The bagel of my youth (1960's) was a simple affair. Not some puffy tasteless monstrosity. Rather a chewy relatively small item with a doughy flavor that was intoxicating. These all but disappeared when mass marketing took over the baking.
So Fairmount Bagel was on my to-do list to see if they kept to the old ways. While not entirely the same as the bagel I remember, these were nirvana compared to my typical experience. Packed with flavor, not bloated with air and having that exterior chew and yummy interior. I can see why people line up here.