Leo’s Bagels

Adam Pomerantz, the cofounder of Murray’s Bagels, brought his traditional hand-rolled method to FiDi back in 2007. Ever since, Leo's—named for his uncle—has solidified itself as a go-to for residents and local corporate catering. The team makes their bagels the old-fashioned way: kettle boiled and baked in small batches. And they're baking them off throughout the day, so you're bound to catch at least one fresh variety whenever you walk in. The bagels are shiny on the outside with a perfectly sturdy crust, and when you rip one open and the steam pours out, you get hit with the fresh-baked bagel scent that few (if any) outside the tri-state area can replicate. That soft, pillowy, dense interior is just a little bit sweet, and the right amount of chewy—and the evidence of hand-rolling is right there in the way its interior refuses to evenly break apart.

Anything you could possibly want on a bagel, you can find at Leo's. Choose your schmear and/or a salad (tuna, egg, chicken). Go for a chicken cutlet or cold cut sandwich. Maybe you want an omelet (get the L.E.O. with lox, eggs and onions), a baconeggandcheese, smoked fish or a B.L.T. You can't go wrong. There have been times when I couldn't decide and ended up going halfsies with myself by getting two different sandwiches (one time, I walked out with three).

Leo's recently expanded its interior space to stretch to the corner of the building, leaving room for indoor window seating and more baked goods on display. Whatever you do, don't miss the freshly squeezed orange or grapefruit juice.