The lox bagel sandwich is the crème de la crème of breakfast sandies. While a classic, greasy bacon, egg, and cheese will satisfy that hangover itch, a sophisticated lox bagel, topped with copious amounts of cured, salty fish, cream cheese, capers, onions, and fresh dill cannot be beaten. While the components of the sandwich typically stay the same, the one thing that you can switch up depending on your preferences, is the bagel base.
If you order a lox bagel at a restaurant or deli, you’re usually going to get to choose from some standard options, like a plain, everything, or sesame bagel. The one type (or in this case, group) of bagels that will not (and should not) make an appearance is anything sweet. Leave the blueberry, cinnamon crunch, and chocolate chip bagels for some other time, as they will conflict with the savory and salty toppings and throw a wrench into the overall flavor of this breakfast classic.
Stick to savory
There are so many savory types of bagels that you can choose from that you shouldn’t ever need to resort to a sweet option. Plain and sesame bagels are two standard options that will allow the flavor of the toppings to shine. Though, if you’re looking for something more complementary in terms of flavor, you may want to opt for an onion or an everything bagel. In general, we would recommend avoiding any savory bagels that throw new flavors into the mix — like asiago or rosemary garlic. Stick to the tried-and-true combinations that really highlight the salty fish and the satisfying accouterments.
You can opt to find a great bagel spot near you, or, worst case scenario, opt for a store-bought bagel to satisfy your cravings. Give it a light toast so that it can support your toppings and offer that satisfyingly crisp mouthfeel. And if you want extra customization options, consider swapping out the plain cream cheese for a scallion variety, or even opt for a salmon-infused spread. Just leave the sweet bagels out of it.
