I think that the closest I ever got to a Montreal bagel was at Black Seed Bagels in lower Manhattan. Their bagel is apparently a combination of Montreal style and Manhattan style. I didn’t especially like it. I don’t want any sweetness in my bagels.
The best bagels I ever had came from Eagerman’s in Natick, MA, close to where I grew up. Eagerman’s doesn’t exist anymore.
In Zurich, where I live now, there are things called bagels. But they are just soft white bread in a round shape. Disgusting.
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That’s what I had, in addition to the two “big” Montreal brands.
Interesting. In California I grew up on Lender’s frozen bagels. When when Noah’s came to town in many locations, there was no comparison. I don’t see Lender’s in the stores any more. The Noah’s type bagel is what we find at Costco. Behemoth in size, they are like 4 times of the Lender ones and 75 carbs.
A long time ago a wit (Calvin Trillin or Kinky Friedman come to mind among that era’s reading materials) wrote that a good bagel “fights back” when you bite into it. Those big balloon versions wouldn’t make the cut.
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One is Fairmount, the other Fairmont. Also the Fairmont is in Quebec.
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There is also a Fairmont Hotel in Montreal!
Most of the old Canadian Pacific Hotels became Fairmonts across the country.
The Fairmont Queen Elizabeth is the Fairmont in Montreal. It’s attached to the train station.
The Fairmont Chateau Frontenac is the Fairmont in Quebec City. Chateau Laurier in Ottawa. (I’ll stop there 
)
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So you’re saying you grew up without actual bagels.
Got it.
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I grew up eating NY bagels, and have had Montreal style, but the best bagels I’ve had are from Chicken Dog Bagels here in San Francisco. I’m not sure the point of arguing over the world’s second and third best bagels.
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Because “best” tends to be rather subjective, QED 
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I know, like pizza
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Like pretty much everything.
I don’t think we’re debating which bagels are best. Those who have had New York style bagels like them better than the Montreal style ones because the Montreal bagels supposedly taste sweeter. I’ve never had New York bagels so I’m none the wiser. We all like food on ho and I love seeing how passionate people are about it. Just my $0.02.
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Hmmm.
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I wasn’t comparing Montreal style bagels to New York style bagels. Why would I if I’ve never had them? I was just comparing the Montreal style bagels to whatever else is available where I live and we don’t have New York style bagels here. If I lived in New York I might consider New York style bagels real bagels.
Got it. That “any other bagel” kind of implies you are knowledgeable about all of them. But you’re referring to the ones available in grocery stores, probably.
Exactly. In Ottawa we have a few places that make Montreal style bagels but I only frequent two of them because one is near home and the other is on one of my shopping routes. I am all in favour of competition though - the more bagel stores the merrier! However the only other bagels that we have here are the store bought varietal and I am not a fan.
Well, we got what we were given on the WC. I think Noah’s came around in the mid 70’s and changed everything. Who could have imagined so many schmears?
Fairmont Hot Springs, BC❤
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Not sure where you were in CA, but do you remember Goldstein’s Bagels?
They had the best banana nut “bagel” … which was more bagel qua unfried donut than anything resembling a bread product.
But fcuk was it ever good.
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