Liberty Bagels Midtown - 4.58/5

Award: Best in Borough - Manhattan

Store
A narrow store set-up in the classic fashion. As you wait to order, you can observe the bountifully presented spread options stacked over a foot tall in their bowls. The guts of production are readily viewable behind the back counter and a team of 8-10 staff work diligently on orders. It's an "Order Here, Pay There" shop run with keen efficiency. Contemporary pop plays over the radio. A true marriage of Midtown "lunch-n-go" sensibilities with classic bagel store amenities.
4.5/5

Bagel
A large, doughy bagel with no central hole, served fresh but not hot. An interesting oblong shape to it, immediately compelling and clearly not rote. Double-sided coverage at peak density. Toppings generously pool in the bakery wrapping, perfect for sopping up with cream cheese. I was not prepared for how good this was.
4.75/5

Cream Cheese
Served room temperature. Soft and airy almost to whip cream levels. Slightly messy on application, more than compensated for with a pitch perfect application amount. On splitting the bagel in two and observing visually, one is met with the rare thought that this is a complete bakery product - as though the cream cheese was somehow prepared inside the bagel like an éclair. Chunks of scallion provide lovely visual pops; the exceptional smoothness of the spread overrides any texture contribution.

(I'll be honest, there's a certain type of struggle that goes along with eating two hundred bagels in all five boroughs and discovering one of the best bagel experiences is smack dab in the middle of tourist and commuter central, easier to get to than almost any place in the city. But I will not devalue the score in order to elevate the journey. If you're a fan of the soft chew, doughy bagel experience, this is the spot in Manhattan.)
4.5/5