Back when we lived in the city, Marc and I went out of our way to find the best bagels in all of New York. If you name the shop, we’ve probably tried it. I don’t think the best bagel debate will ever be fully resolved, but our personal favorites were Ess-a Bagel and this hole-in-the-wall bagel shop called Vic’s where you could create your own schmear. Vic’s bagels themselves weren’t any thing to write home about, but the cream cheese creations were legendary (at least among our circle of friends). To do this day, Marc and I jokingly refer to it as Coldstone for bagels. Behind the counter, they had an array of every mix-in you could imagine, from herbs to vegetables to fruits and condiments. You would start by picking out your cream cheese base, call out all of your mix-ins one by one, then watch in anticipation as the bagel attendant curated your masterpiece.

Sadly, right before we moved, there was a fire in the kitchen of the restaurant next door to Vic’s and they suffered too much damage to ever reopen. I was devastated when I heard about the fire (I also have a paralyzing fear of fire, so there’s that), but we soon realized that the cream cheese concept was easily one we could replicate in our very own kitchen. Sure, you can always cheat and just buy flavored cream cheeses at the store (there’s tons of options these days), but where’s the fun in that? All you need to start is a package of softened plain cream cheese and then add whatever ingredients you fancy. And today we’re taking the idea one step further and sharing this Make-Your-Own-Schmear guide, a creative way to up your brunch game the next time you host and make a real party out of it. The legacy of Vic’s lives on, right here on A Wholesome New World.

Supplies:

• Several platters to display your assortment of mix-ins
• Small bowls for each guest to mix their own schmear with accompanying mini-spatulas (yes, spoons work just fine)

Bagel Buffet Check List:

• A dozen bagels (or more depending on the number of guests)
• Several sticks of cream cheese, softened and cubed
• Smoked salmon or lox (counting the days until I can enjoy this delicacy again post-pregnancy!)
• Egg Salad/Tuna Salad/Chicken Salad/Whitefish Salad – any or all!

All of the fixings for your Schmear:

Pretty much anything goes for your line-up of schmear mix ins, but here are the ones we recommend to start:

• Vegetables/herbs: Tomatoes, cucumber, onion, olives (all diced); lettuce; chives and scallions (chopped); capers; Marc even added bean sprouts to our platter last time
• Fruit: An assortment of mixed berries (blackberries/blueberries/raspberries/strawberries)
• Condiments: Honey, nut butter, jam
• Spices: Cinnamon, brown sugar, chipotle, Trader Joes Everything Seasoning (when your everything bagel just doesn’t cut it!)
• Extras: Bacon, smoked salmon (finely chopped), mixed nuts or raisins

**And it goes without saying (in our house anyways), you should totally serve this menu with your favorite brunch cocktail too: Mimosas, Bellinis, Bloody Marys, Kirs etc.!

Two of our latest schmear combos just to get the creative juices flowing:

Tomato, Blueberry & Scallion 

Bacon, Caper & Blackberry