Speaking strictly of bagels as a stand-alone baked good, not as bookends for a sandwich or any other such use:
Loading ...I just had the best little mini-bagel. Normally I shy away from sweet-flavored bagels, but every year around breast cancer awareness month, I just get the urge for pink – pink shirts, pink accessories, pink foods. The strawberry mini-bagels called to me and I couldn’t resist. 
But I put peanut butter on them to cut back on the sweet factor, and they’re perfect.
Back in Ohio, we used to frequent, as I know I’ve mentioned before, a local bakery that wound up closing when the baker tried to burn down the whole strip mall and was later arrested for murdering his wife and a former prison acquaintance. (You’d think it’s a long story, but that pretty much sums it up.) Anyway, he made these fabulous tomato basil bagels, and I’ve never had anything as good since then. Makes me sort of wish that whatever prison he’s currently inhabiting (looks like Lebanon Correctional Institute in Ohio) has some sort of work program than involved baking. Err, or maybe not. 
Oh, but he also made some sort of chocolate bread…hey, he wasn’t a poisoner. Worth the risk? I’ll keep looking for a substitute.
(Main thought that always runs through my head whenever I have reason to recall all that: though he often mentioned his wife when we’d stop in the store, jovially talking about what new recipes she liked or whatever, I never had occasion to meet her. I’m sort of relieved about that; if I’d known them both by their faces, it would make it harder to comprehend. That I knew a guy who turned out to be a killer – surreal. Knowing both the killer and his victim – heartbreaking and gut-wrenching.)
All of the above! (So I voted “something different.”)
It depends on: flavor of bagel, time of day, available schmears, toasted/not toasted, mood, craving, what smells good, what’s fresh, and many other variables.
Workout? Whole wheat bagel (toasted if cool outside, untoasted if summer) with peanut butter for protein.
Panera on Sunday morning w/tea and the newspaper: either an asiago bagel with a savory type spread or a matched bagel (chocolate chip with chocolate chip cream cheese) or a more plain bagel with a flavored spread (honey walnut is a favorite) Big favorite: egg bagel with salmon spread if available.
I love all kinds of bagels, but prefer only cream cheese or butter. Honey butter is great on plain or cinnamon bagels, but it is rare I go that route.
Not that I ever have it around, but smoked salmon on a bagel – delicious!
(i’m really strict when it comes to bagel consumption. i only like new york style bagels. don’t like the ‘cake-like’ texture of a lot of the store bought bagels.
unless it’s used in a sandwich, i tend to only eat plain bagels. if it’s toasted, i will eat it with butter/margarine. if it’s not toasted, i like it with plain cream cheese or strawberry cream cheese.
today i had something new, noah’s had a big sign for their limited pumpkin bagels with pumpkin schmear. i couldn’t resist. it was really good. not too sweet.
it’s really hard to get bagels not toasted. i have to repeat myself over and over and then remind them not to toast them. more times than not, my bagel is still toasted.)
#1 fave spread- Laughing Cow spreadable cheese wedges. YUM!
#2- a pumpkin pie spread I make with canned pumpkin, cream cheese and pumpkin pie spice.
Pepperoni, red onion, and cream cheese. Seriously.
My Italian/Jewish husband introduced me to this pile of yumminess.
It’s best when the pepperoni is from an Italian deli- in a dynamite stick. You can slice it as thick as you want it.
Mmmmmm.
(I’ve also loved apple butter and cream cheese on my bagels.)