Olde Brooklyn Bagel Shoppe - 4.5/5

Award: Best in Borough - Brooklyn

Store
A line 20+ deep on a Saturday afternoon. The interior aesthetics are a well-handled blend of classic elements not typically seen in a bagel store setting (tin ceiling, chandelier, apartment lobby tiling, exposed brick), thereby passing through the other side of classic to contemporary. Modern pop plays over the radio. Good drink selection, nice shelving layout for store flow. The hand written ticket order system is a nice touch of character. Bagel hoppers are prominently perched to show quality and availability. An abundant display of spreads and fish salads. A bit paint by numbers in the pastry department, which is a bit surprising. Modern pop music plays overhead.

The big question is how much the line situation impacts the experience. Is it a feature or a bug? While you can't fault the store for offering a quality product, one virtue of bagels as a food experience is the fact that you can conceivably complete a purchase in under a minute. This isn't possible here, at least not at peak hours. Separate ordering for grill customers and bagel-only customers could alleviate this, but it's not like ye Olde Bagel Shoppe is struggling to succeed.
4.25/5

Bagel
A large bagel with a light brown shell and an indent for a central hole. Served fresh and warm at mid day, the classic loop of more customers means fresher bagels means more customers. Standard everything toppings at two-sided application (bottom dominant) plus stray elements of sunflower, oat and flax at light density. It's unclear if these extras are part of the normal composition or freeloaders from another bagel type. Their taste presence is limited regardless.

It's immediately clear the question is not "is this a good bagel" but where it lands in the hierarchy of best in city. A substantial chew in the best way - not tough but relentless. Any flaws present are a matter of preference. Do you crave tons of topping with your everything? Do you want a crackle to your bite and a crust to your shell? There are other bagel places for that. For a doughy, soft-yet-fierce chew with an impeccable bagel base and strategic distribution of topping, this is the bagel for you.
4.75/5

Cream Cheese
Served warm and fluid from the heat of the fresh bagel. Even coverage and generous application amount. Scallions are flawlessly incorporated into the spread: excellent chunk size, pleasing visual contribution, balanced ratio and texture involvement in every bite. Wonderfully smooth and dairy latent, no overripeness or directionless tang present. A first class spread.
4.5/5