the end of the Pavilion Plaza on South Boulevard:

If you don’t know what you’re looking for, you might drive by it (four times) blissfully (or not so blissfully, as the case may be) unaware.

Now normally I’d question the pedigree of a restaurant whose letters are peeling off the awning, but I haven’t had a good bagel in god knows how long and I swear if I see another bagel thin flaunting itself as a delicious bagel alternative I may go batshit.

So I made an exception.  I do have goals to keep in mind after all.

Owen’s is locally owned and operated and they are all about fresh steamed bagels, which they purchase straight from an NYC bagel shop.  The bagel sandwiches are made to order and come piping hot off the steamer.  If you’ve never sunk your teeth into the chewy bliss that is a hot steamed bagel, I beg you to get your butt to Owen’s.  Stat.

There was a whole lot going on inside of Owen’s.  I spotted a couple dozen people laughing and happily enjoying lunch against a backdrop of crazy signs and oddball décor.

The quirkiness of Charlotte never ceases to surprise me.  You just never know what you’re going to get, unless you take the time to look inside.  I think that’s what this city is really about.  Slowing down, and taking the time.  Stopping to smell the bagels, if you will.

At the front of the store, you’ll see the ordering section complete with construction paper visual aids depicting their menu items.

I giggled over a few of them including the Muenster Mash, Tonya Harding Club, Ned’s Gandy Dancer, and the Booty Bagel.

After ordering, I popped a squat in a back corner and admired the writing on the wall (no pun intended).

It was EVERYWHERE.  Kinda made me wonder why they don’t just stick a ladder out front and let some customer put a good sharpie to work on their awning lettering.  There isn’t much I wouldn’t do for a couple free steamed bagels

After a short wait, my grub was ready!

I went with the Jake Delihome Bagel, which was loaded up with turkey, colby cheese, AVOCADO, onion, and tomato on a Bialy bagel:

I’m not sure what a Bialy Bagel is exactly, but the sandwich was awesome.  The turkey and cheese and veggies were tasty, but it coulda been bologna sandwiched between that steamy bagel and I think I still would have been in heaven.

I was so so so happy to see that they had Cheddar & Sour Cream Baked Ruffles!!  Cheddar & Sour Cream chips are pure nostalgia for me.  They were the chip of my youth, whereas funyuns were the chip of my teenage years… mmmmmm funyunnssss…. Oh how I miss those stanky snacks.

And with this, I bid you ado: