I love bagels. I love their variety and versatility. They can be sweet or savory, or both at the same time; they can house a myriad of spreads and fillings, or they can be enjoyed plain. Good news for bagel fans: Baby D’s Bagel & Deli is now open at 2009 Highland Avenue (around the corner from Wild and Woolly Video and next to Underground Sounds).

Baby D’s offers fifty varieties of sandwiches using twenty types of bagels which are shipped in from New York. (Wraps, salads, and desserts are also offered.) Meats are smoked in-house, and they also make their own sauces and sides. Every sandwich is steamed, resulting in a hot, fresh bagel sandwich.

My wife and I stopped in for lunch yesterday and had a good time perusing the menu. The sandwich names are truly creative and reflect Louisville (Jim James, Waverly, Slugger), celebrity (Bill Cosby, M.C. Escher, Aldous Huxley), and pop culture (The Dude, Double Rainbow, Mad Max). I decided to try the Hogan’s Fountain (cream cheese, avocado, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, sprouts, smoked cheddar, and mustard) on a garlic bagel, while my wife ordered a Scarlett Begonia (turkey, smoked cheddar, chipotle, and mayonnaise) on a sesame bagel.

As promised, our sandwiches came out hot and tender. I observed my fillings and saw to my satisfaction that the vegetables were fresh and crisp. My first bite evoked a sigh of satisfaction. This was a truly delicious concoction. The salty creaminess of the cheese balanced out the crisp coolness of the veggies, all of which was enveloped by the soft garlickiness of the bread.

I had chosen my sandwich because I wanted something a little different than the normal meat-n-cheese I’m so used to, but when I tasted my wife’s sandwich, I saw that I was mistaken in my assumptions. One thing stood out more than anything else: “This turkey tastes like turkey!” I said. As a frequenter of deli sandwiches, I’m quite used to the wet processed turkey product that is so often offered, but the meat on this sandwich had clearly been freshly shaved off a good-quality bird.

My only complaint was that it was over too quickly – but I’m a fast eater, so that’s my own fault.

Hours and a menu can be found at Baby D’s Facebook page.

Photo: Allan Day