The St-Viateur vs. Fairmount Rivalry
Is there a difference? The Fairmount bagel is just a smidge sweeter. “When you ask people which they prefer, it’s about a 60-40 split, Fairmount to St-Viateur,” says Montreal food blogger Katerine Rollet. But then again, she is a Fairmount fan (which probably has something to do with her sweet tooth). The two bageleries are only a few blocks apart so picking one doesn’t usually involve convenience—it’s about loyalties.
What starts as a massive sheet of dough gets sliced into a long snake, which gets hand-rolled into many bagel loops. They have bigger holes than the New York version, or at least look bigger due to the smaller size. Tips for Smuggling Them in Luggage
Both places sell the bagels in plastic sleeves (each bag contains six). They can last on their own for six days, in the fridge for ten days, and a few months in the freezer.
I did not report the bagel stowaways in my luggage on my customs forms for fear of them being seized. I tend to lead an honest life but the thought of confiscation pained me too much. Apparently there’s a bagel booth at Dorval International Airport right beside the duty-free shop but I took a little walk on the wild side instead. Montreal bagels make you do ka-ray-zee things.
