B&B Empire (CLOSED)

While bagels are a ubiquitous breakfast staple in Gotham, Montreal-style specimens have remained largely elusive. Enter this 30-seat Brooklyn café, which is bringing freshly baked versions to town. In contrast with the New York variety, our Northern neighbors make theirs with an egg-based dough, boiled in honey-sweetened water and baked in a wood-fired oven. The result: a sweeter, crunchier roll with a hole, typically covered with poppy (black) or sesame (white) seeds. Toppings, however, remain familiar—smoked salmon, capers, and plain and flavored cream cheeses.