I usually find myself gallivanting to opposite ends of Warren and its surrounding counties, but this week I found myself back in the heart of Bowling Green at Hartland. Vincent’s Bagels and Bites drew me in, and, like a scene from a Seinfeld episode, seemed to be drawing a lot of customers in.

I entered the practically empty restaurant alone, looking to place a to-go order and after a couple of minutes, found myself at the front of a long lunch crowd line that was gently and willingly herded to the right with a retaining wall for excellent organization. A wall-sized mirror on the far right wall created a large space illusion and surely made the crowd seem much larger than it was. Or not. The d/cor was simple, light, clean and cheery with several four-top tables scattered throughout the restaurant.

As I ordered, I kept looking back at the growing crowd and finally apologized to the women behind me for taking so much time. When I took a closer look at the reflections in the mirror, however, the customers seemed just happy to be there. The woman behind me only needed a New York accent and it really could have been a scene from Seinfeld – she said, “There’s no right time. We’re all used to this place being busy all the time. It’s worth it.” And it was!

Vincent’s has a huge variety of homemade bagels for breakfast or anytime, as well as breads, muffins, pastries, cookies and even a breakfast sandwich if you stop by for breakfast. And for dinner or lunch, there is no limit to this homemade sky!

I enjoyed the Hilltopper sandwich piled high with ham, salami and pepperoni and equally generous portions of provolone cheese, onion, green pepper, lettuce, tomato and a light drizzle of Italian dressing on thick slices of homemade bread. I was impressed with the long, lean, yet large slices of green pepper, which meant I got a taste in every bite, and the fact that the sandwich was perfectly moist without any other condiments meant the flavor of the meats and vegetables shined through. Not even the thick slices of wheat bread overwhelmed, but all ingredients worked together to form a delicious symphony of flavors.

The pasta salad was also moist, light and appetizing with chunks of pepperoni, green pepper and onion. Both homemade soups were equally appetizing that day. The cheesy tomato was like having spaghetti in soup form. The blend of ground meat, pipe rigate pasta (large macaroni type) and a cheesy tomato base tasted like my favorite plate of spaghetti piled high with parmesan.

The base of the ham and bean soup was where most of the flavor came from, slightly salty with the bean flavor cooked right in, then little bits of ham and a generous portion of white beans to round off this savory lunch treat. The green salad too was fresh and full of vegetables. A nice touch was that they waited to put the grated cheddar cheese on until just before they gave me the salad. The staff did forget to ask about or include salad dressing, but then so did I and I wasn’t under any pressure. The three women taking and making orders worked well together, had a system and stayed pleasant no matter how many sandwiches they were making all at once.

The Californian sandwich was a unique and palatable delicacy. A slice of homemade bread was spread with a spinach/artichoke cream cheese, then piled with turkey breast, onion and tomato, and finally grilled on the panini grill – a lovely indulgence no matter if it’s cold or hot outside.

One glitch – I arrived home to discover I had not been given a honey-go-round sandwich I’d ordered but chicken salad. This would have been fine, if I had liked the chicken salad, but it wasn’t as flavorful as the other two sandwiches and just listen to the description of the honey-go-round: “ham covered with melted Swiss cheese, onion and honey mustard, served on our toasted onion bagel.”

You can bet I’ll be back in the Seinfeld line before long to try out the honey-go-round, the hartland, the country bumpkin sandwiches and to have another one of those deep, moist chocolate brownies while I try not to hold up the line. Luckily it’s not New York or there would have been no soup for me! No, it’s Bowling Green so I got a “bless her heart” pat on the hand to take my time, and a smile!

— Our anonymous food reviewer gives new restaurants a six-week grace period before reviewing. To comment, please contact Managing Editor Mike Alexieff at 783-3235 or via e-mail to

malexieff@bgdailynews.com.

Vincent’s Bagels and Bites

1660A Scottsville Road

• 842-3354

Hours: 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday,

Tuesday, Thursday, Friday; 6:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday; 7 a.m. to noon Saturday; closed Sunday

Cuisine: American

Price range: $4.89 to $7.25

Specialties: Homemade bread, bagels, soup

Libation situation: None

Smoking: No