Here in NE PA the bagels are pretty good. Not that they aren't better in NYC, but they're pretty good; like you said, crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. "Real" bagels, we have them.
Which one? Man, that's hard. I like them all. I guess I like "everything" bagels the least. But I'm good with plain, caraway, sesame, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, poppyseed, all by themeslves. Wheat and rye, they're OK The berries, blue- and cran-, I'm OK with but not wild about.
Toppings, butter, or cream cheese, or margarine, or crunchy peanut butter.
But the best, the very best, is a plain bagel, toasted and buttered. With that, an omelet: cheddar and fried peppers. Take a forkful of the omelet, about a bite, and put it on the bagel and eat. Repeat, until both are gone.