Simit + Smith's Turkish Sandwiches | Upper West Side, New York

The endangered NYC bagel has competition. Its name: the simit.

As with the iconic bagel, simit are delicious plain, perfect with a schmear of cream cheese, or great bisected horizontally to be primed for sandwich fillings.

Head to the Upper West Side to sample this fine Turkish bread at the tiny new bakery Simit + Smith. There, simit are available in two shapes, a thin ring or a small oval loaf. Both are par-baked at the bakery's Jersey headquarters, where the dough is dipped in molasses and sesame seeds; the breads are then finished in the oven each morning at the Upper West Side location.

Simit + Smith is a bit of an international playboy. So the simit are stuffed with such varied fillings as black olive paste and Kasseri cheese ($4), Nutella and banana ($4), and peanut butter and fig jam ($4).

Best of all were the most sandwich-like versions, including thinly sliced turkey, Dijon and Gruyère ($7) on sesame, or the epic egg salad, lightly dressed with mayonnaise and spiced with zippy sumac and paprika ($6). 

Another addition to the island's breadbasket? We're trailing sesame-seed crumbs already.

Simit + Smith, 124 W. 72nd St. (between Amsterdam & Columbus aves.); 212-496-6605 or simitandsmith.com