I did have Courage.

And I am better for it.

Courage Bagels is well worth getting up and out by 6am and making the 30 minute drive to Virgil Village…of course that is with light traffic.

We arrived just before opening on a Friday morning and a line had already formed.

We waited about 20 minutes to reach the front.

I love that you can order half bagels which allowed us to sample the array of extraordinary toppings.

We reserved the closed trunk of our car for outdoor standing room only  dining.

Thankfully, the morning was glorious with temperature in the 50s.

The first bite of Run It Thru The Garden on a Burnt Everything bagel with homemade cream cheese, tomato, cucumber, capers, onion, dill, lemon, salt, olive oil was beyond delicious and fulfilled all expectations ($7 half).

The Hand Sliced Smoked Salmon with homemade cream cheese, tomato, onion, caper, dill, pepper, lemon and olive oil on a Sea Salt Sesame bagel was divine ($9 half).

The pinnacle of fabulosity was the wildly fresh tasting Wild Alaskan Salmon Roe with cream cheese and dill on an Everything bagel ($18 whole).

Courage bagels are delightfully crunchy and crispy, more Montreal-style than New York-style.

Note: Montreal bagels are thinner, sweeter and denser, with a larger hole and is always baked in a wood-fired oven.

Owner Arielle Skye, 29 and partner Chris Moss opened Courage Bagels last October during the pandemic.

Skye began her bagel career selling small batches on her bicycle and later found an appreciative audience at the farmers’ market in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles.

Courage bagels is an absolute must and worth the wait for the top quality, fresh and delectable ingredients.

The staff is delightful and efficient…even the coffee is terrific.

Do you have the Courage to eat just one…I am dubious.

Courage Bagels 777 North Virgil Avenue Virgil Village, California. Open Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday 7am-2pm.