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Del Ray

Been a while since I ventured down to Del Ray.  A Cheesetique special brought me back to the area, along with a desire to check out some shops.  First up was Bagel Uprising.  It replaces the underwhelming gluten-free/vegan friendly bakery which last resided in this spot.  The line out the door and the "sold-out" signs (down to Poppy Seed and Plain by 1pm on a Saturday) make it clear this is a bigger hit.  The bagels are good.  Smaller than typical (which is a good thing for my expanding waistline) they have that nice chewy interior which is a hallmark of a decent bagel.  They were overdone, IMHO, and it wasn't a fluke.  Every bagel left had a deep brown sheen.  I prefer a tan color.  It made the outside a little leathery.  That being said the house-made cream cheese spread was amazing.  I had scallion-chive on my poppy seed, toasted, and could have dived into a pint of the stuff.  Bottom line:  The spread was awesome but Call Your Mother bagels are better.

After this, I checked out Dairy Godmother, an old-school custard shop.  There were a number of good-looking baked goods in the cabinet but I went for a chocolate custard.  The store doesn't have a lot of bells and whistles.  Each day they offer a vanilla, a chocolate and one seasonal flavor, plus some sorbets, ice cream sandwiches, unusually flavored frozen pops and one "special" (custard on top of a some sort of pie or other baked good).  The custard's texture was right on point.  Thick, creamy and melt-in-your-mouth.  The flavor was good but not rich enough for my tastes.  I would have to try the vanilla to confirm but feel like the expertise here is in the custards rather than the flavors.

Lastly, as I was heading out, I noticed that Bombay Curry Company has become Spice Kraft Indian Bistro.  The new owners have changed little of the decor but the menu is vastly different.  Options have been pared down and refined.  Vegan and gluten-free options are highlighted.  Looks worthy of another visit. 

The thing I learned most about my afternoon?  There are a whole lot more restaurants to check out in this neighborhood.

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