NORTH ATLANTA

Goldberg's Bagel Company & Deli

PHIL SKINNER/AJC STAFF (ENLARGE)
Bagel Boys serves open-faced bagels at room temperature for authentic flavor.
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Walking into Goldberg's in the fall and seeing the stacks of high-holiday trays awaiting pickup is a good clue this place knows what it's doing in the lox and bagel department. The restaurant receives a weekly shipment from one of the main suppliers of most New York delis and slices the fish bellies on site. Choose from salty lox or smoky nova. Served with a schmear, sliced onion, capers, a lemon wedge and choice of coleslaw, potato salad or fruit salad.

• THE 411: $10.95. Four Atlanta locations: 1272 West Paces Ferry Road N.E.; 4383 Roswell Road N.E.; 4520 Chamblee Dunwoody Road; 1197 Peachtree St. N.E., Suite 525. etakeoutorders.net/homepage/Default.aspx?Name=goldbergs

ALPHARETTA

Bagel Boys Cafe

An open-faced everything bagel at room temperature — toast it and the warm cream cheese rudely imposes on the flavor of the fish, says owner John Lamb — is schmeared and topped with two ounces of nova, pickled capers, sliced tomatoes and red onions. Asking for it "upside-down" for the commute keeps the capers and other toppings glued in by the cream cheese, for easier driver's-seat consumption.

• THE 411: $6.99. 11770 Haynes Bridge Road, Suite 102, Alpharetta. 770-569-1009, www.bagelboyscafe.com.

TOCO HILLS

Bagel Palace and Deli

The "Number 9" is an extremely popular menu item at this quirky, homey diner (which also does a mean omelet). Served with thin, hand-sliced nova (lox if you request it), onion, tomato and capers.

• THE 411: $9.50. 2869 N. Druid Hills Road N.E., Atlanta. 404-315-9016.

— Lynn Peisner