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North America, Travel
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May 19, 2012

Best Bagels in Montreal, Quebec

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For the past two days I’ve been touring Montreal, Quebec, Canada with my husband and learning so much about this vibrant, family-friendly (as well as romantic) destination. I have a lot to share on both those angles, but before I did that, I needed to sit down and share one of the most important discoveries I have made to date during my time here: Montreal bagels.

Now, it turns out that according to a lot of folks, Montreal bagels are a must try when on this side of the border. Some have even gone as far as to state that Montreal bagels are the best in the world. Hmm. That’s a bold statement, especially from this New Yorker’s perspective, but I had to try and see what all the fuss was about.

After much discussion with people in the know here in Montreal, there are really only two places worth going to for bagels: Fairmont Bagels and St. Viateur Bagels. Which one is the best out of those two depends on who you ask here in Montreal, thus leaving us to try for ourselves.

What makes Montreal bagels so unique is how they are made. Montreal bagels are smaller than New York bagels and are egg based (not water based). They are also boiled in sweetened water and, the true defining difference, they are baked in wood burning ovens.

Fairmont Bagels are made 24 hours a day, offering customers over 20 varieties to choose from. As we walked in customers made their orders and walked out with large bags full of them. The wood burning oven was hot and staff was busy prepping dough and baking. We ordered two bagels: poppy seed and sesame seed, then walked out.

A short distance away, and in the same multicultural neighborhood in which they are located, we arrived to St. Viateur. I was immediately distracted by the overwhelming sight of bagels in a wooden shoot, where staff picked out orders as customers made them (they sell about 1,000 dozen bagels a day!). And like Fairmont, the wood burning oven was lit and busy prepping for the day. We ordered the same bagels here as well, poppy seed and sesame seed.

Which were our favorites? Well, both were actually pretty good. We could taste the smokiness from the wood burning ovens in both, but there were two major differences that determined our final preferences.

Fairmont bagels are sweeter and a bit more baked through, so not as “doughy”, where as St. Viateur bagels are saltier (closer to that of NY-style bagels) and not as hard, or rather doughier. I loved the sweetness of Fairmont because it was different than what I am used to, but preferred the doughiness of St. Viateur. My husband preferred the latter as well.

But, it’s really a matter of personal taste, which will require you to do your own taste test when visiting. Either way, you won’t regret stopping at both, at least until you find your favorite.

Bon Appetit!

Disclosure: I am the guest of Montreal Tourism, where I am discovering all this wonderful city has to offer. I received no further compensation nor request that I express any particular point of view. Thank you to Montreal Tourism and Montreal professional tourist guide, Annique Dufur for navigating us through our bagel eating experience.

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Carol Cain

Brooklyn native Carol is happiest when on an adventure, whether close to home or farther away. She is a small business owner and travel writer. In addition to creating Girl Gone Travel, she is the Founder and Principal of Brave World Media, a social media marketing, communications, and branding agency. She's mom to three wonderful sons and wife to a handsome Irish/Scot. She lives, works, and plays in the beautiful Finger Lakes region of NY.

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5 Comments
  • Corinne @ Have Baby
    May 21, 2012

    I KNEW you would love them! St. Viateur are our faves too! Now you have to go to Quebec City for poutine 😉

    Reply
    • Carol Cain
      Corinne @ Have Baby
      May 21, 2012

      Hahaha! I had poutine in Montreal and loved it…though my thighs, not so much ; )

      Reply
  • Charu
    May 22, 2012

    These are my favorites as well! Better than NYC bagels…

    Reply
  • Ayngelina
    May 22, 2012

    I'm a St. Viateur fan myself but I prefer salty over sweet.

