Black Seed Bagels - NoLita 1.67/5

Award: Worst Spread NYC

Store
No entry. Experienced a fire a year back and rebuilt in same contemporary tile and wood style. Drink options available to view on cashier table. Seating on the street. Seemingly no re-upping of bagel stock past a certain point. Staff did not seem interested in working at a bagel store. Advertisement for yesterday's bagels in the window, 6 for 5 dollars. Thrifty and waste conscious but not an appetite stimulator.
2/5

Bagel
Montreal-style, wood fired bagel. Small bagel, very light toppings on both sides. Of what's there, mostly blackened garlic. No salt crystals present, not apparent on taste. Very chunky bite. I would suspect it was yesterday's bagel if I weren't there the day before and they were out of everythings. I've been to this location before and know they're better than this, but you review what you receive. Not a definitive representation of the Montreal style.
2/5

Cream Cheese
What a disaster. Overapplied is a given, but I suspect the bagel itself was used to clean the knife blade off? I can't otherwise explain why the shell is coated in cream cheese. The photo makes it look like I transported it for several hours at the bottom of a cooler but this is right from the cashier's hand. I averaged one napkin per bite. All this with a cold, stiff cream cheese. I'll be washing my hands in my sleep.
1/5