Olive oil poached albacore tuna filled bagel sandwich from Laika’s Lox & Bagels food truck. [Sarah Lemon/Mail Tribune]
Olive oil poached albacore tuna filled bagel sandwich from Laika’s Lox & Bagels food truck. truck [Sarah Lemon/Mail Tribune]
The “Baja” is a breakfast bagel at Ahuva Bagel Company in Central Point. truck [Sarah Lemon/Mail Tribune]
The “Mansfield” is an open-faced turkey bagel preparation at Ahuva Bagel Company in Central Point. truck [Sarah Lemon/Mail Tribune]
Sun-dried tomato and basil cream cheese is one of 17 spread options on a toasted bagel at Ahuva Bagel Company in Central Point. truck [Sarah Lemon/Mail Tribune]
The “Baja” is a breakfast bagel at Ahuva Bagel Company in Central Point. truck [Sarah Lemon/Mail Tribune]
Ahuva Bagel Company Opens Second Bakery, Laika’s Lox & Bagels Serves Upscale Sandwiches
Bagels arguably peaked in popularity before the low-carb and gluten-free crazes.
But if Ahuva Bagel Company’s recent expansion is any barometer, local appetites for its freshly baked specialty must be growing as well. In fact, the trade name comes from the Hebrew word for “beloved.”
Locating a second Ahuva in Central Point’s Mountain View Plaza allows owners Jacob and Lauren Troyer to do business closer to home. The original Ahuva, purchased from founders Brad and Chris Stebbins, still operates in Bear Creek Plaza on Biddle Road in Medford.
As with any bakery, it pays to get there early. When Ahuva opens at 7 a.m. (an hour later on Saturday), its display case is well stocked with bagels from whole wheat and multigrain to apple-cinnamon, jalapeño and, my personal favorite, spinach-Parmesan. In between are staples like raisins, sesame and poppy seeds. The quintessential “whole” bagel has an alter ego in the Ahuva “slug,” an oblong that offers bagel flavor and texture without the hole.
A single bagel sells for $2. Split it, toast it and spread it with one of seven flavored cream cheeses, the price is $5. Almost endless ways to customize with produce and protein can add up to 50 cents per onion, tomato or sprouts or up to $4.50 per lox.
When customers reach this price point, they’re likely to want to consider a bagel sandwich or an open-faced preparation: from $7 for meat, cheese and mayo to $10 for classic lox, cream cheese, tomatoes , onions and capers. Breakfast sandwiches with and without egg are priced from $5.50 to $6.50.
While I love the crusty chewiness of traditional bagels, I prefer it half at a time, which fits the menu’s open heading. Among the more mundane recipes, including the Reuben melt, the hummus-slathered “vegetable delight,” and the Mediterranean with its side of balsamic dressing, I selected the relatively simple “Mansfield” ($9) with herbed cream cheese, sliced turkey and scallions. The combination of cream cheese and turkey to my palate means high school brown bag comfort food.
My partner ordered the “Baja” breakfast bagel ($6.50), which livens up the egg with chipotle and enriches the melted cheese with avocado. We’ve also added a bag of Kettle chips for $2. More health-conscious diners find options for garden and Caesar salads from $7.50 to $11 with chicken.
The poultry on my bagel wasn’t as hearty as I’d hoped, shredded and scattered more finely, rather than layered, over the proper spread of cream cheese. Compared to other bagels that incorporate more product, the Mansfield seems like a lesser value.
My partner consumed his well-assembled breakfast sandwich in a few bites. However, compared to others I had tried, the “Baja” offered neither as much freshness nor as much spice. Since we visited Ahuva late in the day, our bagels weren’t at their freshest either.
For our next foray, I decided to reach Ahuva within an hour of opening time. I doubled the toasted raisin bagel’s fruitiness and sweet spice with a cinnamon raisin and walnut cream cheese grill. For old time’s sake, I couldn’t resist the Spinach Parmesan Bagel with my idea of the perfect topping: Sundried Tomato Basil Cream Cheese.
This time, the bagels’ crumb was more tender, in contrast to the crispier crusts, their cream cheeses spread thicker. If I hadn’t brought a travel cup of coffee, I could have ordered from Ahuva’s espresso and specialty drink menu. There are also fruit smoothies and Italian soft drinks.
The Old World sensibility of serving bagels defines one of the region’s newest food trucks. A regular at Ashland and Medford farmers markets, Laika’s Lox & Bagels is doing more with salmon than its name suggests. Gravlax cured with wild-caught coho, as well as wild-caught keta salmon prepared pastrami-style, top Laika’s gourmet topping combinations.
Wild albacore, poached in-house in olive oil, was the fish the owner recommended on the morning I visited. I readily agreed, as I prefer sustainably caught Pacific tuna to salmon in most cases.
Previously operating Alfred’s Arepas, Laika’s owner does not cook her bagels. Absent that distinction, prices from $10.50 for a bagel with lox spread to $16.50 for gravlax seem high. The high quality of Laika’s other ingredients, I soon discovered, more than makes up for it.
Organic greens, hummus and raw sauerkraut are among Laika’s main ingredients. Piquillo peppers, preserved lemons and horseradish provide bold flavors.
Dressed in lemon aioli, my bagel had an inch-thick layer of moist, soft, and utterly delicious tuna. The tomato slices were bright and juicy, offset by crunchy arugula and pepper. Carefully made, the sandwich was so hearty that I only needed half for breakfast and half for lunch.
A lighter vehicle for Laika’s fish options, $15.50 to $16.50, is its organic greens salad with sweet corn kernels, cucumber, tomato, avocado and cilantro in a mango vinaigrette -poblano-lime Laika’s also serves an assortment of internationally inspired sausages (Polish, German, Italian and Hungarian) on pretzel buns with your choice of raw sauerkraut and mustard for $10.50 each.
Located at 1205 Plaza Blvd., Ahuva Bagel Company is open 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays, 8 a.m. Saturday. Check facebook.com/ahuvabagelcompanycentralpoint or call 541-423-5177.
Find Laika’s Lox & Bagels at Rogue Valley Growers & Crafters Markets, Tuesdays in Ashland at 1554 Webster St., Thursdays in Medford at Hawthorne Park. Check rvgrowersmarket.com for hours and updates.
Contact Features Editor Sarah Lemon at 541-776-4494 or slemon@rosebudmedia.com
