Middle Village Bagels - 4/5

Store
Not a small store but a little cramped in the layout. Standard drink selection with bagged pastries, some of them intriguingly uncommon. There's a number of deli offerings, including some delicious looking mac and cheese. Nice store signage. Lightning fast service. 'Crimson and Clover' plays on the radio. A good neighborhood joint.
4/5

Bagel
Large bagel. Two-sided toppings: moderate density on one side and high density on the other. Standard toppings plus salt at a good ratio. Not hot but pillowy soft and doughy. A real chew chew. The jaw ends up a little sore but I'm okay with it. If caught hot it would be good enough to eat without spread addition.
4.25/5

Cream Cheese
Served deli case cold. Decent amount but uneven application: likely due to spread temperature there was no transfer of cream cheese on bagel compression, meaning all the spread rests on one side. Good scallion presence. Overcheese at play every third or fourth bite. While certainly bagel store quality, this is a a rare instance where the spread gives me pause to return to an otherwise exceptional bagel.
3.75/5