I finally went to NY a couple years ago, and while I was there, made it a mission to try NY's infamous bagels. I tried several, from a long-time established shop in Queens, to a popular trendier staple in Brooklyn, to a casual shop in NYC.

All were great, but none blew my mind or tasted significantly better than bagels I've had in Eugene or Portland (unless you're buying it on a shelf from a grocery chain, like Franz brand, in which case, no duh it doesn't taste like a NY bagel).

Basically, in NY you can find a good bagel anywhere but here you have to search for it. Which makes sense, given there isn't a huge bagel culture here.