NYC Bagel Snobs REACT To Montreal Bagels' Brooklyn Debut

Bagels are an integral part of New York food culture, but what happens when (deep breath) Russians and Bulgarians bring a French-Canadian-inspired Polish bagel recipe to Brooklyn? Mile End's Canadian smoked meat has previously charmed a deeply judgmental city, so maybe it's not beyond the realm of possibility for the new B&B Empire to upend New Yorkers' bagel arrogance. Or is it? Our knee-jerk reaction suggests they may have their work cut out for them.

B&B Empire, which opened Tuesday in a converted historical site in Cobble Hill, is the first location in New York that produces "Montreal bagels" in house. Though you might see Montreal bagels advertised at other delis, they are almost all imports. Fresh from "a custom made wood-burning oven," the Montreal bagel is a bit sweeter, denser and less salty (zero salt, in fact!) than the New York style bagel.

Top recommendations from B&B Empire owners include the Montreal bagel with smoked pastrami, smoked salmon ($7.50) or the scallion cream cheese ($3.25). For those with a sweet tooth, the cinnamon apple crepe and orange honey crepe ($7.50) have also been in high demand. Straying from the concept of an authentic Jewish Deli, the menu also includes salads, soups, sandwiches and... penne? Well, there's an explanation for that. Chef Iggy Kostov explains the plans for the future: "We want to convert the place into a full service Montreal-style restaurant for evening hours and as a catering service for parties, but before we want to perfect our product and market it to retail stores and bagel shops."

Though the owners made pains to stress that the menu and product would improve over time, Gothamist staffers yesterday conducted a premature evaluation, comparing several Montreal bagels with the not-exactly-phenomenal bagels from local purveyor La Bagel Delight. Here are some of the criticisms voiced during our office taste test, which, to be fair, was conducted by lifelong NYC bagel snobs:

"This is like a strange simulacrum of a bagel. Which makes sense because Canada is sort of a simulacrum of the United States."
"How would they feel if we went up to Canada and started shoving maple syrup down their throats?"
"The flavors are very subtle, and if you want more of a bready taste, you're in luck. They're more airy than dense."
"Speaking of which, can we get some maple syrup to drown these in?"
"It does make a lovely conveyance for toppings, because the flavor is so... subdued?"
"What's going to happen now? The Canadians are going to come down and start displacing American bagel workers?"
"To be fair, this is what I'd expect if I told a Canadian to make me a bagel."
"Bagels certainly have become fetishized, eh?"
"This bagel is like a party in my mouth. A party that people forget to bring beer to and ends at 9:30."

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Rohin Sethi in Food on June 9, 2011 10:44 AM

Comments [rss]

Mitchell Leitman

and don't forget, a Montreal bagel must be eaten within 3 hours of baking, otherwise you might as well eat a doorstop. Forget day-olds. They're only good (and they are REALLY good by the way) if super fresh.

wendi Karass-Horvath

I am a Montrealer living in NY. Forget about all of these comparisons - they are useless!!! It's like comparing apples and oranges. Montreal Bagels are just a completely different taste to NY bagels and that's the way they should remain. If one must compare, they are less dense, less salty and flatter in shape. I grew up on Montreal bagels so that is what I am accustomed to. Whether imported or not - I like 'em fresh, coming right out of the wood burning stove. The slightly crunchy exterior and soft interior makes them a totally unique bagel-eating experience!

Phil Chang

NYC wins hands down on the bagels wars IMO. A good NY bagel starts with a solid crunch that cracks like a good French baguette but does not shatter unlike a french baguette. You then meet a soft yielding center with a slight salty taste the compliments the filling (for me cream cheese). Montreal bagels on the other hand lack character on the bite. Instead, it was dense and a bit dry. I must say that the sweetness was nice, but stick some honey in a NY bagel and you can have the best part of the Montreal bagel without the rest.

krystle478

ive tried there bagels and must i say i was very satisfied with my bagel,very tasty im recommending my friends to go there too and try them out 100% sure they will love them also ,so much different then a stale bagel

Frederic Halden Ramstedt

"... comparing several Montreal bagels with the not-exactly-phenomenal bagels from local purveyor La Bagel Delight"

OK. Slam the locals in a subtle sneaky way by omitting the heretofore mentioned compariosn and pan the import. LBD's bagels may be "not exactly phenomenal" that's because they are superb.

