NAVAL BAGELS near The U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis is our early-morning destination most Saturdays.  Not that we couldn't get a bagel or other breakfast treat closer to home... it's just that their bagels are amazing and worth the 15-minute weekly drive.

We first discovered NAVAL BAGELS when it was a carryout location for Bagels And..., owned by Charlie and Eileen Cerniglia.  The Cerniglia's always had a plate of bagels out when I stopped by their house during the sale of their Crofton home - and those were the best bagels I'd ever eaten.  My family became regulars at Bagels And... after that.

Eventually the Cerniglas sold their business to two different buyers, but we remained regular customers at the one near the U.S. Naval Academy in West Annapolis - now known as NAVAL BAGELS.

The purchasers of both locations still serve the Cerniglias' recipes for authentic N.Y. City Bagels, and one of them has the same community ambiance that we enjoy as much as the bagels.  We always check out the big white board that fills the entire wall on the left when we walk in.  It's covered with information that includes a Quote of the Day, birthdays of their customers, daily specials, and announcements of local events. 

On another board mounted above the two metal tables to the right of the door, they post the front page and sports page of The Washington Post for customers to read while they wait or eat.

NAVAL BAGELS has a great system for keeping the flow of people and bagels on track:   When customers place an order, they receive a playing card... that card and their order are written directly on a brown bag.  Customers help themselves to drinks and then pay for both their bagels and drinks when the order is "up".  With this system NAVAL BAGELS is able to handle a huge volume of people and sales with very low overhead and minimal delay.  

The best testimonial for NAVAL BAGELS is probably the many people in and outside the store on weekends.  If you live anywhere within a half hour of there, why not join the crowd and exit Rt. 50 on Rowe Boulevard to try it out someday. You'll find this locally owned business at the corner of Taylor and Ridgely Avenues, on the opposite end of the shopping center from Graul's Market, about two blocks from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis.

Headed to Ocean City from D.C., Baltimore, and their surrounding areas?  NAVAL BAGELS is only about a minute off Rt. 50 East, so stop for a carryout breakfast or lunch on your way.