Best Bagels

Deep in the retirement belt of western Lake Worth, refugee snowbirds and resident Members of the Tribe flock each morning to savor the crusty, chewy treats from this little storefront operation. The bialy bread is to die for, especially early in the day -- a warm, oblong cloud of moist, puffy bread flecked with crisp burnt onion. The pletzl is a joy, a footwide disc of crusty flatbread under a dense sheet of poppy seeds and onion. How did a Scotsman such as owner Scott McCollough get the knack? A Bronx apprenticeship in his youth taught him, among other things, to boil the bagels before baking them. Sundays offer the bargain of a half-dozen free with every dozen purchased. With the Palace's selection of smoked fish and flavored cream cheeses, you can build a king's feast.