Sunday, December 19th - St. Viateur Bagels - Montreal - the REAL Bagel

St-Viateur - Outremont - Montreal

If I've said it once, I have annoyingly said it a million times.  There are only two places in the Western world that make real bagels!  That is Montreal and New York.  The rest of you are guising yourselves as glorified bread donuts.  Yeah, I said it. 

I've actually gotten into heated arguements with a team-mate of mine from Vancouver who vehemently disagreed with me and thought the 'bagels' she buys from the supermarket, called Montreal-style 'bagels' were just as good.  I disagree.  No supermarket 'bagel' is ever going to be dense enough or chewy enough to stand up to a Montreal or New York Bagel.  Impossible. 

I visited a friend of mine from London when she was working in New York.  I told her I was on a quest for a good Bagel joint in New York.  I did not want a deli or shop.  I wanted a bagel joint.  The one I had remembered from years back was gone.  Ironically, after days of looking,  I found one around the corner from her flat in Brooklyn.  She really didn't understand my obsession.  As far as S was concerned, she'd had 'bagels' in London.  What was the big deal?  Well, it took one bite of that chubby ring of heaven to convince her.  S said instantly that she had never had a Bagel.  All these years on bread-donuts in London.  She barely made it through half of her Bagel.  Ah a good sign.  I had two walking from the Bagelry.  :^D

What is the difference between Montreal and New York Bagels.  Well, there is a known rivalry, for those who live in those cities.  I love both.  They are equally chewy and dense as Sarah Palin on a good day.  No seriously, very dense.  But the biggest difference is the hole.  New York Bagels do not have one.  They are so fat that they close in on themselves.  Where has you could play ringette with a Montreal Bagel.

There are three or were three places where you could be assured of a decent bagel in Montreal.  The third, Fauxbourg on Ste Catherine and Guy is gone, I discovered this December, waah.  I used to live down the street and hauled D down to pick them up from there expressly.  The other two are far more famous:  St. Viateur in Outremont and Fairmount on the Plateau Mont Royal. 

Since we were headed to Outremont for Amelio's Pizza anyway, we chose St. Viateur.  Actually, it's a no brainer since their bakery, not their cafe's, is open 24/7 actively baking.  They supply alot of markets and cafes not to mention the walk ins.  I mean I walked in at 6pm on a Sunday for 2 dozen and I was behind a woman ordering 5 dozen.  The line was replenished as I left with a half eaten hot bagel.

They're very friendly and completly used to the likes of me who ask for the 'hot ones'.  Really what was I thinking?  Like I was going to eat 2 dozen hot?  I should have taken the cooled ones knowing they were less than half an hour old.  Still I couldn't help myself.  As well, it was force of habit.  When the folks used to visit me in Montreal, we would order a dozen Hot and eat most of them right away.  They're just as delicious cooled off but toasted with a bit of Butter is the best.  MMMMMM


St-Viateur Bagel Bakery

Outremont
263 St. Viateur West
(514) 276-8044
Montreal, QC
Open 24x7

or

St-Viateur Bagel and Café

Plateau Mont-Royal

1127 Ave Du Mont-Royal E

(514) 528-6361

www.stviateurbagel.com/main/

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