House of Bagels, San Francisco

It is not fancy, but it has racks and racks of freshly made bagels waiting to be put in the display counters, all of them made by a family that has been in the business for years and is still taking the orders behind those counters. Classic bagels, chewy and dense, made the old-fashioned way: boiled, baked, and broiled. Classic varieties, including garlic, salt, and sesame, and a few new-fangled flavors like blueberry. It also stocks halvah, stuffed bialy, and babka (chocolate and cinnamon) as well as schmears to die for.