Indulging in Delightful Treats at J Bagels & Cafe

The Ride

Departing from Cross River shortly after dawn, the overcast sky with several dark clouds threatening rain made it feel much earlier than it was.  The Beeline Moto’s compass indicated 19.7 miles as the crow flies to the destination in Connecticut on the BMW R18 Classic.  See our article on discovering new roads with Beeline.

I headed east on Route 35, which, with the limited visibility and its easy-going sweeping corners, was a perfect start.  Once I hit Ridgefield to one of the fun side roads, a slight diversion led me to Route 7, where I passed a coffee shop I previously visited: Tusk & Cup.

A few meanderings led me onto Route 107, and eventually, running alongside the reservoirs in the area forced my path to one not ideally lined up with my destination.  But the roads were outstanding.  With the updated software on the Beeline Moto 2 (link to review) and app, I marked the streets with thumbs up to retrieve them later in the app.  These will show as small green + signs on your heat map.  Conversely, a negative rating will appear as a red sign.  Beyond signaling to yourself which roads are good vs bad, this also aids the routing engine if you are using turn-by-turn.  It will aim to avoid the crowdsourced “bad” roads and favor the “good” ones, improving generated routes over time.

With the thumbs up marked on the Valley Forge Road alongside the Saugatuck Reservoir and Black Rock Turnpike next to Hemlock Reservoir, I was blessed with some good roads this morning, even if they didn’t perfectly align with the compass heading.

Past the reservoir, the compass urged me in a direction that matched the Merritt Parkway as I crossed it.  I wasn’t keen to grab a highway for the last few miles, so I hoped to find a side road.  I took the first left after the causeway over the Samp Mortar Reservoir, which lined up well at first. Still, it ended near Lake Mohegan with no clear path to match my intended direction. So, I headed back toward the Merritt, eventually crossing over it and finding a side road running parallel to it.  Crossing the Merritt again, I passed Sacred Heart University as the miles remaining on the compass continued to count down.  A final turn onto Madison Avenue brought me to J Bagels & Cafe.  Reviewing the route Rever recorded, it showed 31.9 miles for this trip. See the route below.

REVER is a mobile app designed to help you track, plan, or navigate your ride. With the app, you can easily plan your route, view maps and directions, and track your distance using GPS technology. The app is an excellent tool for anyone who loves to ride and wants to keep track of their progress and distance.

The Coffee Shop

Trumbull, CT, borders Bridgeport and Shelton.  The proximity to Bridgeport urged Igor Sikorsky to call the town home while he designed & built both fixed wings and the helicopter.  Bridgeport’s municipal airport KBDR is named in honor of Sikorsky, recognizing his contribution to aviation in the area.  Sikorsky Aircraft, now owned by Lockheed Martin, is still in Stratford, CT, with the famous Black Hawk military helicopter featured at the entrance.

The shop is in a strip mall typical in this part of Connecticut.  A modern exterior along with plenty of parking in front means motorcycles will have an easy time visiting.

Reclaimed wood on the walls and in some rafters gives a much older impression of the interior than the exterior implies.  On the right as you enter is a large chalkboard at least 10 feet tall with a Welcome to JBC using most of the top portion.  Helpfully, the WiFi access point name and password were provided in large type to make it easy for those with laptops to get online.

There were plenty of wooden tables and metal-backed chairs. Stools in the same style and a raised wooden shelf, looking out the front windows, allowed you to rest your coffee and bagels while you absorbed the view of the parking lot.

As you head further in, the counter where the coffee is made is on your left. As you reach the back, the counter where you can order your bagels and pay is also on your left.

When I arrived shortly after opening the door, the staff was busy preparing platters and taking several phone orders. The staff easily outnumbered customers in the space, which isn’t surprising given the early hour and strong takeout business. The person behind the counter was on the phone taking an order and asked me to wait for one moment, but then one of the other staff members jumped in and asked what they could get for me.

Only a couple of people were seated when I visited, but there was a constant flow of people getting to-go orders, so it remains a popular place. Several carafes with drip coffee in various blends and flavors were out front, but an espresso machine meant you could also get any espresso drink you’d like. With a name like J Bagels, it’s clear that bagels are prominent on the menu. The bins behind the counter offered a variety of styles, and some breakfast sandwiches could also be ordered.

I ordered a latte and a toasted everything bagel with cream cheese and then grabbed one of the open tables while I waited for it to be prepared.  My latte was served in a paper cup, as most patrons got their stuff to go on this early Sunday morning. While I generally prefer my coffee served in a ceramic cup, the latte was tasty, though perhaps too much milk as it overpowered the espresso flavor.  The bagels alone are worth the trip.  Freshly baked, oozing with delicious flavors, and just the right amount of crispness from the toasting made for a beautiful pair to my latte.