Can anybody tell me what "sides" mean as in "Bagels with sides of cream Cheese"?
sides?
In a restaurant, a "side" is short for "side dish" -- things like fries, salad, baked potatoes, etc. that are served as an addition to the main part of the meal (usually the meat).
To have something served "on the side", however, is to have part of a food item -- usually a condiment, sauce, or other topping -- served separately instead of being already applied. For instance, if you ask for a salad with ranch dressing, it will usually come with the dressing already poured over the greens. But if you ask for a salad with the dressing on the side, they will bring you the salad and the dressing separately, and you can apply it yourself, in whatever amount you like.
So they are offering an assortment of bagels with your choice of several types of cream cheese (which are often variously flavored in bagel shops).
To have something served "on the side", however, is to have part of a food item -- usually a condiment, sauce, or other topping -- served separately instead of being already applied. For instance, if you ask for a salad with ranch dressing, it will usually come with the dressing already poured over the greens. But if you ask for a salad with the dressing on the side, they will bring you the salad and the dressing separately, and you can apply it yourself, in whatever amount you like.
So they are offering an assortment of bagels with your choice of several types of cream cheese (which are often variously flavored in bagel shops).