The Bagel House: Reviews?

[DishyDiva]

I saw this article in the Toronto Star last week about a new place called "The Bagel House" which sells "authentic" Montreal style bagels 24 hours a day!

http://www.thestar.com/article/469851

Has anyone been? How are the bagels? Please share your reviews with us.

Thanks in advance.

[Forone]

A new store under construction on Yonge south of St. Clair (Rosehill.)

[befuggled]

Dumb question: what makes Montreal-style bagels so special? How do they compare to NY bagels?

[sleepy]

i was just in nyc 2 weeks ago, stopped by H&H Bagels while there. nyc bagels are a little bigger and fluffier while mtl style are smaller, more dense, a little chewier, also taste a bit more sweet.

i prefer the mtl style :o

as for Bagel House, go early on weekends and they'll be making fresh ones :)

[duckdown]

Does anyone know what time of the day they actually bake the bagels at?

I went here the other night at like 2am on the way home and it was just a single girl at the counter who pulled the bagel from a large bin filled with random bagels. It did not seem that fresh... Kind of disappointing to be honest

So I'm thinking I have to stop by at a certain time of day when they are nice and fresh

[embee]

At the Bayview location, they are baked at seemingly random times during the day. They are usually fresh in the morning. I sometimes find them baking later in the day, and sometimes everything is cold. However, I've never run into a bin of random bagels that weren't marked openly as leftovers. They certainly don't bake continuously, as at the Montreal legends.

[abscissa]

Also, at Ave. Rd., I have seen Bagels made at all times. -- very random...

[embee]

Wherever they did or didn't learn to make them, Bagel House (at least the one on Bayview) makes very decent bagels in the Montreal style. They usually have some char and a definite taste/aroma of wood smoke. Sweetness is a generic characteristic of a Montreal bagel.

St Viateur and Fairmont each has its fans, but they make a somewhat different product. This applies to Bagel House also. You may or may not like their product as much as you like someone else's, but they definitely are "Montreal bagels". I find them much better than those from St Urbain.

I live near the Danforth and often watched Kettleman's make what looked like very proper Montreal bagels in a real wood oven, but they never actually tasted like Montreal bagels to me. Bagel House is much better.

[cybergod]

Based on the Bagel House bagel I'm eating right now, I'll still make a habit of stocking up on bagels whenever I'm in Montreal. It's a bit heavy, somewhat underdone (lacks that nice bit of char on the outside) and quite sweet.

A day-old or toasted from the freezer bagel from any of the best Montreal bagel places still kicks any Toronto-based version's butt. Of course, there's nothing like a bagel fresh from the oven at St. Viateur or Fairmount!

[bagelman]

Hi, Vince at St-Viateur Bagel. None of these gentleman ever worked for St-Viateur Bagel, however, they are not the first to use our name to promote their own business. I have heard of bakeries as far as LA reportedly having ex-employees working and in many cases it is not true. Those employees that have moved on and opened their own places are usually always in touch with us and we are genuinely happy to see them do well. Those like these guys that actually have the nerve the use our name in their web-site, I view in a different light. I should call them.

[duckdown]

Vince, when are you guys expanding into Ontario? :P

[bagelman]

We just struck a deal with a&p in Ontario to supply their stores by the end of the month. It will be limited to certain stores according to how many we can supply.

[Yongeman]

Interesting...how fresh will they be able to be?

[duckdown]

Sounds good!! Hopefully I can find them here in Mississauga/Brampton

[abscissa]

Not really a fan of this place. I find their bagels a bit small.

But -- if they are open 24 hours now, that's something...

[DishyDiva]

Thanks for the clarification, everyone. Apparently, I misunderstood the article and should have more carefully. If I have the time, I'll check it out -- though I doubt I'll be doing so at 3am!

[Finnegan]

At 85 cents a piece I won't be buying there bagels anytime soon....For some former Montrealers coming up from the States I orderd bagels from St. Viateur (or was it Fairmount) in Montreal and had them shipped the same day for less.

http://www.stviateurbagel.com/index/p...

[BLM]

Recently all the well known Montreal bagel establishments in Montreal dramatically raised their bagel prices(due to the high flour prices if I remember correctly). Maybe 20-30% increase.

[chaptwo]

I never look at the prices at St Viateur...I just eat them...quickly !

[millygirl]

Me neither. I never look at the prices. I mean it's just a bagel for g-sakes, how bad could it get!!

[BLM]

I was responding to Finnegan. Otherwise I would have never brought it up.

[millygirl]

No worries, I figured that and was doing the same thing....responding to finnegan.

[gnr]

DD, this bagel spot has been open for a while (Avenue Rd and Fairlawn). I guess they have decided to be open 24 hours a day. Their bagels are very good, and are cooked fresh throughout the day. Nothing better than a warm poppy seed bagel with light cream cheese - crunchy on the outside, soft and doughy on the inside with that sweet Montreal bagel flavour.

[BLM]

Yes, that's the case. The owner was just interviewed live on Montreal radio.

[millygirl]

Bagel House is not new, they've been around for a couple of years. The hours are new though. Their bagels are wonderful, it's the only place we'll get them from these days.