Daniel Serfer's Favorite Bagels In Sunny Isles, Surfside, Hallandale | Miami

Blue Collar chef Daniel Serfer knows bagels: "I was a fat Jewish kid from Miami, so I've been eating bagels my whole life."

There are only a few spots Serfer heartily recommends, though: "A lot of the bagels in town are bread shaped like a bagel." He divides his top South Florida spots into sit-down and take-home bagel-eating experiences.

Josh's Deli: When he visits his close friend Joshua Marcus' Surfside deli for brunch, Serfer orders a "crispy on the outside, soft on the inside" everything bagel with house-cured nova or sable ($14–16). "The bagels taste so fresh because Josh makes them every morning," Serfer says. One note: If you sleep in on Sundays, like Serfer occasionally does, the bagels at Josh's Deli may well sell out.

Joshua Marcus is usually behind the counter at his Surfside deli. (Photo: David Samayoa)

Sage Bagel & Deli and Epicure Market Sunny Isles: Serfer's ideal Sunday at home starts with a visit to Sage Bagel, a childhood favorite, where he orders poppy and sesame bagels ($1 each or $10 per dozen). The Hallandale Beach restaurant was opened 40 years ago by New Yorkers who reconstructed the brick oven from their original shop in Queens.

Next, the chef stops at Epicure, adamant about his preference for the Sunny Isles location. He picks up the market's whitefish, tuna and egg salads ($9 to $17 per pound) because "there's something going on in the Epicure salads I can't figure out, and that intrigues me."

As for his perfect Sunday, it continues with a football marathon on his couch–bagel in hand, of course.