Montreal style bagels....has anyone ever had any?

[Tommy_Carcetti]

I read about Montreal Style bagels after having a discussion regarding how New York bagels from New York are supposedly superior to bagels elsewhere.

My opinion being, after having bagels both in and out of New York, bagels are essentially bagels no matter where you buy them, with some being very good and others not, but there's nothing that actually makes a New York bagel in general superior to other bagels. While there may be certain bakeries in New York that sell a superior bagel, I'd credit that more to the individual bakery than where it's located.

But someone mentioned Montreal style bagels which apparently are cooked differently than your usual bagel. Apparently, they use honey in the water and they wood fire bake them.

So has anyone had a Montreal style bagel? Are they any good? Now I'm curious because I'd like to try one.

[sharp_stick]

1. Yeah they're fantastic

and different from NY bagels.

In addition to the honey and wood fire, they tend to be smaller with a bit crisper texture on the outside. They toast beautifully but don't last long on the counter.

There are two bagel mainstays in Montreal and it seems that if you like one you're supposed to hate the other. I on the other hand love them both. Never miss a trip when we go up there.

http://www.stviateurbagel.com/

http://www.fairmountbagel.com/

[surrealAmerican]

2. The good ones (from whatever city) are boiled first ...

... then baked. The less good are just baked, sometimes in an oven that steams as it bakes. I've known New Yorkers who insist the quality of the water makes a noticeable difference in texture.

[applegrove]

3. They are yummy. Chewier. They make them in Montreal and bag em and send them to Ottawa. You

can buy them in the departure section of the Trudeau Airport in Montreal. A lot of people like them.

[trof]

4. Bagels are weird.

First they're boiled, then they're baked.
Who came up with this?

The year ,1610. A Jewish bakery somewhere in Krakow, Poland
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bagel

Morty: "Sol, I got a great new idea for making donuts!"
Sol: "What's that?"
Morty: "Ok, first of all they're not sweet."
S: "Not sweet? Then it's just...bread?"
M: "Yeah, it's like bread, but get this. We make 'em like donuts, with the hole in the middle and everything. But FIRST we boil 'em. THEN we bake 'em."
S: "You're nuts. Why would we cook 'em twice? It will cost more to make 'em."
M: "Trust me Sol. This is gonna be BIG!"

And the rest is history.
Is this a Seinfeld episode?
I'll take mine with a schmear.

[GreatGazoo]

5. Outside of NY and Montreal I have encountered fake bagels

they seem to be simply dough that is formed in the shape and then baked; not boiled first.

Within NYC, some bagels are more flavorful than others but the best are any that are fresh and still hot from the oven. My standard order at H&H was "whatever is hot right now" (unless it was the "everything bagel" which is just a mess flavorwise). Bagel still hot from baking + cream cheese at near room temp so it kind of melts into the surface of the bagel...

Now I'm hungry...

[lastlib]

6. nah, I'd rather eat 'em while they're still doughnuts......

If I ever have a craving for bagels, I can just spread a little cream cheese on a big round piece of shoe-leather, chew it, and it's the same experience..........

[PennyK]

7. Really?

I may be prejudiced since I'm a New York Jew, but bagels -- real bagels, just out of the oven, are heavenly. With cream cheese, butter, lox, or even a tuna sandwich -- I love them and miss them like crazy. I follow a low-carb diet these days, but every time I get back to New York, I have a bagel!

[lastlib]

9. you can have mine.

I just don't see how anybody enjoys something that has the chewy factor of Army infantry boots. Not knockin' anybody for what they like, just my humble opinion. "Everyone to their own taste" (said the old woman as she kissed the cow....)

[catnhatnh]

8. New York Bagels-My Ass

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lender%27s_Bagels

One more item taken from it's Connecticut beginnings and appropriated to the "Empire State"

Just like pizza
http://www.yaleherald.com/archive/frosh/2000/blue/p51pizza.html

And hamburgers
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamburger

[Wolf Frankula]

10. Mondrool Style Beagles

Is that a beagle who flies a Nieuport, as opposed to a beagle who flies a Sopwith Camel?



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Wolf

[pinboy3niner]

11. My favorite Snoopy quote...

"It warms the cookies of my heart."