"A century-old appetizing counter that epitomizes the classic bagel with cream cheese and smoked salmon: house-made bagels baked in traditional New York style (chewy, burnished crust), all‑natural, slightly tangier cream cheese from a California dairy, and a selection of seven smoked-salmon varieties—most famously the melt‑in‑your‑mouth Gaspe Nova. Long lines and very limited seating (a small bench outside) are common, but the assembled bagel-and-smoked-fish experience is regarded as definitive." - Natalie Beauregard