When an alumnus of the University of Virginia returns to grounds, one of the first things he or she will do is find the nearest Bodo’s and get a bagel fix. Bodo’s is quite simply a Charlottesville institution.
Brian Fox, a New England escapee, founded Bodo’s in 1986. At that time, bagels were known as a northern dish. Only the Yanks ate the odd shaped bakery items and usually with something weird like raw salmon. Folks in the south ate biscuits or doughnuts, so it took a spell to catch on, but eventually the Charlottesville community warmed to Bodo’s like Hawaiians near the Kilauea volcano. Well, maybe not quite that warmly, but enough that 6,000 patrons per day now come though the doors at the three Bodo’s Charlottesville locations.
My daughter, Laura, a UVA grad in for a few days from LA, went to Bodo’s twice that we know of, perhaps more that she didn’t let on to. Her favorite Bodo’s is either an Egg and Cheese on an Everything Bagel, or a Tuna Salad as a sandwich bagel.
The first time I went to Bodo’s, there was a line out into the street. I was going to leave, but someone said the wait wouldn’t be long and it wasn’t. The Bodo’s staff knows how to get people through the lines and we were eating homemade Egg Salad Bagels in less than 10 minutes.
The secret to Bodo’s, beside their outstanding service, is freshness. Most restaurants bake their bagels early each morning or even the night before. Bodo’s bakes bagels throughout the day and they are often served fresh and warm right out of the oven.
The most difficult thing about a visit to Bodo’s is deciding what to order. First, you must choose a bagel, such as Plain, Cinnamon Raisin, Whole Wheat or Everything. Next, order the ingredients. breakfast bagels include things like eggs, sausage, and cream cheese while the sandwich-type options offer deli meats, egg salad, tuna salad, liverwurst, and more. Finally, select your additions: lettuce, tomato, onion, bacon, horseradish, avocado, hummus, kalamata olive spread, and more.
If you have guests in town and want to show them what Charlottesville is really all about, take them to a Bodo’s at Emmet Street, Preston Avenue or on the Corner at UVA.
Bodo’s! Great stuff!