Stephen Colbert & Cardi B Love This Bagel Sandwich

• Stephen Colbert’s bagel order: toasted everything bagel with cream cheese, lox, capers, onion and tomato.
• Cardi B shares a similar order, swapping onion for chive cream cheese and adding salt and lemon.
• Briny, savory and filling, this might just become my new go-to sandwich.

With The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on its last season, the audience knows to ask the most important questions during the off-air Q&A with the host. In a behind-the-scenes clip from a recent taping, an especially dire question is asked to Colbert: What is your bagel order?

Colbert doesn’t hesitate to call out his sandwich, which he pairs with coffee, of course: a toasted everything bagel with cream cheese, lox, capers, onion and tomato.

“Don’t talk to me until I’m done with the bagel, ‘cause this is gonna be almost erotic,” Colbert admits. Only bagel sandwich eaters can understand this sentiment, because there’s no way to avoid the mess. 

New York native Cardi B confessed to a near-indentical go-to bagel order a couple of months back, but with a few modifications. Cardi personally loves adding a bit of salt and lemon to her sandwich, and instead of sliced onion, she opts for chive cream cheese for a similar savory flavor.

When I saw this clip of Colbert endorsing the sandwich, I knew it was time to try it. While a classic combination of ingredients, I have oddly never had this sandwich before, even as a New Jersey native. Bagel with cream cheese? Of course. Bacon, egg and cheese? A staple. But I’ve never gravitated towards the lox/capers/veggies combo… until now.

I didn’t get to taste-test in New York—though I *might* argue New Jersey and Philly bagels are superior—but I did stop by Up-Ryes Bagel & Deli in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania for the just-as-authentic flavor. Briny, fresh and delicious are all words to describe this beautiful bagel order. I swear, the clouds parted and a rainbow illuminated in the sky as I took my first bite.

So it’s safe to say that I will be ordering this six-ingredient sandwich more often instead of my typical bagel with cream cheese. I love the added veggies for both brightness and nutrients, and the protein from the lox is bound to keep me satisfied for longer. It’s a double thumbs up from me, Stephen and Cardi, which means this is your sign to get this comforting bite for breakfast or lunch tomorrow.

If you’re not in “good bagel sandwich territory,” try homemade recipes like our Chopped Lox & Veggie Bagel or Smoked Salmon & Cream Cheese Stuffed Bagel Bites.