Several of the bagel stores will split a bagel and lay on a freshly fried egg. For a few cents more, they'll add ham, sausage or bacon. Many also offer classic deli meats like corned beef and pastrami. In an effort to offer alternatives, all sell some variation of a veggie sandwich, with cream cheese, cucumber slices and sprouts playing major roles on the chewy rolls. They'll also spread a bagel with peanut butter and jelly.
Many shops serve gourmet coffees, along with espresso and cappuccino.
I've been making the rounds of the bagel bakeries for the past six months in an effort to determine which ones are best. In order of preference, here are my evaluations of Milwaukee's bagel bakery-cafes. I'll admit to being a traditionalist, and I realize that some of the lure of these two classic bagel shops comes from their similarity to classic Jewish delicatessens. But the bagels here have that perfect, chewy texture, and lots of flavor. The plain, sesame and egg bagels are also first-rate.