Absolute Bagels

The dish: Bagels
Ever since Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe brought bagels over to New York City in the late 19th century, this circular baked good with a hole in the middle has come to embody the Big Apple, and practically talks in a New Yawk accent. The local tradition is hand-rolled and boiled before baking, and the city’s tap water (which is so delicious it's nicknamed the “champagne of drinking water”), is often attributed to what makes them taste so special here. This longtime UWS bagel shop has mastered the classic style—chewy, dense, and fluffy inside with bite on the outside. Top it off with cream cheese, lox and all the fixins, or just eat yours toasted with butter while walking down the street. There’s nothing more iconically New York.