Previously I mentioned a cocktail election in  Portland.  There’s also one in the food sphere. Bowery Bagels is running its own homemade cream cheese flavor election this November: the Bowery Bagels 2016 #SchmearCampaign! During August and September, they invited schmear flavor nominations through all their social media platforms, and they will let you vote on the winner in November for Election Day. The winning flavor will be featured on their menu. So get out there and vote by November 8 – not only as a good US citizen, but as a citizen of things delicious in Portland for your schmear flavor of choice soon, and this is for all ages!

A photo posted by Bowery Bagels (@bowerybagels) on Nov 7, 2016 at 1:56pm PST

The final ballot with the final three nominees are

• Tzatziki: cream cheese, sour cream, lemon zest and juice, cucumber, fresh dill
• Blue Cheese Honey Walnut: cream cheese, blue cheese, toasted walnuts, clover honey
• Spicy Vanilla Chai: cream cheese, our own blend of fresh and dried Chai spices, and vanilla bean

Four years ago, when the Bowery Bagels shop first opened, they had their first Schmear Campaign, and the winning flavor has become one of their best sellers – The BOM.com, a delicious bacon, onion, mushroom schmear.

Meanwhile, they continue to be open every day at its location at 310 NW Broadway just 7 AM – 2 PM. I also like how the Bowery Bagels sandwiches on their menu – whether they be for breakfast or lunch – are named to reflect famous people in Portland’s history. Although I usually go for their Everything bagel and rotate among both their cheese and vegan schmears, I thought I’d spotlight some of their sandwiches as well as part of my PDX Breakfast Sandwich series I’ve been doing.

It’s a little unusual, but my favorite Bowery Bagels breakfast sandwich is The Oliver Lent with caramelized onions, gruyere, and egg. They also have a regular egg and cheese sandwich, as well as variations with Tail and Trotters ham, housemade bacon, or housemade maple sausage patty. Below, I have the Oliver Lent on a Parmesan bagel, I also recommend any of the salt bagels to counter the sweet of the caramelized onions.

Another favorite for me is the classic Sarah’s Special with Gravlax with red onion and caper schmear.

You get to of course choose your flavor of bagel, and they have quite a selection:

• plain
• poppy seed
• sesame seed
• sea salt
• salt and pepper
• onion
• garlic and herb
• everything
• multigrain
• pumpernickel
• cinnamon raisin spice
• jalapeno salt,
• parvesan (contains nuts/seeds)
• + additional weekly specials

Bowery Bagels – assorted bagels with vegan cashew spread conveniently cut into quarters at a group get together so we can try multiple types of bagels, SO perfect!

The schmears available include various flavors of cream cheese as well as vegan friendly options

• plain
• smoked salmon
• roasted vegetable
• BOM.com (bacon, onion and mushroom), winner of the last Schmear Campaign 4 years ago
• kimchi
• fresh herb
• hummus
• vegan savory (no soy, cashew base)
• +additional weekly specials

Their lunch sandwiches are available on their bagels or on Pearl Bakery Bread with meats that Bowery roasts or cures in house. These more substantial sandwiches vary from roast beef, pastrami, to here smoked pork loin, and several other options (below, the Francis Pettygrove bagel sandwich boasts Smoked pork loin, fennel and radicchio salad, and romesco schmear).

The only thing I wish they would do is always toast the sandwiches as that brings out the right textures a bagel should have, in my opinion. If you are fan of chewy, a bit ore dense bagels without the harder outside and at a reasonable size (I would compare it to more like a Montreal bagel) to reduce the calorie bomb a bagel usually is (or have enough room to try multiple bagel types and schmears), this is the bagel purveyer for you.

I also think they make the most unique cream cheese and vegan spreads in Portland and quite a variety as you saw from the list. Although I highlighted sandwiches here, 8 out of 10 times I just get their bagels with schmears. If you do get a sandwich, they package all the sandwiches to go, and you can get also the sandwiches delivered via Portland Pedal Power, Caviar or Postmates. The sandwiches are great to pack in a bag when you are going on a hike or roadtrip. They are open every day 7 AM – 2 PM.

It’s too late to enter the #SchmearCampaign, but what would you have suggested? I admit I did suggest a horseradish and dill one so not exactly Tzatziki but I love the refreshing taste of dill with crea cheese. I also suggested a blue cheese with honey walnut or hazelnut, which is pretty close to the second nominee!

What would you vote for from the final three? And keep don’t forget to vote!

THE WINNER: Blue Cheese Walnut Honey Schmear, with Danish buttermilk blue cheese, toasted Oregon walnuts, Oregon clover honey, and a little toasted walnut oil!

A photo posted by Bowery Bagels (@bowerybagels) on Nov 8, 2016 at 10:15am PST