Rosenbloom '13: Bagel Gourmet Ole: a salute to cultural fusion - The Brown Daily Herald

Rosenbloom '13: Bagel Gourmet Ole: a salute to cultural fusion - The Brown Daily Herald

Three words demonstrate how America is unique. Three words show that America will stay ahead of all of its rivals. Three words illustrate how America is the greatest nation in the history of the world. What are those three words?

Bagel Gourmet Ole.

This hybrid Mexican and bagel restaurant, with locations on Thayer and Brook streets, represents everything that makes our country unique and exceptional. It perfectly illustrates the source of America's strength — the unique solutions and products that result from the interactions of so many different cultures. Whenever multiculturalists feel lost for words, they should just make the Bagel Gourmet Ole defense.

As Americans who are accustomed to living amid such diversity, we find it easy to take this restaurant for granted. I urge you to take a minute just to examine its absurdity. This is a Hispanic-run store that sells Mexican food as well as bagels, one of the most stereotypically Jewish foods!

One graphic in the restaurant perfectly captures the beautiful absurdity of this combination. This picture features cartoon depictions of Mr. Bagel and Mr. Jalapeno holding hands and smiling. This odd couple represents the best kind of absurdity — American absurdity — with all of the multicultural fusion and inter-ethnic cooperation that it entails.

We do breakfast burritos, chorizo, jalapeno cream cheese, jalapeno and jalapeno-cheddar bagels, and Taco Tuesday specials. Maybe we should start calling ourselves Bagel-Mexican Fusion Dining as well. Or maybe just El Park City Bread & Bagel