It’s my Cheers, where everybody knows your name. With comfy booths instead of the bar, without the hangovers.
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I’m a Florida boy who didn’t know a potato knish from a knickerbocker until I stumbled upon the Deltona Bagel King Bakery, which opens every day at 6 a.m. with New York style kettle bagels still warm from the oven. Cheery customer service and friendly regulars warm the heart.
It’s a short drive from my DeBary abode and a long way from fast food. Mom and pop at its best, true to the vision New Yorkers Frank and Tina Perrotta brought to Winter Park when they opened their first Bagel King location in 1977.
The Bagel King empire expanded into Volusia County and become my daily delight. So much so that the owners list one of the delectable breakfast sandwiches on their menu as the “Peanut Buddy and Jelly Bagel”.
That is my everything bagel, toasted crispy, with a generous schmear of crunchy peanut butter.
This is my place.
Buddy Collings is the Varsity Content Editor for the Orlando Sentinel. He can be reached at [email protected].