Jewish Food
Mile End I Love You, but Your Canadian Bagels are Freaking Me Out
By Jason Diamond / April 19, 2010Once I go to a restaurant three times in a month, I’m officially obsessed; I’ve got my favorite items on the menu, and I know the right time to get there to avoid the crowds. I become a “regular.” Right now I’m obsessed with Mile End Delicatessen in Brooklyn, especially since I interviewed owner Noah Bernamoff last month. Their brisket is the greatest thing since, well, sliced brisket, and I plan on eating one of everything on their menu. Yet, I’m feeling conflicted about the bagels they have shipped directly from St. Viateur Bakery in Montreal. How good are they? I bought a bag and made the following notes:
- The Montreal bagel is sweeter than the New York bagel. The sesame and poppy bagels are seeded all over — not just on one side. This makes me happy for reasons I can’t quite put into words.
- The New York bagel is better with “the works.” The slimmer Montreal bagel gets lost under a pile of lox, cream cheese, tomato, onions and capers.
- The Montreal bagels I’ve eaten in Brooklyn were shipped; therefore, they weren’t fresh. Was that a factor?
- I’ve been to Montreal several times and never eaten a bagel there.
- After eating one of these bagels as a late night snack, I watched the Washington Capitals vs. Montreal Canadians game. Normally I’d be loudly expressing my hatred of The Habs (for you non-hockey fans, that’s the nickname for Montreal’s legendary team) and rooting for “my boy” Alexander Ovechkin. Instead, I found myself realizing that Alex the Great is an incredibly dirty player and I hope Montreal pulls off another first round upset again this year.
- Immediately after finishing the bag of bagels, I searched out this Kids in the Hall skit.




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Trapped in the Dallas shtetl, I yearn for Mile End, which has accumulated a stellar reputation 4 months into its life, and St. Viateur’s bagels. Montreal bagels are totally different that what NYers grew up with. Superior? That’s for you to decide. Excellent, definitely, though fresh is best. Meet me at Mile End Thu 22 Jul and we can discuss this in person!
I feel you on the seeds. I fiend for them so badly that after slicing and toasting my bagels and slathering on a heart-attack’s worth of cheese, I collect whatever poppy and/or sesame seeds have fallen off and sprinkle them back on. Other days I’ll go on a horrible binge and pour that tablespoon or so of loose seeds at the bottom of the bag right down the hatch.
Don’t get me started on poppy seed filling.Â
(thanks for the article!)Â
Those bagels sound divine. I’m going to have to try them, since I’m moving up to NY soon anyway. Perfect time for me to see this. Thanks for the review!Â
I’d be curious to try these.
The best bagel I have ever eaten were made by a Canadian, affectionately nicknamed “Iron Chef Kosher.” He has since become a US citizen, but I imagine his bagel are still wonderful.
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