Forget Bagels, Put Lox And Cream Cheese On English Muffins Instead

Friend of The Takeout Drew Magary recently unleashed a Hot Take™ upon the world: He made the case in GQ that bagel sandwiches are dumb.

The man's got a point.

Bagels are entirely too dense for sandwiches, and the starch-to-filling ratio invariably becomes out-of-whack. More to the point, there's only a short window to consume bagels before they lose their freshness and become as tough as a catcher's mitt. For those of us who don't live in New York City or Montreal, that's a frequent predicament.

But I'll risk cries of sacrilege to declare something even more controversial than Drew's: I believe lox and cream cheese aren't best on a bagel. (Please note: I'm not saying bagels and lox aren't a good pairing, only that there's a better way.)

Hear me out: Next time try adding lox and cream cheese to a toasted English muffin. The crispiness is amplified, providing an appealing textural contrast to the creaminess of the salmon and cheese spread. The heaviness of the bagel is no more. And to achieve a flavor closer to the original, I sprinkle everything-bagel seasoning mix (I love Trader Joe's) on the cream cheese before layering on the lox. Add capers, very thinly sliced red onions, and crème fraîche if you so desire. This is the way to go.