New Yorkers are famous the world over for two things: bagels and attitude. It’s no secret that the Empire State is particular about its bagels, and isn’t afraid to tell it like it is. Before I moved to NYC, I thought Costco bagels were the end all be all of the circular treat. I was comfortable with my toasted blueberry bagel with Philadelphia cream cheese. But then I stepped foot in a New York bagel shop and realized everything I knew was wrong. There was a world out there I had never imagined, full of fluffy, chewy bagels and an array of schmears I could have never anticipated. And I was hooked. 

That is to say, New Yorkers are very protective over the crown jewel of the deli. So when someone tries to mess with it, let alone a transplant, heaven forbid a Californian, they’re going to snap into action, as an unwitting TikToker recently learned.