    Reply
  • Siegel’s Bagels – A Real Montreal Bagel Experience | Seattle Foodshed
    July 12, 2012

    […] Best Bagels in Montreal, Quebec (nycitymama.com) […]

    Reply

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About me

Hi! I'm Carol! I am an award-winning travel blogger, a keynote speaker, and the Principal and owner of Brave World Media, a social media marketing, communications, and branding agency. I a wife to a handsome Irish/Scot and a mom to 3 sons. Welcome to my blog where I share stories of my travels and professional public relations insights and advice. Thank you for reading and for your support!

Carol Cain

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A message about yesterday’s event: Happy Monday A message about yesterday’s event:

Happy Monday, y’all. Woke up in time to enjoy the soft glow of sunlight that shines its way around our house in the morning, and sipped on a cafecito without being rushed for anything. So already today is a win. 

Yesterday we worked our longest day yet for our little coffee cart that could (7 hours!!!) at the Heritage Fiesta in Ithaca, NY. 

Though we were ready for a crowd, the reception was also unexpected because there was a popular coffee shop just steps away. 

But we had Cómodo Fam stop by, family (who also fed us 🙏🏾), and soooo many members of the Latinx and BIPOC community who were just excited to see a small business like ours representing. 

I want to share that we were ALL worried about potential harassment and assault by 🧊and fliers were handed out to prepare us. And you would think that it would’ve intimidated the community enough to not come out…BUT WE DID. In numbers. 

And for hours that little parking lot next to Press Bay Alley was packed with all sorts of Latinx and non-Latinx community members, eating, laughing, dancing, singing, and drinking all the cafecitos and refreshers we had to offer. Literally. We went home cleaned out!

All this to say that we are all aware of the threats but we also understand the power and importance of coming together as a community and a people. By no means are we all the same, and Lord knows a lot of Latinos have a lot of self-reflecting to do based on the choices they made, but yesterday was a testament to the best of us, and I thank @yenospina and @lcatompkins for putting together such a wonderful event, for inviting @cafecomodony to be a part of it, and to all the friends, old and new, who came out to support us and la cultura. 

#fingerlakes #newyork #cafecomodo #coffeelover
Finally taking a break to enjoy one of my favorite Finally taking a break to enjoy one of my favorite lazy day pastimes of the season: market shopping for fall goodies - which in the Finger Lakes is especially bountiful. 

📍Joseph’s Wayside Markey, Naples, NY

#fingerlakes #newyork #octobermood #fallday
Our neighbors are harvesting the grapes. The proce Our neighbors are harvesting the grapes. The process is busy and noisy but also exciting and fun to watch. 

This cloudy morning seems to have calmed things down a bit, but not for long I am sure. These families work hard!

Bonus: they set up roadside stands so we can purchase and taste them 🍇 I highly recommend picking some up if you see some in your drive. 

#fingerlakes #lifeinthecountry #newyork
The rain has been so good. More, please. ❤️ The rain has been so good. More, please. ❤️
I want to take moment to send out love to my fello I want to take moment to send out love to my fellow Latinx and immigrant community. 

To send strength to my community of glorious misfits who are out in the world making good trouble and emboldening us to not give up hope on our dreams, our livelihoods, our future, our country, our people. 

The country our parents worked so hard to get to so that we could fly. A country they helped build and bring to prosper. A country our communities help to feed and house and care for. 

I am my immigrant parents dream come true, and my children are a continuation of that dream. 

I just want to remind all of us who represent the targeted, of our worth. Of the value of our contributions. In our languages, our culture, our insights, our work ethic and skills and knowledge. Of the things we bring to the table.

I don’t know what will happen tomorrow, or to us. But, as someone whose family lived through a dictatorship, I have an idea of how this story will end. And all I can advise is that we remain on the right side of it, our convictions unaltered, our core values untethered. Our spirits unbroken. In these stories, the monsters might scare us, and even harm some of us, but they never, ever win in the end. 

I am living proof of that. ❤️ And every time you succeed and feel joy, you are too. Pa’lante, mi gente.
Signs of autumn 🍂 in the Finger Lakes. Signs of autumn 🍂 in the Finger Lakes.

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