This is just a rant about something new, something alien, something different. Thank you for embracing xenophobia! One would think New Yorkers, but especially Brooklynites, would welcome something new and give these revolutionaries a chance. Of course, if they aren't good, the market will kill, crush and destroy them. Let's wait and see.

Freddy, the ranting working stiff

Peanut_Butter

Also check out this episode of Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations in Quebec:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...
Skip to 1:30

campirecord

This article does not show a Montreal bagel, sorry folks.

campirecord

That's a real montreal bagel and if you haven't had it fresh out of the oven or toasted with Lerbty cream cheese (not that Philly stuff you call cream cheese). You wouldn't know. Its Montreal by the way, there is nothing Canadian about a Bagel. Montreal is unique and its Quebecois first thank you very much. Best frigging city in the world... plus we have this crazy well known band called The Suburbs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...

Darlington Post

You don't even know. Didn't you watch the video on their website showing the popularity of the Montreal-style bagel throughout all the world's major cultural hubs--like Houston, and Ottawa? New York City has been living in the bagel dark ages. They have a crest and a crown in their logo. Or as you might refer to it: a simulacrum of regal authority.

brooklyndan

"... converted historical site in Cobble Hill"?

1. It's on the north side of Atlantic Ave., therefore Brooklyn Heights.
2. It replaces a radiology office of no particular charm. What's historical about it?

Nonetheless, it's good to have them in the nabe.

sluntbucket

Why not. The transient hordes who've taken over this town wouldn't know the difference anyway.

goodbyewren

I for one am offended by the increase in culinary diversity.

dsmuck

ugh those are not "montreal bagels." the ones shown here are grotesquely thick. as many know, the standard for montreal bagels comes from either Fairmount or St-Viateur and look something like this: http://www.tourisme-montreal.o... oh, also re: the asinine "critiques": just fyi by many accounts bagels were actually brought to montreal first, before they were to new york... either way they were brought separately from europe, not via new york, so the condescension is a little silly. in any case as a native montrealer it pains me to see the name of our fair city mis-bagel-associated. but I guess I'll have to try out the place and see for myself.

GregC

Yes, dsmuck is right. I got a bagful of fresh St. Viateur bagels just before leaving Montreal last year, and ate three before crossing back into the USA, and two more before hitting New York. Those things are TINY. And good. Very different. But good. Keep an open mind about bagels from Montreal, though not necessarily "Montreal Bagels," the store. Oh hell, maybe you should give 'em a try.

seattlesnow

I love there nova lox and I'm not a Jew! (but I do have a jdate profile)

AuntySemantic

There nova lox? Where nova lox?

AuntySemantic

What passes for a New York bagel these days bears little resemblance to the New York bagels I remember from my childhood in the 1960s. There are very few purveyors of real New York bagels. Most of today's bagels are too big, too airy on the inside, and too crisp on the outside.

Jen Chung

Do you have any recommendations for current establishments that sell more classic NYC bagels? Like would H&H cut it?

SethNYC

I think H&H is the standard for today, but I agree with Aunty that
even 30 years ago most bagels were much closer to the real thing.

A true bagel should be much chewier than what is sold today. It should
be tough to pull apart - I have not seen any bagel pass this test in as
long as I can remember. I think over time some of the more idiosyncratic
aspects of bagels have been phased out as bagels became more
mainstream. Just remember that Burger King introduced a bagel breakfast
sandwich in 1987 and most Americans were like: WTF is a bagel???? Seriously. As bagels have become more a part of American fare they have been somewhat homogenized even here.

Daniel

Manhattan just doesn't make em like that anymore, kinda like a good slice of pizza, you have to venture to the local neighborhoods in the boroughs to get good bagels.