Montreal Style Bagels in Toronto
Not sure but this might have been covered already, but here goes. I am looking for a real good sweet, chewy Montreal style bagel locally produced in a wood burning oven> Am I out of luck, do I need to travel all the way back to Montreal to find them? Help please!!!
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shelleypascual
Apr 27, 2010 10:04 PM
Ahh, the age-old debate: St. Urbain or Bagel House. I agree with most of the people in this thread, Bagel House wins, hands down. For all the reasons above previously mentioned.
And as a side note, though they cannot even compare to Bagel House, Fortino's also bakes Montreal-style bagels. They're baked fresh at the supermarket (not sure if all locations bake them) and sold for $0.50-$0.70/bagel. It may just be convenient for you to know that Fortino's does carry them.
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Davwud
Apr 27, 2010 07:02 AM
You guys made me hungry so I stopped at Bagel House this morning. It was great.
DT
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Bagel House
1548 Bayview Ave, Toronto, ON M4G, CA›4 Replies-
re: Davwud
If you want a good bagel - either Montreal-style or so-called Toronto-style - you must, must, must get them where they're baked, and preferably first thing in the morning, the better to rush them home for breakfast, before they deteriorate. Bagels at a supermarket or some other secondary outlet just won't do. As others have attested, for Montreal-style in Toronto you won't beat any of the Bagel House outlets - I like the one on Bayview Ave., where they always seem to have come just out of the oven. St. Urbain's Montreal-style is inconsistent, sometimes acceptable, often not up to much, and no match at all for Bagel House (though St. Urbain is cheaper). If you must, as peppermint pate has suggested, you can freeze them and toast as needed. Not as good as fresh, but close enough to be all right.
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re: juno
Chef_Instructor
Apr 27, 2010 09:52 AM
It was a convenience thing for me as i am coming in from Hamilton and only going as far as Etobicoke. I agree hot right out of the oven is best I will make the trek next time!
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re: Chef_Instructor
Hey chef - we didn't mean to browbeat you - we (bagel fanatics) only meant to underscore the fact that a Montreal bagel has a full-flavour shelf life of about a nanosecond so you'd best go straight to the source and consume quickly. If you are making the trek to Toronto, I'd go to the Bayview location of Bagel House - I've had great bagels from all of the locations but the one on Bayview is the most consistent (someone said the age of the oven plays a part and it's been the longest running of the locations).
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Bagel House
1548 Bayview Ave, Toronto, ON M4G, CA-
re: peppermint pate
Chef_Instructor
Apr 27, 2010 11:44 AM
Understood thanks peppermint
I did realize my faux pas as soon as i did it I promise I will go to the source from now on :-)
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Chef_Instructor
Apr 26, 2010 10:47 PM
Thanks for all the info . I noticed that the bagel House supplied Loblaws at 427 and Burnhamthorpe rd so I went there. I picked up a half dz sesame and a half dz plain. I ate one on the sesame ones, good flavour, nice chew but i seem to remember the ones from MTL being "ropier" (sp) not as plump I guess is the description I was trying to convey.
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re: Chef_Instructor
TorontoJo
Apr 27, 2010 04:30 AM
The Bagel House bagels do vary in size and "plumpness" -- some are as skinny as true Montreal bagels (big hole, little bagel) and some are bigger. I'm guessing they are trying to adapt a bit to the Toronto market. But really, I recommend you try going to one of the main outlets where they make the bagels. As you know, Montreal bagels have a shelf life of about 4 hours and the further outside that window you get, the harder and staler the bagels get. Nothing like getting a bag of fresh, hot bagels steaming up the paper bag!
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Bagel House
1548 Bayview Ave, Toronto, ON M4G, CA-
re: TorontoJo
Agree with TorontoJo - don't ever get Bagel House bagels from anywhere other than Bagel House. They are inevitably stale by the time any other store puts them on their shelf, even if they're "same day". Make sure you eat one of the still warm bagels as you're carrying the bag to the car, then eat the remaining bagels as soon as you get home (okay, you have maybe an hour or two) - otherwise freeze. Had a warm "everything" bagel just the other day in fact - delish.
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Bagel House
1548 Bayview Ave, Toronto, ON M4G, CA-
re: peppermint pate
Agreed with Toronto Jo, peppermint pate and all: get them fresh, directly from Bagel House. I go to the Bayview location. If you go earlier in the morning (before 10am-ish) sometimes you will be lucky and get them when they are still warm! Amazing.They don't need anything on them when they are like that.
Agreed too about freezing them. Slice & freeze any that you know you won't eat within the day or so, so you can toast and enjoy them anytime! They will give you a clear bag for freezing them if you need it.
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Bagel House
1548 Bayview Ave, Toronto, ON M4G, CA
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re: peppermint pate
JamieK
Apr 28, 2010 02:35 PM
yes i know!, bacon-lover and salt-freak that I am, it's crazy.... and bad for me.
But seriously, those bagels can't handle a big load. Next time I crave a BLT, I'm going to get a conventional sandwich, there must be somewhere in the area that makes a good sandwich. I like those bagels, but I'm going to stick to just cream cheese or cheddar, or whatever.
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FoodieGirl29
Apr 26, 2010 05:35 PM
I also recommend St. Urbain inside St. Lawrence Market. I think they are only 69 cents!!! My absolute favourite are the onion bagels....smells SO good. They only really keep on the counter for a day or so. After that, they are too hard to slice.
I also noticed that Pusateri's carries a wide selection of designer bagels, I'm not sure which ones are Montreal style.
What-A-Bagel is also really good but not Montreal style...I think?
Lisa - The Hip & Urban Girl's Guide @ http://www.hipurbangirl.com
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Pusateri's
1539 Avenue Rd, Toronto, ON M5M, CASt. Lawrence Market
92 Front St E, Toronto, ON M5E, CA -
My usual go-to place is St Urbain, either the location at St Lawrence Market or the one in Vaughan (on Bathurst just north of Steeles). Not as good as the ones in Montreal, but if you catch some fresh ones coming out of the oven (which seems to happen fairly continuously on the weekends), they are pretty good.
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I agree that Bagel House is great. Also, you might want to check out this thread:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/321166
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Bagel House
1548 Bayview Ave, Toronto, ON M4G, CA -
Bagel House on Bayview just north of Millwood...yummy Montreal style bagels made in their wood fired oven.
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Bagel House
1548 Bayview Ave, Toronto, ON M4G, CA›6 Replies-
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re: warlock
Are these available downtown? .. I would try them.
Though some enjoy them, I've found that St. Urbain bagels are to Montreal bagels as Toronto "Montreal smoked meat" is to Montreal smoked meat.
i.e. an inferior product.
I've settled on Gryfe bagels - which are delicious in their own right, but definitely not Montreal bagels.
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re: ctl98
Davwud
Apr 27, 2010 04:27 AM
I got taken there last week for the first time and was very happy with it. I'd had a Montreal style bagel before and the best word to describe it IMHO was doughy. It was like it wasn't completely cooked. "That's the way it's supposed to be" they say. Well, this one wasn't like that. Still warm, it had a great crust and was just downright great. Nothing like what I was expecting.
DT
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