When bagels evolved to look like wheels, bakers felt the need to turn other treats into more mobile shapes, hence skiable baguettes and brioche boats. Taste a mobile masterpiece with today's Groupon: for $5, you get $10 worth of deli fare and drinks at Long Island Bagel Cafe. This Groupon is valid at any of Long Island's six locations in Nesconset, Oceanside (open 24 hours a day), Bellmore, Long Beach, Glen Cove, and Merrick.

For 25 years, Long Island's crew has made bagels using an old-fashioned water-kettle approach, purveying the doughy treats well beyond their breakfast boundaries. A menu of breakfast edibles urges early eaters to slather an assortment of hand-rolled, freshly baked bagels ($0.90)—in varieties including poppy, onion, cinnamon raisin, and oat bran—with their choice of up to 17 creamy toppers ($1.75+) including vegetable, chocolate chip, and roasted garlic and herb. Coffee ($1.45+/12 oz.) gives nerves the jolt that early-morning fire breathing fails to provide, and french toast lightens spirits when drizzled in streams of liquefied giggles ($5.50). Lunch options allow midday munchers to fill their food processors with dishes including the Bubbalicious ($6.79)—made with fried chicken cutlets, melted mozzarella, bacon, and spicy barbecue sauce, all piled on top of a bagel—or the more heart-heartening bagel-embedded tuna fresco salad ($6.49).

Reviews

Eating Everywhere reviewed the Merrick location of Long Island Bagel Cafe. Eleven Yelpers give the Glen Cove Bagel Cafe an average of four stars, and five Yelpers give the Long Beach Bagel Cafe a 3.5-star average.

• The selection is larger than any other bagelry that we have gone to and no one could leave hungry with their homemade offerings. – Eating Everywhere, Merrick Bagel Cafe
• They also have some pretty tasty hot sandwiches and bagels. I go to this pretty place regularly because I appreciate the quality of the food and great service. – Anand P., Glen Cove Bagel Cafe, Yelp, 7/15/10