St. Viateur Bagel Question

[Peter Cherches]

Is either branch near a metro station? Thanks.

[Gary Soup]

On a related note, where can one bagged fresh St. V's off-site (J-T, Downtown, Quartier Latin etc.)? I just waited until the last minute (the day brefore my flight), went to the fish place at J-T for a couple of bags, and discovered to my dismay that they only get them in on Saturday. I ended up buying Fairmounts at Hamel because they assured me they were fresh.

I think we should all boycott Starbucks globally (if we don't have enough reasons already) until they bring back bags of fresh St. Viateur bagels to their airport outlets. What a convenience that was!

[cherylmtl]

The location on Mont Royal east is about 8 blocks east of the Mont Royal metro station.

[kpzoo]

The one on Monkland is a 10-minute walk from Villa Maria metro.

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St-Viateur Bagel & Café
5629 Avenue De Monkland, Montr

[lagatta]

Closest métro is Laurier, but it is a bit of a walk west and slightly north; you can take the 51 bus west and walk north on St-Urbain.

[Gary Soup]

Not really, but they are close to the #55 bus line which you can catch right next to the Saint-Laurent metro stop.

[mainsqueeze]

Or you can take the 80 up Parc from Place des Arts.

[Peter Cherches]

That's good--I'll be staying close to the St. Laurent metro. Thanks.

[Mr F]

Something that may not be clear from this thread: there are two St-Viateur Bagel Cafés, and then there are the bakeries. The bakeries (two on St-Viateur, one flagship and the other a small outlet; plus two others) are open to the public but have no seating whatsoever.

[Edited to fix up the facts.]

[Gary Soup]

Since Peter wrote "either," not "any" I assume he meant the source bakeries, not the outlets.

[SnackHappy]

Well then, it should be pointed out that the one to visit is the one closest to Parc.

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Bagel Shop
263 Rue St-Viateur Ouest, Montr

[Gary Soup]

Not to nit-pick, but I believe neither of the two is the original location and the one closer to St. Laurent is essentially there for production capacity expansion. At either one you can get a bagel fresh from the oven 24/7, which is the main reason for making a pilgrimage to Rue St. Viateur, IMHO. There seem to be sit-down cafes all over Montreal that will serve you a St. Viateur bagel.

[SnackHappy]

Yes, but the St-Viateur Cafés bake bagels on-site.

[C70]

not to mention the other production outlets, like in the Esposito's at Marcel Laurin/St. Louis, where I always get them fresh & still hot.

[carswell]

Earlier this month, I house and cat sat for friends who live near the Esposito on St-Michel between Jean-Talon and Bélanger, and so regularly availed myself of the goods from the bagel bakery there. Didn't do side by side comparisons but have to say they struck me as slightly inferior -- fatter, doughier, blander, seedier -- to the ones I buy at the mother store. Not inferior enough to dissuade me from buying them or to entertain the thought of driving to St-Viateur St. though. Am I imagining things? (The psychological draw of the original bagel factory is strong, I admit.) Or is the same true for the bagels baked at the other franchises?

[Mr F]

I haven't done a side-by-side comparison either, but I've always found 158 St-Viateur to be just as good as the mothership at 263. I've never been to the cafés or the other two "wholesale" outlets.

[C70]

I haven't noticed a difference, but I also haven't been to the original bakery in a long time. I'm quite satisfied that they're in my neighborhood, period.

I still find them just heavenly with a schmear of Liberty cream cheese. (and a nice summer tomato, YUM)

[Mr F]

It's definitely worth going to St-Viateur St. for the bagels, I agree. But more than that, it's a fun little street with an interesting variety of flavours and other experiences packed into a short strip. It has changed quite a lot in recent years, but it's still a charmer.

But unless Peter clarifies things for us, I still suspect he may have been asking about the cafés. If so, it could be disappointing to venture to a bakery if he was expecting to be able to sit down for a sandwich, even though you and I would consider the original (263 St-Viateur) the only really worthy destination for a visitor.

[Peter Cherches]

Sorry if I was unclear--I meant either 263 St. Viateur, or Mont Royal, based on the St. Viateur website (I didn't originally notice the other outlets at the bottom, and I didn't think Monkland would be convenient. I may lean toward the cafe on Mont Royal, though, for a sit-down breakfast. Thanks for all the replies. Also on my agenda is the Cuban panino at Olive & Gourmando, Le Petit Alep, and possibly return visits to La Ravane and Uyghur.

[Mr F]

Since there are two cafés and only one "official" St. Viateur Bagel Shop (as the website says, the other bakeries are open to the public but geared to the wholesale trade), I figured it was possible he meant "either café." I'm still not sure what he truly meant, but it's worth eliminating any possible confusion, no?

The website answers all: www.stviateurbagel.com