Brookside loves bagels!  And finally, the long awaited Luca Bagel has opened at 633 E 63rd St.  It’s a real treat to have a freshly baked bagel–and we are lucky this storefront landed in our neighborhood.  If you shop at the Overland Park Farmer’s Market, you’ve likely seen the very long lines at their pop up tent on Saturdays.  This is a high quality, Jersey style bagel that people will wait in line for.

Luke Salvatore is the owner of Luca Bagel; if that name sounds familiar, it’s because he and  his brother operate Providence Pizza in Grandview , and have since expanded to two other locations.  A few years ago, Luke began experimenting with various recipes and started selling the bagels  on Saturday mornings at the Grandview restaurant.  Talking with friends involved with the OP Farmer’s Market, he decided to open a stand there on Saturdays.  Word spread about the tasty treats and long lines started forming well before the market’s 7:30am official open time.  At this point, Luke was still baking at the Grandview store and with the “massive” response to the OP pop up, he started to look for a brick and mortar location.  He thought the Brookside would be a good spot because customers spoke fondly of the old Bagel and Bagel store that was here for many years.  Plus, he knew the neighborhood liked to support local businesses. When the former Mattie’s vegan restaurant space opened up–it was “the right place at the right time” according to Luke.   I asked him how many bagels they typically bake over the weekend–about 4000 pieces.

Besides your typical bagel toppings (a gluten free option is available too), Luca sells breakfast and lunch sandwiches.  Popular breakfast orders include the traditional bacon, egg and cheese option and the tomato, cucumber, lox, onions and capers combination.  Lunch sandwiches feature a pastrami on bagel and the “Jersey pork roll”, offering thinly sliced, Taylor ham shipped in from New Jersey.  And for a sweet treat–the traditional black and white cookie is baked on site!  This new location can be as popular as the OP market site; peak busy times are Saturday and Sunday around 10am so plan accordingly!

Stop by Luca Bagel, 633 E 63rd St, and check it out–the vibe inside is laid back and relaxed, with a friendly staff and catchy music on the sound system. This place definitely has it’s own funky personality.  Luca Bagel is open every day except Monday.