It's Raining Bagels and More in East Whiteland

The friendly owner of It’s Raining Bagels greeted us from behind a glass display of tempting bagels, muffins and mini-muffins. He patiently pointed out the 20 or so varieties of fresh bagels ($1 each) he had that day and waited as we made our selection. An assortment of muffins ($1.95 each) and mini muffins ($0.50 each) change based on customer comments and his creativity.

A cooler holds assorted drinks as well as a variety of plastic containers of butter and cream cheese. Since March, a special “Flavor of the Month” cream cheese is available in addition to strawberry, veggie, cheddar-horseradish, Nova, scallion and jalapeno. We picked up the current offering—Roasted Tomato.

During our casual exchange, we learned that he had purchased the former Bagel Bistro in July of 2010 and decided to take his daughter’s suggestion for a new name.

An assortment of mini muffins ($0.50 each, $2.75 half-dozen, $5.50 dozen) were packaged in a bakery box to go, with the shop’s label on the top. The bagels ($1 each, $5.25 half-dozen, $9.25 dozen) were stored in a brown paper bag inside a plastic bag for us to take home.

A friend from New York once told us that they didn’t toast their bagels—they were to be eaten fresh. We took this advice and sampled most of them as soon as we got them home. All of the bagels were fresh, chewy and toothsome but not overly heavy. A light touch with flavorings was also common with all of the varieties.

The Spinach bagel was a new addition to the menu. Flecks of green added little extra flavor but lovely color to the dough. The Roasted Tomato spread ($3.50) was a good accompaniment with sweet bits of tomato and hints of garlic and basil in the slightly tangy whipped cream cheese. We imagined creative cooks using it to add richness to their sauces after the bagels were eaten.

The Poppy Seed was pretty much the standard example. All three of the wheat and grain varieties were mild enough for those who don’t usually like whole-wheat offerings, and possibly disappointing for those who do. The Honey Wheat had a slight sweetness and specks of brown grain. The Multi-Grain was topped with flakes of oatmeal.  A few small, dark seeds were present inside the bagel. The Harvest Grain was a dark color, but still quite mild and slightly sweet from chopped raisin pieces.

The Cinnamon Raisin and French Toast were toasted for breakfast the following morning. The Cinnamon Raisin had the expected flavor, but we admit to preferring this variety bursting with both spice and fruit. The French Toast had a swirl of brown sugar and cinnamon that was a great, quick touch of sweet for the morning.

The mini muffins all had a light delicate crumb and were rather sweet. The Corn had a rich flavor without the occasional grit of cornmeal. Cinnamon Crumb used small cinnamon chips and a bit of crumb topping to earn its name. The Cappuccino had little coffee flavor, but more cinnamon chips and tiny semi-sweet chocolate chips. The Black and White was a chocolate bottom on the diagonal across a yellow cake with mini chocolate chips on top. Chocolate Chip Cheese added a center of baked cream cheese to a chocolate chip muffin. The Chocolate Chocolate Chip was a mild chocolate muffin with standard sized semisweet chips.

Toasted bagels, sandwiches, salads, wraps and gourmet coffee and tea can be enjoyed in a clean seating area with free WiFi internet. A chalkboard lists various egg, cheese, chicken, turkey or vegetable combinations.

It’s Raining Bagels

The Shops at Great Valley, 10 Liberty Blvd., Malvern

Telephone: 610-993-8490

Hours: Mon - Fri, 6 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Cost: Bagels, $1; sandwiches, salads, wraps, $3 – $7.75

Credit cards: VISA, Mastercard

Special Features: Free WiFi