The blossoms are raining down, the bulbs are bursting like earthen rainbows, the gardens are getting planted and the Gorge Grown Farmers Market is kicking off the season… We turn our thoughts here at the shop to staffing up for the busier spring & summer months. And to bringing more local produce into play in the bagels and other offerings we make.

Like greedy squirrels, we stocked away peaches, berries and dried cherries from last season. We’ve been using them sparingly, bringing a taste of summer to the forefront in bagels and other treats. This week, we made delicious blueberry and peach galettes – from local fruit frozen from last summer. This weekend we feature a white-chocolate & oregon berry cheesecake from our returning baker & manager Tiffany. We hope to add these treats into the mix – galettes during the week, cheesecakes as we can and scones & cinnamon rolls too…

We are also looking forward to sourcing some local produce for more variety in seasonal bagel flavors. An herbes de provence inspired bagel. A roasted winter squash bagel. Different spreads & cream cheese blends. We are working on relationships with some local farmers for the season. For the latest news on bagel flavors – please follow us on twitter: @hoodriverbagel or on Facebook: facebook.com/hoodriverbagel

Thanks for your support!

And they are even more delicious than ever. Take a look:

The “Dogs” are near foot-long frankfurters from Olympic Provisions in Portland, OR.  They are made from locally sourced pork and are amazing. The dogs are hand-wrapped in bagel dough and boiled and baked until golden. Crisp on the outside, with chewy dough and the delicious dog inside. Yum. We’re featuring these Fridays-Sundays and selling ‘em for $5 a pop with your choice of chips. While they last…

Wonder what we all do in the Gorge besides work & play? We like to teach people about how we work & play! Here’s a unique opportunity to have a great experience with the talented folks that populate our area – from kids activities to outdoor recreation to well, bagel making! Here’s a link to the Hood RIver County Chamber Site: http://hoodriver.org/travel-to-learn
AND a link to our class.

We have been so excited about Heart-Shaped Bagels, we forgot to commemorate our 10,00th bagel! Thank you for your help getting here so quickly.

Looking back at when we hit 10,000 last year – it would seem we are 3 days later. BUT – when we factor in being down for production for 4 days this year we are actually 1 day ahead of 2011 production! Bagel math, go figure.

We had a bagel “emergency” today. Our trusty kettle – used to boil our bagels each morning – went down. No boil means no bagels. And on National Bagel Day of all days!

Luckily – Ballinger’s Appliance & Repair came to the rescue. Duane got us fixed up and we are ready to boil away Friday morning. Next time you need something – why not ask around & see if someone local can help you out! We’re glad we did & our customers will be really glad tomorrow when we open the shop with a case full of fresh bagels!

Sourdough Bagels are back after a lengthy absence. Thanks for your patience!

This time around we are making them from our own wild yeast starter. It took a lot of time to get it going – but we think it’s going to make a great sourdough bagel with a distinctive “house” flavor. I’ll be honest – it’s not San Francisco Sourdough. It’s milder, a little sweeter, but with its own tartness. Hood River Sourdough. Come give it a try.

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Have you tried our newest seasonal offering? It’s Cranberry and it’s delicious!